Midea Refrigeration Equipment Co., Ltd. - Usability Evaluation Study of COLMO Smart Control Screen
Company overview
Midea Refrigeration Equipment Co., Ltd. is a key operating entity within the Midea group, responsible for refrigeration equipment and smart home-related business operations. Midea is a global technology group with operations spanning smart home, industrial technology, smart building technology, robotics and automation, energy, health and medical care, and smart logistics. The group operates a multi-brand portfolio, including Midea and COLMO. COLMO is positioned in the premium smart appliance and full-home intelligent systems market, offering a product range covering AI air, AI water, AI laundry and care, AI cooking, and AI intelligent control across various household scenarios. The smart control screen serves as a critical entry point for device control, home scene management, and user interaction.
Research background
As whole-home intelligence evolves from isolated device connectivity to multi-device coordination and scenario-based services, the role of the smart control screen in device management, scene control, and information display has become increasingly significant. Users' ability to quickly comprehend interface information, accurately locate functional entry points, and complete operations directly impacts their perception of the system's usability and their willingness to continue using it. Existing users and potential users differ in terms of experience with smart devices, operational habits, product awareness, and purchase priorities. Therefore, real-world consumer participants must be recruited to conduct offline usability testing, observing their actual task performance to identify issues related to interface structure, interaction pathways, functional understanding, and system feedback—providing actionable user insights for product refinement.
Research scope
In May 2026, CEIDEA Research was commissioned by Midea Refrigeration Equipment Co., Ltd. to provide user recruitment, screening, and sample quality control services for the COLMO smart control screen usability evaluation project, and to conduct one-on-one offline usability testing. The study population includes current users of the smart control screen, as well as potential users who have prior awareness, experience, or purchase intentions regarding the smart control screen. The focus group comprises consumers who own residential property, possess multiple types of smart appliances, and have hands-on experience with smart home systems, particularly those who actively participate in household smart device purchasing decisions. Household structure and living environments are also considered. During recruitment, participants were screened based on housing status, household income, smart device ownership, control screen usage history, purchase behavior, and familiarity with full-home intelligence systems. User information was verified through cross-checking materials such as home environment photos, smart home application interface screenshots, device physical photos, usage records, and purchase documentation to ensure alignment with study requirements regarding background, product usage, and real-world context—providing a reliable foundation for subsequent observations on functional understanding, operation pathways, scene control, and interaction feedback.
Expected outcomes
The project is expected to generate a high-quality cohort of test participants who align with brand positioning, household characteristics, and smart home usage requirements. This ensures the study reflects both real-world usage experiences and potential purchasing motivations, offering a comprehensive view of consumers' understanding and operational performance when encountering the smart control screen. Through direct observation of users' actual interactions—such as device control, function discovery, scene invocation, and interface navigation—key issues such as unclear information hierarchy, complex operation paths, difficulty locating functional entry points, and insufficient feedback prompts can be identified. Critical factors affecting product learnability, operational efficiency, and user acceptance will be clarified, providing actionable insights for optimizing the interface layout, interaction logic, functional design, and overall full-home scene experience of the smart control screen. This will help reduce user entry barriers and enhance the overall user experience and premium appeal of COLMO's smart home system.
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