Automatic updates
+35% users with updated software
The Smarthub is the core of Futurehome’s system. I led the end-to-end redesign of how software updates are delivered to the Smarthub, increasing software adoption by 35% and significantly reducing the need for manual support intervention.
Company
Futurehome
Role
Lead Designer
Team
1 designer, 2 devs
Year
2024
Case summary
Context: Half the user base on outdated software, driving bugs and support load.
Role: Lead Designer for Smarthub update experience.
Solution: Automatic updates with stable and beta tracks plus rollback.
Impact: +35% software adoption, 60% fewer manual support updates.
The Core Challenge
Around 50% of userbase on 1+ year old software
At the start, about half of our user base was running software more than a year old. This created big problems: users missed out on new features, saw more bugs, and spent more time calling support. Critically, support agents had to manually update the hub in 60% of cases, draining our resources.
User Problem
Users wanted updates but didn't know they were available and preferred automatic options.
Operational Conflict
We needed to update users faster, but rolling out updates too quickly risked instability and major system crashes.
Trade-Offs & Decisions
Introducing automatic updates
The core decision was finding a safe path to widespread adoption that still allowed us to control stability and leverage our beta testers better.
The Decision
I redesigned the experience to give users clear control over their update pace, which gave us a safer framework for rollouts.
The Approach
Instead of a single "update now" option, I created two clear paths: a "Recommended" (stable) track for most users and a "Beta" track for advanced users. This solved the dual problem of finding beta testers and mitigating risk for the general population.
Mitigating Risk
I added an immediate rollback option to reduce the risk associated with unstable (beta) updates, directly addressing the fear of system instability.
Solution & Initiative
About the process
I led the design of the Smarthub update experience, partnering with Product, Engineering, and Support teams to to balance user control, system stability, and operational efficiency.
User-Centric Flow Design: I defined the new update flow based directly on user research, focusing on clear opt-in settings, update preferences, and notifications (in-app messages and push alerts).
Reducing Support Dependency: I designed communication and flow patterns in close alignment with the Support team, eliminating the need for manual agent intervention in most cases.
Process Improvement: I designed and standardised communication patterns for both regular and beta updates, ensuring users clearly understood risks, benefits, and system behaviour.
Impact & Results
Adoption success
Adoption Success: We increased the number of users with updated software by +35%.
Operational Savings: The redesigned flow significantly reduced the number of users needing manual help, cutting the support team's need to update hubs in 60% of their cases, which freed up significant support time and reduced operational costs.
Product Health: We stabilized the overall product ecosystem by getting the vast majority of users onto recent, secure, and feature-rich software.