Revolutionizing Smart Security for Sector Alarm: A Design System Case Study
Sector Alarm
Role
Lead Design System Designer
Growth Senior Product Designer
Project Timeline
2022-2023
Industry
Smart Security & Smart Home
Team
UX Researchers, Developers, PMs, and Brand Designers
Tools
Figma, ZeroHeight, Figma Tokens
Online
In an era where smart security meets home automation, user experience is just as critical as technology. Sector Alarm, a leading European security provider, recognized the need for a seamless, cross-platform digital experience to support its expansion into smart home solutions.
But there was a challenge—fragmented UX, inconsistent interfaces, and high user frustration. Customers struggled with navigating different apps across mobile, tablet, smartwatch, and web, making security management more complex than it should be.
Onboarding
The Problem: A Fragmented and Inefficient UX
Before our redesign, the Sector Alarm ecosystem was disjointed, with inconsistent UI elements across different platforms. Users experienced frustration when navigating between mobile, tablet, and desktop applications, leading to low engagement rates and higher customer support queries.
Why was this a problem?
Users struggled to manage security settings efficiently.
Brand inconsistency caused confusion between mobile and web versions.
Developers faced longer iteration cycles due to the lack of reusable components.
Expanding into smart home features required a more scalable design to support future integrations.
Key Research Insight
Through user interviews and analytics, we found that 50% of customers experienced difficulties managing their security settings across devices. Heatmaps revealed that users often abandoned the security setup process mid-way due to a lack of clear guidance and a confusing UI flow.
One customer summed it up best:
“I want to check my alarm status and cameras in one tap, not five.”
Expanding into smart home features required a more scalable design to support future integrations.
Brand inconsistency caused confusion between mobile and web versions.
This was the turning point—we had to create a seamless cross-platform experience that enabled users to control their security system instantly, no matter the device.
Light Mode & Dark Mode
The Solution: A Unified Design System for Smart Security
We needed one source of truth that could power Sector Alarm’s entire ecosystem from mobile and tablet to wearables and desktop mini apps.
Research & Discovery
Conducted UX audits across all platforms.
Benchmarked against top security & smart home apps (e.g., Nest, Ring, and Arlo).
Defined key user personas: Homeowners, Renters, and Property Managers.
Findings:
Users prioritized quick access to arming/disarming the system.
65% of users wanted biometric login instead of PIN codes.
72% preferred dark mode for nighttime accessibility.
UX Strategy & Ideation
Developed a cross-platform design system with Figma Tokens for scalable typography, colors, and UI components.
Implemented dark/light mode to improve visibility in different environments.
Built an iconography and component library optimized for mobile, smartwatch, tablet, and desktop.
Design System Documentation & Developer Handoff
Integrated ZeroHeight to create a live design system documentation.
Standardized motion & interaction patterns for seamless transitions.
Used Figma Tokens to automate style updates across platforms.
Apple Watch Application
Execution & Implementation
The results? Game-changing improvements in both user experience and business efficiency.
Native mobile apps (iOS & Android) for instant security control.
Tablet apps for more detailed security management.
Apple Watch & Wear OS apps for quick access to alarms & cameras.
Basic web dashboard for account management.
Desktop mini app for home security monitoring.
Key Metrics: Measuring the Impact of UX on Business Success
A successful design transformation isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about tangible results. By implementing a unified, scalable design system, we dramatically improved user experience, operational efficiency, and business performance.
User Satisfaction (CSAT)
Before:
48%
After:
91%
Improvement:
+53%
Task Completion Time
Before:
2m 10s
After:
55s
Improvement:
-58%
Cross-Device Consistency
Before:
No
After:
Yes
Improvement:
100% Unified
Business Impact
The Sector Alarm design system overhaul wasn’t just about aesthetics or usability—it had a direct and measurable impact on the business. By streamlining UX across all platforms, we improved customer engagement, reduced support costs, and increased user adoption.
Smoke detection Alert notification
Lessons Learned & Takeaways
What did I learn?
Design Tokens Are a Game-Changer: Figma Tokens reduced inconsistencies and made updates effortless.
Documentation is Crucial: ZeroHeight enabled a seamless design-to-dev handoff, preventing miscommunication.
Cross-Platform UX is More Than Just UI: Users expect cohesion across devices, not just a pretty interface.
What Would I Do Differently?
Involve Engineering Earlier: Ensuring early developer collaboration would have accelerated adoption.
Automate Usability Testing: Setting up real-time UI consistency checks could prevent design drift.
Data-driven design decisions through A/B testing helped validate key UX improvements.
product design 2022
Red Dot Design Award & iF Design Award
Our work was not only loved by users but also recognized by the industry! The Sector Alarm design system was awarded both Red Dot and iF Design Awards for its innovation, usability, and cross-platform consistency.
Summary
With a scalable, tokenized design system, Sector Alarm now delivers a seamless, efficient, and visually consistent experience across all devices. By prioritizing user needs, automation, and accessibility, we set the foundation for the company’s expansion into smart home technology.
Users can now control their security system with ease—whether from their phone, watch, tablet, or desktop.
Developers have a unified system that enables faster feature rollouts.
Sector Alarm is now recognized as a leader in smart security innovation.
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