Getting myQ back into the App Store, and reimagining what came next
Envisioning a better automatic garage door experience
CGI (Chamberlain Group) is a global leader in access control, known for its LiftMaster and Chamberlain garage door opener brands and its myQ smart technology. myQ lets connected products work together to provide secure, reliable access at homes, communities, businesses, and beyond.
When Apple rejected Chamberlain’s first myQ app over a “troublesome” user experience, Chamberlain called on Vervint for a fast turnaround, then stayed on to help reimagine what a truly great connected garage door experience could look like.
Fix what got the app rejected
Move quickly to identify and correct the specific user experience issues standing in the way of Apple’s approval.
Improve without a full rebuild
Make meaningful UX and visual improvements without requiring an extensive rework of the existing application.
Think bigger than the fix
Use the extra time available to explore what the app experience could become, beyond just clearing Apple’s bar.
A fast fix under pressure
Chamberlain’s first attempt to place myQ on the Apple App Store in 2012 was rejected for a “troublesome” user experience. Working against the urgency of a tight deadline, Vervint couldn’t lean on its full range of user experience research methods, but still worked with Chamberlain to pinpoint the critical changes needed: benchmarking, a needs assessment, conceptual wireframes, and mapped user experience flows across every entry point and scenario. Vervint also designed a visual “skin” over the app’s existing assets that improved the look and feel without requiring an extensive rework underneath.
From fix to bigger ambitions
Chamberlain and Vervint’s UX team had bigger aspirations than just clearing Apple’s bar, and a one-week extension gave them room to explore what the app experience could become, even if some of that thinking stayed conceptual given the compressed timeline. The first round of changes was enough: myQ landed in the App Store in mid-2013. That reimagination work didn’t go to waste either, Chamberlain used it to define future enhancements to the app and its connected garage door openers.
From a rejected app to a reimagined experience, Chamberlain is positioned to keep building on that foundation, giving homeowners a smarter, more reliable way to manage the door to their home.
