Familiar Faces
Familiar Faces uses biometric facial recognition technology to provide users with personalized alerts and custom controls around notifications. For example instead of seeing "Person at Front Door", the alert might read "Mom at Front Door". Cameras recognize frequent visitors over time and provides users the option to name them and mute or send alerts when they are detected. The feature also establishes a foundational intelligence to Ring cameras that shifts from passive recordings and cameras for users to monitor into smart security that helps alert users only about relevant activity like strangers or specific visitors.
Role
I was the lead designer for the feature, owning it from concept to delivery and launch.
Learnings
Customers have to have an immense amount of trust for the devices that they let into their homes, and privacy becomes even more sensitive when it involves loved ones. While the feature brought foundational technology to Ring, it was not new to the marketplace but still made a splash around current events, other Ring partnerships, and the marketing angles. The perception, intention and communication of the value for features that ask a little extra of customers' trust can be extra important to adoption and success.
Impact
The feature was launched across Ring in the US and select international markets as a key focus for the roadmap in the returning founder's first year back at Ring. My designs were also leveraged and implemented on Blink, another smart home security camera offering owned by Amazon, and on Echo devices as an offering of Alexa+.
“We’ve transformed how your doorbell alerts you with Familiar Faces – it’s super powerful.”
– Panos Panay, SVP Devices & Services at Amazon