BenQ EnSpire Webcam Software

Designing webcam software that makes it easy to showcase both physical objects and digital content in video meetings.

ROLE
  • Product Designer, leading end to end project
  • Conducted usability testing to refine the user experience.
  • Designed the UI and revamped the information architecture (IA).
COMPANY
TOOL
Figma, Miro, Google Sheet
RESULT
  • Improved the System Usability Scale (SUS) score by 23%
  • Improved hardware and software integration for a seamless user experience.
  • Deliverables: UI Design, User Flow, Competitive Analysis, Implementation
TEAM
1 Product Manager
2 UX Designers
2 Industrial Designers
3 Engineers
DURATION
1 year
All-In-One Tool for Virtual Demo
Capture, present, and share with ease. Designed for seamless integration, the BenQ EnSpire app enables instant content creation as soon as a webcam is connected. With features like annotation, screen freeze, and zoom, it supports high-quality visual communication ideal for virtual teaching, demonstrations, and collaborative sessions.

Built-in Measurement Tool

The built-in measurement tools, such as the ruler and protractor, make it easy to take measurements during remote meetings without any hassle.

Annotation Toolkits

Annotate or take notes directly on the screen whenever needed. Capture important information and highlight key points with a single click to make discussions more efficient.

Camera Customizatoin

Tailor the webcam settings to meet user's specific needs, adjusting aspects such as brightness, contrast, saturation, and white balance for optimal video quality.

What Did Users Say?

An Essential Part of My Teaching Toolkit

EnSpire and ideacam is extremely user-friendly: It provides easy access to a lot of useful features, including corner correction, screen freeze, and split-screen — all in just one click. The cool thing is that this isn’t limited to ideaCam; it’s also compatible with webcams from other brands. — Henry Chao, teacher of Technology at Jianguo High School (The top high school in Taiwan)

The Problem: Physical Work Is Hard to Share Online

Virtual meetings are now common, but they are not always ideal for sharing physical work. For many professionals, drawing or writing by hand is still the fastest way to express ideas.In person, sketches and notes are easy to share.

Online, they become harder to show clearly and require extra steps. This slows down communication and adds friction for those who rely on physical tools to collaborate.

Understanding How Users Conduct Hybrid Meetings

To better understand the pain points when people conduct hybrid or virtual meetings, I conducted interviews with two technical engineers and one industrial designer. These interviews provided insights into how users conduct both virtual and in-person meetings and the challenges they face in each environment.

Key Issues: Extra Preparation & Increased Communication Gaps

Users face extra preparation time and complexity as they are required to digitize physical design documents before virtual meetings, adding a layer of effort compared to in-person meetings.

Additionally, during virtual meetings, switching between devices to share content often creates distractions and communication gaps, making it harder to convey complex ideas effectively. As a result, these issues lead to longer preparation times and hinder seamless communication.

How Might We Design a Webcam Solution to Enhance the Virtual Conferencing Experience?

Our goal was to improve the hybrid collaboration and communication experience, with a focus on demonstrating physical objects more effectively in virtual meetings. By bridging the gap between the physical and virtual worlds, we aimed to reduce extra preparation time and minimize communication barriers.

Conducting Competitive Product Analysis

To inform the design process, I conducted a competitive analysis to explore how existing webcam and video conferencing software address similar user needs.

I analyzed direct competitors in webcam software to understand their feature sets and user interfaces, as well as drawing inspiration from video conferencing platforms to identify design solutions that could be adapted to EnSpire.

Designing the Web-Based Prototype

Following the competitive analysis, I began wireframing and collaborating with engineers to create a web-based prototype. The prototype was then tested with users to observe how they interacted with the app and identify potential pain points.
The initial EnSpire prototype included three core components: a control bar, main functions (screen recording, freezing, zoom), andsecondary functions, offering users essential tools for hybrid meetings. Also, there is a "Settings" function located in the bottom left corner of the screen which allows users to adjust more advanced options, such as signal sources and resolutions.

Planning & Conducting
Usability Tests

I structured the usability testing into three stages: Pre-Meeting, During Meeting, and Post-Meeting. This approach allowed team to evaluate how participants interacted with the webcam software at each stage of the meeting and identify potential struggles.
We recruited two groups of participants: advanced webcam users and novice webcam users, to observe how they interact with the prototypes and pinpoint any pain points. Advanced users tackled more complex tasks like sharing sketches and product models, while novice users focused on basic online collaboration tools. In total, we brought in 11 internal participants, including 4 mechanical engineers, 1 UX designer, 2 prototype engineers, 4 industrial designers, and 2 marketing specialists.
The in-person testing was conducted around 1 hour, and after the testing, we followed up with interviews to improve the usability testing experience. After the testing, participants were asked to answer the System Usability Scale (SUS) questionnaire.

Product is Usable, but There is Room for Improvement

During usability testing, I closely observed and recorded user behavior, documenting the findings in Google Sheets. Afterward, I collaborated with the project manager to prioritize usability issues. While most participants were able to complete tasks, three key usability issues were identified:

Redesigning Information Architecture

Participants noted that the advanced settings felt cluttered because features such as image adjustments, filters, and image source settings were all grouped in one tab. To address this, I conducted a competitive analysis of other webcam software to understand how they organized their settings.

Based on these insights, I proposed a restructuring of the settings to improve clarity and usability.
Before: Settings were grouped together without clear categorization, making it difficult for users to find specific options.
After: The settings were reorganized into distinct categories, improving ease of navigation and user satisfaction.

Refining UI Design: Freeze Icon and Macro Control

The "Freeze" icon was confusing for novice users, who were unsure of its purpose, while advanced users found it intuitive. Additionally, both groups mistakenly thought the "Capture" feature was for zooming.To improve the UI design, I revised the "Freeze" icon to make it more understandable for novice users while maintaining its clarity for advanced users. The "Capture" icon was also reworked to more clearly indicate its function.

Competitive Audit: Exploring Picture-in-Picture Mode

During usability testing, advanced users expressed that EnSpire didn’t fully meet their needs when multitasking and managing multiple applications. They often had to switch between apps and documents, disrupting the flow of their presentations.

To address this, I explored the design of a Picture-in-Picture (PiP) mode, allowing users to display multiple windows simultaneously while maintaining focus on their main content. This feature would improve flexibility and make presentations more seamless.

Competitive Audit: Exploring Annotation Toolbar

Although usability testing didn’t identify major issues with the annotation tool, a competitive analysis and heuristics evaluation revealed opportunities for improvement. I explored ways to enhance the annotation toolbar to make it more effective for user communication.

Enhanced Settings Classification

I redesigned the information architecture of the settings section to better organize the image, image capture source, and notes, improving the ease of locating features.

Improved Annotation Tool Usability

I revamped the annotation tool to enhance its user-friendliness and intuitiveness. The note settings were moved to the settings section for a cleaner, more streamlined UI.

Effortless Communication with EnSpire

Try It Live

EnSpire is now live!Tap the button below to experience it hands-on.

Learning & Takeaways

Putting Users First

It was eye-opening to discover that features I assumed were obvious felt hidden to participants. This reminded me how important it is to keep testing with real users.

Power of Cross-Functional Collaboration

Designing the webcam experience meant more than just crafting a user interface. By collaborating closely with the hardware team, we ensured the software features felt natural alongside the physical device, creating a truly seamless, end-to-end experience.

Design Is an Ongoing Journey

There’s always room to grow. Regular ideation sessions paired with usability testing help the product evolve in step with user needs.