Tips From The Top

Overwhelmed by the glut of smart home devices? Not sure where to start, or how to find the right products for you, your family, your home?

You’re not alone. Researchers are looking at ways smart home companies can better understand consumers – and develop better products for them.

In the recent article “Designing smart home products that people will actually use,” published this July in the Harvard Business Review, researchers Ryan Shanks and Francis Hintermann observed 40 people in their homes, watching their behaviors, routines, and communication. They wanted to see how tech affects who people are, what they do, and why they do it. Shanks and Hintermann then took their research to 25 global clients for “strategic innovation sessions,” to see what their findings can offer smart home tech developers.

The authors identify that, although the field of smart home tech is growing (take a look at the tech section of Best Buy), there has yet to be explosive growth among people across the board. Mainly, they say, people are still wondering how smart home devices are relevant to their daily lives, and they’re overwhelmed by things like upgrade cycles and platforms and integration. The authors state that the smart home market is still stuck in the “early-adopter” phase, and has yet to move to the average person in any real sense.

Their results – based on a review of current studies, then directly observing 40 people, and then testing their findings in strategic innovation sessions – suggests producers re-imagine two key areas of smart home devices: product design and marketing. They find that design is “too removed” from the client, and marketing is focused on “outmoded personas.”

The researchers identify eight personas, based on a unique conception of what “home” means. These depend on personality, outlook, interests and tastes, and concrete things like time, age, and geography. Each personality values and uses their home in a different way. (Can you find yourself?)

            *Creative Homebody

            *Active Urbanite

            *Personal Organizer

            *Reluctant Tech Adopter

            *Drone Parent

            *Fun-loving Parent

            *Luxury Spender

            *Family Connector

 With these in mind, the authors suggest companies design products guided by two key questions: Who is the product or service for? What task is the product or service helping the customer perform?  

With a clear understanding of these answers, developers can then address important issues to help consumers find smart home tech that is usable and makes their lives easier. The authors suggest developers:

Make People More Comfortable About Tech in the Home.

Focus on comfort. 

Clearly explain the benefits — and whom they’re for.

Provide easy-to-use tools. 

Be smart with data.  

To learn more about how you can find the right smart home products to suit your personality and your family’s needs, call us at Jackson Hole AV. We’d love to discuss the possibilities.