Key Challenges

Our team faced several distinct challenges in turning this technology into an intuitive feature.

Starting Point

I joined in 2019 for the first version (then called Hiplay, designed for EMUI / Android). It supported basic device discovery but lacked a unified, branded experience. I led all motion design here.

When transitioning to HarmonyOS (launched 2020), the challenge was creating a consistent design language across many products and teams. As part of the Platform Design group, I helped define this system to ensure a seamless, branded experience.

Basic Functions

This early design consolidated essential functions onto a single page, meeting basic user needs.

User Testing On Early Version

After the first release, structured user testing highlighted critical pain points:

- Not easy to use: The swipe gesture from the bottom corner was awkward for one-handed use and easy to trigger accidentally.

- Not easy to understand: The interface was too complex and unclear.

- Unattractive design: Visually plain and lacking in aesthetics.

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User feedback ratings confirmed these issues, with the lowest scores in ease of understanding and attractiveness.

Insights

Ideation

In the early stages of design, we explored ways to make the “Super Device” concept intuitive and easy to understand. We asked ourselves: How can we show that the current device is always the centre of control?

The idea of the universe inspired us - the current device as a central planet, with other devices orbiting around it. This metaphor felt like a natural, visual way to explain connection flows, so we began shaping the concept using this “universe model.”

Interaction Innovation

Once we landed on the “universe” concept, it was clear that simple tapping alone wouldn’t do it justice. We needed an interaction that felt natural and instinctive, making users feel they were truly “pulling” devices into orbit around their main device.

To test this, I prototyped drag interactions that let users directly pull devices toward the centre. I shared these videos with our UI designer, and we both felt this approach immediately made the experience clearer and more satisfying.

After multiple design reviews and rounds of stakeholder feedback, this drag-to-connect interaction was confirmed as a core part of the final experience.

Design Details

We refined multiple details - from motion, gravity, and distribution to material, lighting, and background -to make the experience feel natural and immersive.

User Testing & Research

After launching this version with the new HarmonyOS (2020), our research team conducted usability testing to evaluate ease of use, intuitiveness, and aesthetic perception.

Key insights:

- Users described the new design as young, innovative, and high-end.

- Some users were unsure how to interact with it.

- Suggestions focused on improving visual clarity and interaction feedback.

Results & User Feedback

After launching with HarmonyOS 3.0 (2021), user testing showed significantly improved satisfaction with the Super Device feature.

- Positive comments praised the updated animations and clearer interaction.

- Satisfaction scores increased from 3.4 to 5.6 (out of 6).

In later HarmonyOS versions (2022–2023), we extended this design to other device types - including tablets, TVs, and watches. I contributed the adaptation work for these screens, ensuring consistent interaction patterns and visual quality across different sizes and functions (details not expanded here).

Long-Term Iteration & Collaboration

I’ve worked on many features and products over the years, but this was a long-term project I followed from its birth through multiple iterations. At a big company, many innovative ideas die along the way - so getting this one implemented was not easy. It required persuading many people and stakeholders. Thanks to my colleagues and our persistence, we finally succeeded. Throughout, I produced many video prototypes to explore possibilities and effectively support our presentations and decisions.