My Role: Product Design Lead Timeline: 12 weeks Platforms: iOS, Android and Web
Overview
Imagine managing padlocks in remote locations—warehouses, construction sites, or rental properties—where security is critical, but access is a logistical nightmare. You’re a facilities manager overseeing a remote warehouse. A contractor needs temporary access, but you’re miles away, and driving out to update a lock code isn’t an option. This was the reality for many Master Lock users—until we designed the WiFi Bridge.
My Contribution
As the Product Design Lead, I spearheaded the UX that enables remote access, real-time notifications, and seamless management for Bluetooth-enabled padlocks, all without sacrificing battery life. This project aimed to solve a critical user pain points while expanding Master Lock’s product line into new markets.
Led weekly UX working sessions.
Created high-fidelity prototypes and user flows for mobile and web apps.
Ran user tests and wrote specific requirements for developers.
Updated the design system with new components and styles.
The Challenge
Our team identified several key issues through research and customer feedback:
Remote Access Struggles: Warehouses, construction sites, and rental properties often lack supervised access management, relying on manual processes that compromise security and efficiency.
Bluetooth Limitations: While Bluetooth padlocks offered some advantages via the Vault Enterprise app, they lacked remote access and real-time notifications, requiring users to be within close range to manage them.
Battery Life Concerns: Adding WiFi directly to padlocks was impractical—locks in remote locations like telecommunication towers might sit unused for months, and constant connectivity would drain their batteries.
Our challenge was clear: design a solution that delivers remote functionality without undermining the padlock’s core purpose.
Research and Discovery
To address these challenges, I collaborated with product management, and external agency teams on a comprehensive research effort:
User Interviews: Our agency partner interviewed current Master Lock Bluetooth device owners, revealing that 70% struggled with remote access management.
Internal Insights: Feedback from sales and channel marketing highlighted business needs and user expectations.
Competitor Analysis: We studied similar products to identify opportunities for differentiation.
From this, we crafted four personas to guide our design:
The Decision Maker: Owners seeking to upgrade access control.
The Operator: Employees using locks to enter restricted areas.
The Coordinator: Facilities managers overseeing access and personnel.
The Provisioner: Staff responsible for setting up the bridge and connecting locks.
These personas shaped our approach. For instance, the Provisioner needed an intuitive onboarding process, which became a cornerstone of our design.
Mapping the User Journey
I kicked things off by leading weekly working sessions with design, product, and engineering teams. These collaborative meetings were crucial for aligning everyone on user needs and brainstorming solutions.We mapped out user flows, debated trade-offs, and prioritized features, ensuring our designs were both user-friendly and technically feasible:
Provisioning the bridge and adding it to the system.
Connecting the bridge to WiFi.
Managing bridges, padlocks and access.
Receiving real-time notifications and history events management.
Troubleshooting network issues.
These flows became the backbone of our high-fidelity wireframes and prototypes, which I designed for both mobile and web platforms.
Design Process: Crafting the Experience
I created wireframes and prototypes for both mobile and web applicaitons, including the interface design and user flow with details for developers.
I tested the prototypes with users and iterated on the design based on feedback, then presented those findings and designs to product and software management. Once approved I supported developers throught the whole process.
Bridge Configuration Setup
A smooth WiFi setup was essential. I designed an intuitive onboarding flow with step-by-step instructions and visual cues, making it easy for users to connect the bridge to their network. Guerrilla testing showed an average configuration time of under 2 minutes, a win for both novice and experienced users.For the Master Lock WiFi Bridge, I designed an onboarding process that guided users through connecting the bridge to their WiFi network, ensuring a smooth experience on both mobile and web platforms.
Mobile
I created an intuitive flow with step-by-step instructions and visual cues (like progress indicators), making it easy for users to set up the bridge using their smartphone.
Web
On the web platform, I adapted the existing flow and page structure creating WiFi bridges tab and using add-new-lock modal functionality.
This approach ensured consistency across platforms while tailoring the design to each device’s strengths. For example, mobile users could quickly scan a QR code to start the process, while web users had a form with auto-fill options—both leading to the same seamless outcome.
WiFi Status and Connection Strength
Connectivity hiccups were bound to happen, so I designed a “Connection Test” flow to give users real-time visibility and control. This feature displayed WiFi strength and device status with clear, actionable error messages and detailed troubleshooting steps.
Mobile
I crafted a compact dashboard with bold titles, clear descriptions animated states and a troubleshooting guide, perfect for on-the-go fixes.
Web
For desktop users, I expanded the dashboard into a detailed view with a signal strength graph and hoverable tooltips, leveraging the larger screen to offer deeper insights without clutter.This dual approach ensured consistency while playing to each platform’s strengths—quick fixes on mobile, detailed diagnostics on web.
Managing Bridges, Padlocks and Access
Property owners needed more than just connectivity—they craved real-time oversight and control over their locks, even from miles away. I designed the “Bridge Details” feature to deliver that power, enabling automatic updates (like lock settings or event history) whenever a lock was woken up, no phone required. It also allowed remote tweaks to configurations, security patches, and temporary access codes for users like contractors—all without stepping on-site.
Mobile
I created a “Bridge Details” screen with a clean overview of the most important features including location and connectivity, perfect for busy operators and provisioners on the move.
Web
On desktop, I built a robust control hub listing bridge status, firmware version, and access logs, with dropdowns for updating network settings or assigning temporary codes, ideal for detailed management tasks.
This unified design bridged the gap between real-time monitoring and remote administration, tailored to mobile’s speed and web’s depth.
Notifications and Events History
Extending WiFi to Locks and Ensuring a Strong Connection with the locks on the account. This panel is also useful for monitoring device health and WiFi strength through time.
Prototyping and Testing
I conducted usability testing throughout the whole process, usually once a week, before the design review. As a part of the process, I discovered many other areas of improvement, confusion and frustration and iterated on the design to improve usability of the related features without extending the timeline or development resources.
Design System: Building for the Future
Beyond the bridge itself, I saw an opportunity to elevate Master Lock’s broader digital ecosystem. I updated the design systems for both platforms, tailoring them to support this new product while setting a scalable foundation for the future.
Mobile
For iOS and Android, we leveraged native elements where possible, while I built the custom components from scratch to align the functionality with the bridge’s needs.
Web
I built a fresh component library from scratch, ensuring consistency across interfaces.
Impact and Reflections
Though the project didn’t launch due to the changing priorities, it earned praise from stakeholders. One product manager remarked, “This is the most user-friendly interface we’ve seen for a complex product like this.” The experience taught me valuable lessons:
Iterative Design: Regular testing uncovered and resolved usability issues early.
Collaboration: Partnering with engineering and product teams aligned design with technical feasibility.
Strategic Thinking: Updating the design system added long-term value beyond the immediate project.
Conclusion
The Master Lock WiFi Bridge project was a complex but rewarding challenge. By blending user research, iterative design, and cross-functional collaboration, we crafted a solution that addressed real-world problems with elegance and efficiency. Though it didn’t reach the market, the insights gained and the design system improvements have strengthened my approach to UX. I’m eager to apply these skills to future projects, creating impactful experiences that solve problems and delight users.
