Overview

I presented this project as a final thesis for the master's degree. It was an individual project, placed in the field of information technology and IoT. The main objective was to design a device that would simplify the management of IT services, with which we increasingly relate, and smart products, a reality in strong growth. The development of this project is therefore based on the relationship between users, technology and scalability, a fundamental concept for the growth but not yet completely incorporated into the world of smart products. The result was the development of a passwordless authentication device that introduced an innovative interaction into the world of IT accounts and accessible to all.

PERSONAL IMPROVEMENTS

It was a highly instructive and exhaustive project. After meticulous research about the context and possible future scenarios of IT, I started a detailed study of user's needs concerning accounts’ login and smart products, which led me to the development of service behind the product, necessary to maintain the concepts of scalability and agility the core of the project. These were also the guides for the engineering phase, bringing me to design a simple and accessible device, that combines the latest IT with reliable manufacturing processes. At the end of this project, I can claim to have grown in the management of the different project phases and to have deeply deepened my knowledge in current information technologies, as IoT and smart products.

Topics

Design innovation
Concept ideation & development
User-interaction
Service design
Internet of things
IT product
Prototyping

Keychange

Master Degree's Thesis - Individual project

Oct 2018 - Apr 2019

KeyChange is a hardware authentication device that introduces a new way to access your accounts, using a simpler and more secure system based on an NFC connection.

Keychange is a physical device, a so-called token, that the user can use to access their account. It can be used as the only authentication method or combined with the current password method, becoming a 2nd factor authentication. It is a system that can be used with most of the accounts we use today and many itech companies are moving towards these authentication systems abandoning passwords in favour of biometric information or token. Biometric information is an equally valid system, but requires more complex and expensive hardware components. Tokens are simple to produce, simple to use and guarantee one of the highest security levels.

IT SECURITY

Passwords have been the undisputed authentication method for many years. Today we have realized that it is no longer a sufficiently secure method, both because of its computer security limits and because we load on the web more and more personal and important information that requires more attention. The idea behind this project is precisely to introduce the end user to a new authentication system, a password-less system that is no longer based on an alphanumeric code that the user must memorize.

"As of 2015, 97 percent of consumers could not correctly identify phishing scam emails. The McAfee survey had 19,000 respondents from around the world, highlight the global impact of phishing scam emails in general."

(Source: McAfee)

3. PASSWORDLESS FUTURE

New authentication systems

1. DATA PROTECTION

More perosonal data are being uploaded to the network

2. PASSWORD OBSOLESCENCE

System used for too many years

IT SECURITY

3. ARCHITECTURE OF SMART PRODUCT NETWORKS

Changing the connection architecture

1. NEW CONTEXT FOR VOICE ASSISTANT

Increasingly frequent synchronizations

2. NEED FOR MORE SCALABILITY

Every smart product brand requires its account

CONNECTIVITY

New context brings new interactions to be explored and new problems to be solved!

CONTEXT

The current socio-technological paradigm follows a constant and exponential change and computer innovations lend themselves to be the guide of the most important social changes in the coming years. The challenge we face therefore lies in knowing how to adapt to the same speed as these changes. Among the main actors of the most recent developments we certainly find Voice Assistants, Smart Products and, more generally, the Internet of Things. An increasing number of intelligent products and related services accompany us in our daily lives, trying to improve our experiences and simplify different aspects of modern life.

Together with these advantages, however, several problems arise to be addressed. This project aims to help the user in dealing with two of the main difficulties: the management of the numerous accounts necessary for the use of smart products and IT services (Google, Facebook, Microsoft, etc.) and the security regarding the personal data that we share every day.

KeyChange is a hardware authentication device that introduces a new way of accessing your accounts, using a simpler and more secure system.

HOW IT WORKS

The device used to login (smartphone, tablet, pc) will exchange data with the token through an NFC connection, authenticating the login. The NFC connection is a very safe short-range connection, both because it is based on encrypted data exchange systems and because, unlike connections such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, data are exchanged only at close distance and at the end the two devices do not remain connected, a situation that could allow an attempt to hack through the network created between the two devices. In addition it doesn't need battery, allowing to have smaller dimension and effective advantages from interactive and production points of view.

CONNECTIVITY

The world of smart products has a big gap, which is not yet based on a scalable system. If I install a smart product I will necessarily have to use that brand’s account to manage it. For each smart product of different brands that I add, I will also need to add an account. This suggests that, in a market sector with such great growth prospects, this will be soon a big problem, forcing users to use dozens of accounts to use their smart products. If we also consider the fact that we are increasingly inclined to move and use shared spaces, the idea of having to re-synchronize each smart product each time with its corresponding account becomes unmanageable.

For these reasons, behind the product there is a service to manage all users' accounts. The idea is to use a 'master account' to which the user can connect all other accounts used for smart products. In this way, once the accounts and sharing preferences have been set through the web platform or mobile app, it will be possible to authenticate only once and give access to the information of all the accounts connected to the master one.

FIT YOUR STYLE

During the project I dealt with the engineering of these two basic accessories, but it is clear how this coupling allows the development and design of many other solutions, both from interaction the point of view and aesthetic customization based on one’s outfit. The idea of personalization has first of all the aim of bringing users closer to a device that without a targeted aesthetic-functional solution could have very technical and informatics language, far from users’ context.

HOW TO CARRY IT

Analyzing the user journey, the number and frequency with which we connect today to different accounts through different devices almost everywhere, led me to choose a portable solution.

Keychange does not need a battery, allowing to maintain really small dimensions. From here came the idea of an accessory that could be worn and always carried with yourself. Thanks to a sliding system the user can decide to interchange different accessories and choose the most suitable for that particular situation to carry the token. Keychange can then be attached to a classic key ring or a bracelet.

PERSONALIZATION

IT SERVICE

The user will no longer be asked to enter a code like passwords, but it will be asked to near the token, previously set. The advantages are more relevant on device that don't use bio-metric factors or multi-user devices.

SMART PRODUCT

In order to use a smart system (e.g. a hambient with one or more smart product installed), the user can directly login with Keychange through the smart speaker thanks to the service platform behind the product.

The usage is really simple and affordable for everyone. It will be enough to bring the token closer to the device you are accessing at the time of login and the authentication happens automatically.

SERVICE PLATFORM

Users can connect all their accounts to this platform, both those of IT services, such as Google and Dropbox, and those used for smart products. Once accounts are synchronized, the platform gives to the user the opportunity to decide which service the smart system can access or not once logged in through a smart speaker.

Preferences can be expressed for every single account, saved place (home, office, etc.) and type of new system (private, public, shared, etc.) in order to control all possible situation.

Two different ways of bringing it with you and unlimited way to customize it with your style.

Engineering choices, aimed at making Keychange suitable for all situations, have made it possible to obtain a low production cost and keep the simplicity of interaction at the center of the project.

HOW IT IS MADE

Keychange is made by a PCB board on which are installed the control chip and the NFC antenna. Injection molding is carried out with reinforced ABS, which allows to obtain a unique component with:

High value of tamper resistance
Resistant to impacts
Waterproofs

These features further simplify usability, making it more suitable to be transported or worn without having to worry about it.

On the left side there is a groove inside the ABS. This choice in the engineering phase has allowed us to solve three problems:

1. Technical: leaving a part of PCB displayed, it creates the anchor point for the molding phase.

2. Functional: positioning contact pins in the area not covered by the ABS allowed to design a cable connection in cases where the NFC is not supported and for the first synchronization.

3. Aesthetic: however simple this groove creates movement within a monolithic shape and the contrast between the shiny gold of the pins and the ABS creates an interesting chromatic contrast.

All the components of this project, including the accessories, have been engineered respecting the constraints of the different manufacturing processes.