Company:
Matic
Role:
UX Design, research
Onboarding for Multimodal Robot Vacuum Controls
Onboarding for Multimodal Robot Vacuum Controls
Onboarding for Multimodal Robot Vacuum Controls
Trying a new way to interact with a robot can feel a little awkward at first. For Matic, I designed Gestures onboarding so the first point-and-speak moment feels natural, easy, and stress-free.
Onboarding for Multimodal Robot Vacuum Controls
Trying a new way to interact with a robot can feel a little awkward at first. For Matic, I designed Gestures onboarding so the first point-and-speak moment feels natural, easy, and stress-free.
Company:
Matic
Role:
UX Design, research
Project context
Project context
Matic is a robotics company engineering the next generation of autonomous home cleaning devices. Matic’s new feature allows users to direct their robot vacuum using a combination of voice commands and physical pointing. While highly advanced, the technology required a specific user behavior to function correctly. My role was to design the end-to-end onboarding experience, from initial discovery to post-success, ensuring users could seamlessly adopt this new behavior.
Matic is a robotics company engineering the next generation of autonomous home cleaning devices. Matic’s new feature allows users to direct their robot vacuum using a combination of voice commands and physical pointing. While highly advanced, the technology required a specific user behavior to function correctly. My role was to design the end-to-end onboarding experience, from initial discovery to post-success, ensuring users could seamlessly adopt this new behavior.
“
How might we onboard users to a complex, timed physical interaction (voice + gesture) in a way that feels natural, accounts for hardware latency, and remains accessible to diverse voices and households?
“
How might we onboard users to a complex, timed physical interaction (voice + gesture) in a way that feels natural, accounts for hardware latency, and remains accessible to diverse voices and households?
D I S C O V E R Y
Discovery & mapping the user journey
Discovery & mapping the user journey
I began by mapping the user flow to identify friction points between human expectation and machine capability. The core interaction was not a single step, but a sequenced handshake.
I began by mapping the user flow to identify friction points between human expectation and machine capability. The core interaction was not a single step, but a sequenced handshake.
01
Trigger
User says, “Hey Matic.”
→
02
Acknowledgement
The robot physically turns to face the user (Latency gap).
→
03
Command
User points and says, “Clean here,” while holding the pointing finger to the spot.
→
04
Execute
The robot identifies the spot and cleans.
Design insight
Design insight
The primary design challenge was the latency gap. If a user executed steps 1 and 3 simultaneously, the machine would fail. The onboarding needed to train the user to wait for step 2.
The primary design challenge was the latency gap. If a user executed steps 1 and 3 simultaneously, the machine would fail. The onboarding needed to train the user to wait for step 2.
T H E C H A L L E N G E
Issues
Issues
The interaction appeared deceptively simple, but the onboarding required solving three critical UX hurdles:
The interaction appeared deceptively simple, but the onboarding required solving three critical UX hurdles:
01
System Latency
System Latency
A technical delay exists between voice processing and spatial recognition. Users cannot speak and point simultaneously; they must say “Hey Matic,” wait for the device to physically orient toward them, then say “clean here” while holding the gesture. The onboarding had to teach this deliberate pacing without causing frustration.
02
Access & Safety
Access & Safety
A robot vacuum responding to any voice and casual gestures poses a risk, particularly in households with children. The system required an intuitive, inclusive authorization model to control who can trigger the device.
03
Vocal Accessibility
Vocal Accessibility
Users have diverse accents and speech variations. The onboarding flow needed to ensure the machine adapts to the user immediately, eliminating the friction of forcing users to “correct” their natural speech patterns to be understood.
Designing the Gestures Journey
Designing the Gestures Journey
Every step in our flow is designed to answer a specific user need
Every step in our flow is designed to answer a specific user need
01
Awareness
Discovery
"What is this new feature, and why should I care?"
02
Trust
Audio Consent
"Is my family's privacy safe?"
03
Personalization
Voice Enrollment
"How do I make sure Matic only listens to me?"
04
Confidence
Guided First Try
"Am I doing this right?"
05
Delight
Success
"Wow, that was easy!"
06
Control
Voice Management
"How do I add my partner's voice?"
A C C E S S I B I L I T Y
Inclusive voice calibration
Inclusive voice calibration
Accessibility was a non-negotiable constraint. To address varying accents and speech impediments, I integrated a frictionless voice calibration step within the initial setup. Rather than framing this as a “test” the user could fail, the UI prompts natural, conversational inputs. The system builds a baseline of the user’s unique speech patterns in the background, ensuring the machine does the hard work of understanding, rather than forcing the user to enunciate unnaturally.
Accessibility was a non-negotiable constraint. To address varying accents and speech impediments, I integrated a frictionless voice calibration step within the initial setup. Rather than framing this as a “test” the user could fail, the UI prompts natural, conversational inputs. The system builds a baseline of the user’s unique speech patterns in the background, ensuring the machine does the hard work of understanding, rather than forcing the user to enunciate unnaturally.
T H E F L O W · G U I D E D F I R S T T R Y
Paced interaction training
Paced interaction training
To solve the timing issue, I designed an interactive onboarding sequence that mirrors the physical behavior of the robot on the user’s screen. Instead of presenting a wall of text explaining the delay, the app UI utilizes micro-animations to guide the user’s pacing. By strictly controlling the instructions and layout, the visual hierarchy subtly slows the user down, enforcing a deliberate, step-by-step cognitive processing that matches the robot’s physical reorientation.
To solve the timing issue, I designed an interactive onboarding sequence that mirrors the physical behavior of the robot on the user’s screen. Instead of presenting a wall of text explaining the delay, the app UI utilizes micro-animations to guide the user’s pacing. By strictly controlling the instructions and layout, the visual hierarchy subtly slows the user down, enforcing a deliberate, step-by-step cognitive processing that matches the robot’s physical reorientation.
F A I L U R E A N D R E C O V E R Y
A miss is just a detour.
A miss is just a detour.
If Matic misses a cue or misunderstands a gesture, we don’t force a restart. Gentle, helpful nudges get people right back on track.
If Matic misses a cue or misunderstands a gesture, we don’t force a restart. Gentle, helpful nudges get people right back on track.
←
Guided first try
×
TRY AGAIN
Hey Matic
Didn’t catch that
Move a little closer and say “Hey Matic” clearly.
CANCEL
TRY AGAIN
WAKE MISS
←
Guided first try
×
TRY AGAIN
Clean here
Couldn’t see where you pointed
Point clearly at open floor and say “Clean here” again.
CANCEL
TRY AGAIN
POINT MISS
←
Guided first try
×
UNCLEAR
That spot isn’t clear
Try pointing to an open floor area away from stairs or clutter.
CANCEL
TRY AGAIN
UNCLEAR SPOT
←
Guided first try
×
Matic didn’t detect you
Go closer to Matic or make sure it’s not blocked from seeing you
TRY AGAIN
CANCEL
NOT READY
A D D I T I O N A L V O I C E S
Intuitive authorization
Intuitive authorization
After the first win, or anytime later, the account owner can enroll a spouse, a visiting parent, or anyone else they trust. This prevents unauthorized use by children or guests while keeping the core onboarding flow short.
After the first win, or anytime later, the account owner can enroll a spouse, a visiting parent, or anyone else they trust. This prevents unauthorized use by children or guests while keeping the core onboarding flow short.
W R A P
Conversational, not transactional.
The design was executed using a high-fidelity interactive prototype to accurately simulate the timing of the voice-to-gesture sequence. Rigorous attention was paid to the UI design, utilizing highly legible typography and distinct visual states, to ensure the interface remained perfectly clear even when the user was glancing between their phone and the physical robot on the floor. By breaking down a deceptively complex interaction into a deliberately paced, highly accessible onboarding flow, the final design successfully bridges the gap between human intuition and hardware constraints. The user is empowered to command the physical space confidently, resulting in a seamless, magical product experience.
F A I L U R E A N D R E C O V E R Y
A miss is just a detour.
If Matic misses a cue or misunderstands a gesture, we don’t force a restart. Gentle, helpful nudges get people right back on track.
←
Guided first try
×
TRY AGAIN
Hey Matic
Didn’t catch that
Move a little closer and say “Hey Matic” clearly.
CANCEL
TRY AGAIN
WAKE MISS
←
Guided first try
×
TRY AGAIN
Clean here
Couldn’t see where you pointed
Point clearly at open floor and say “Clean here” again.
CANCEL
TRY AGAIN
POINT MISS
←
Guided first try
×
UNCLEAR
That spot isn’t clear
Try pointing to an open floor area away from stairs or clutter.
CANCEL
TRY AGAIN
UNCLEAR SPOT
←
Guided first try
×
Matic didn’t detect you
Go closer to Matic or make sure it’s not blocked from seeing you
TRY AGAIN
CANCEL
NOT READY
Let’s Talk
I'm always up for thoughtful conversations about design, systems, and building things that last. Whether you're working through a hard problem, thinking about what design looks like in practice, or just want to say hi, I'd love to hear from you.
Handcrafted and coded by Natasha Tarapore. © 2026
Natasha Tarapore
Product designer based in the Bay Area
Let’s Talk
I'm always up for thoughtful conversations about design, systems, and building things that last. Whether you're working through a hard problem, thinking about what design looks like in practice, or just want to say hi, I'd love to hear from you.
Natasha Tarapore
Product Designer
Bay Area
Handcrafted and coded by Natasha Tarapore. © 2026
W R A P
Conversational, not transactional
The design was executed using a high-fidelity interactive prototype to accurately simulate the timing of the voice-to-gesture sequence. Rigorous attention was paid to the UI design, utilizing highly legible typography and distinct visual states, to ensure the interface remained perfectly clear even when the user was glancing between their phone and the physical robot on the floor. By breaking down a deceptively complex interaction into a deliberately paced, highly accessible onboarding flow, the final design successfully bridges the gap between human intuition and hardware constraints. The user is empowered to command the physical space confidently, resulting in a seamless, magical product experience.
Let’s Talk
I'm always up for thoughtful conversations about design, systems, and building things that last. Whether you're working through a hard problem, thinking about what design looks like in practice, or just want to say hi, I'd love to hear from you.
Natasha Tarapore
Product designer based in the Bay Area
Handcrafted and coded by Natasha Tarapore. © 2026
Let’s Talk
I'm always up for thoughtful conversations about design, systems, and building things that last. Whether you're working through a hard problem, thinking about what design looks like in practice, or just want to say hi, I'd love to hear from you.
Natasha Tarapore
Product designer based in the Bay Area
Handcrafted and coded by Natasha Tarapore. © 2026