Smart Lock

Designing an intelligent locking experience from the ground up

Scope
– Co-founder & Product Designer
– Mobile app, visual identity, UX flows
– User onboarding, prototyping, pitch decks

Project Overview

OttoLock was a smart lock startup built to simplify access control through Bluetooth-enabled mobile devices. As a founding partner, I shaped the user experience from day one—defining not just the interface, but how people interact with physical spaces via digital tools.

Approach

We designed a sleek, intuitive app that allowed users to unlock doors, manage permissions, and track activity logs in real-time. The UI emphasized simplicity, speed, and security—everything a user needs, nothing they don’t.

Though the product launched six years ago, many of the design decisions still feel current—especially in the way physical and digital boundaries were merged into one coherent experience.

A collage of nine smartphone screens displaying a mobile app interface with features for creating an account, setting permissions, managing users, and accessing device settings. Interface elements are in Turkish with options such as "Evim," "Güvenli

What did I learn from OttoLock?

Unlike digital products, physical hardware comes with high upfront costs. Every material choice, every iteration affects the investment. I learned to think not just in pixels, but in components and logistics.
How many disciplines need to come together: industrial design, electronics, firmware, mobile UX, manufacturing. Learning to "assemble the pieces" was crucial. A good idea isn’t enough—it has to work in the real world.
I began to think beyond screens. Design became about experience: the feeling of unlocking, the sounds, the waiting times, the tactile interactions. description
I gained firsthand experience in startup pitching—creating narratives, simplifying complexity, aligning tech with real-life use cases. That helped me later in framing value for both investors and customers.
OttoLock taught me the invisible backbone of physical product development—supply chain, production cycles, investor dynamics. That experience now gives me a solid foundation for planning and executing the new projects I'm building today.