Robot Monitor Widget UX.UI Design
Improving Work Productivity Through
Automation People Actually Trust
Overview
This project explored a new business model for Samsung's robotics division by combining a robotic arm with a smart monitor.
As the primary UX/UI designer, I designed an adaptive widget interface that improves productivity through automated monitor positioning.
Full automation has a hidden risk. People resist systems that act without their consent, even helpful ones. To prevent this reactance, Axis follows one principle. Automated by default, controllable on demand.
The solution enables:
Automated monitor positioning
Personalized posture feedback
Workspace presets for one-tap task switching
My Role
UX/UI Designer I Samsung SRA, Think Tank Team
Usability Testing, UI Architecture, Wire Framing, Visual Identity, Prototyping, Interaction Design
Team
Part of an R&D team consisting of 1 UX/UI, 2 ID designers, 1 project manager, and 4 developers.
Duration
3 months, Jun-Aug 2022
Problem to Solve
Automatic, but in control
Poor monitor positioning causes physical strain and lowers productivity, yet almost nobody adjusts their monitor because it takes effort.
Automation can remove that effort. But it creates a new design challenge. The system must act on its own, while users still feel in charge.
Our Solution
A robotic monitor system that automatically adjusts to a user’s position while supporting posture correction and workspace automation.
WORK PROCESS
Planning project timline
Bridging prototype with user
Following an initial posture correction prototype, I was brought in as the sole UX/UI designer to improve accessibility and usability.
Our hypothesis was simple. People will accept a monitor that moves on its own, if they keep full control. With the prototype in place, I worked directly with it to define key use cases and design the interface, iterating alongside the evolving physical system to test that hypothesis.
(Physical Prototype & Research Questions)
Would people accept a monitor that moves on its own if they keep control?
CONTEXTUAL INQUIRY
Findings from Prototype Testing
Balancing automation and user control
We interviewed 12 internal users as they used the prototype in their daily work. I observed their behavior and asked follow-up questions to identify usability issues. Users welcome automation only when it adapts to them and never interrupts them. This became the backbone of the design.
One setup doesn't fit every workflow
Allow customized monitor presets
Display clutter with multiple windows
Effortless app access with widget UI
Constant posture feedback is distracting
Allow feedback personalization
Defining design criteria
Based on research findings, I defined key design criteria focused on personalization, quick workspace access, intuitive monitor controls, and flexible face-tracking adjustments.
(Contextual Interview Synthesis)
PROJECT PLANNING
Setting clear project goal
Aligning interface and system behavior
I collaborated closely with engineers to align features and system interactions, focusing on an intuitive interface for managing monitor and workspace settings, with simplified LED feedback integrated into the base.
(User Flow)
Additionally, I created storyboards and journey maps to align the team on key scenarios, helping prioritize simple features deliverable within time constraints.
(Scenario Sketch)
(Shared Dev Handoff)
SKETCHING
Improving accessibility
Visualizing seamless monitor control
I explored multiple concepts for the application interface, focusing on how it appears and stays accessible without disrupting the screen. The final design introduced a persistent widget that expands for detailed controls, with the option to hide or restore it from the taskbar.
(Concept Sketch)
Defined UI and motion to smoothly toggle between quick settings and detailed controls, with automatic orientation adjustment.
USER TESTING
Testing and iteration
Prioritizing improvements
During the mid-fidelity stage, I simplified the experience by reducing hidden features and focusing on core wireframes. Through usability testing, I identified key issues and prioritized improvements based on risk, leading to a focus on refining position control and workspace features.
(User Testing Setup)
(Mid Fidelity Prototype & Feedback)
KEY CHALLENGE 1
Position controller
Designing intuitive 3D control on a flat screen
My biggest design challenge was representing height, depth, pivot, and rotation on a 2D interface without overwhelming users.
The breakthrough was matching the user's mental model. You should manipulate the monitor as you see it, not as an abstract 3D object. I introduced a flat overlay aligned with the monitor view, making interactions feel direct and cutting the learning curve.
(Before & After)
Balancing speed and spacial clarity
I audited reference patterns across controller UIs. Flat controls won on simplicity, feasibility, and lower cognitive load, while isometric views offered better spatial recognition.
(Controller UI Audit)
To balance feasibility with intuitiveness, I introduced a flat 2D illustration that mirrors the monitor's physical position in real time. The interface needs no translation. Users see the monitor's state at a glance instead of recalling what they set.
(Controller Design Explorations)
KEY CHALLENGE 2
Workspace transition
Improving safety and trust in system-triggered movement
Selecting a workspace triggered automatic physical adjustments. Without safeguards, the movement felt abrupt, and a robotic arm moving unexpectedly is the fastest way to lose user trust.
To solve this, I added a confirmation step before any movement begins. Users see exactly what is about to happen and can cancel at any time.
I also recommended a responsive layout that adapts as workspaces are added, with scrolling instead of left-right dragging to match familiar desktop settings behavior.
From design to development
During implementation, I worked closely with engineers to translate designs into production, adapting to technical constraints while maintaining visual integrity through regular design–development check-ins.
FINAL DESIGN
Co-bot to boost your digital workforce
FINAL OUTCOME
Unveiling public feedback
From demo to validated trust
The final prototype was demonstrated to onsite attendees in tech fair and team visits. We got a great attention to a potential new robotics line integrated with current product features.
Would people accept a monitor that moves on its own? Watching users answered YES, with one condition. Once they knew they could see, confirm, and cancel every movement, they stopped overriding the automation and let it work.
REFLECTION
My take away from the journey
👊 Project challenge
Designing UI and hardware together. The interface evolved with the robotic arm hardware. Changes to the physical system directly shaped the interaction design, so flexibility and close collaboration were important throughout the project.
📝 What I learned
Fewer controls is a design decision, not a compromise. Early versions tried to show everything at once, but testing made it clear that clarity comes from what you leave out. A widget that does a few things well works better than one that does everything poorly.
👉 What’s my next steps
The project presented to HQ successfully introduced new robotic possibilities. Future iterations could include posture analytics to help users understand ergonomic habits over time, and obstacle-aware calibration to enable safer, more reliable monitor movement within different workspace setups.
