Subscription
30% conversion rate in less than 2 months
Following a company acquisition, I led the design of Futurehome’s full app subscription, with a target to convert 30% of customers in Q3, without disrupting access to safety-critical smart home features.
Company
Futurehome
Role
Lead Designer
Team
1 designer + 3 devs
Year
2025
Case Summary
Context: Paid subscription launch post-acquisition, with safety-critical access at risk.
Role: Lead Designer, end-to-end subscription UX (app + web).
Constraints: Multiple user roles, legacy ownership, tight summer timeline.
Solution: Split activation and billing flow preserving device access.
Impact: 30% conversion in <2 months, zero critical access incidents.
Background
The Futurehome app is used by a wide mix of people, from smart home enthusiasts who fine-tune every setting, to households that simply want to reduce electricity costs with minimal effort. It is also relied on by residents in apartment buildings for fire alarm services managed by housing associations, as well as by electricians responsible for installing and configuring hardware in homes.
This meant that subscription activation was not just a commercial step, but one tightly coupled with continued access to physical devices and safety-critical functionality.
If activation or ownership transfer failed, the consequences were severe:
around 35, 000 of households could lose control of heating, alarms, or other connected devices, potentially creating safety risks and immediate support load.
The Core Challenge
One flow, multiple user types
The challenge
The main challenge was making sure no one lost access to their devices if the account owner hadn't activated the subscription, or if an installer forgot to transfer ownership to the client.
Conflict
We needed fast subscription conversion to unlock revenue, but any interruption to device access, especially for safety features, was unacceptable.
Decision
I designed a split activation model: any user could initiate activation, while the account owner completed payment and billing. This balanced fast conversion with uninterrupted access.
SOLUTION & INITIATIVE
Subscription management for all
I led the design and launch of the complete subscription flow, supporting multiple user types and access levels across app and web.
Proactive Ownership Fix
Added the owner's email address and a support guide link to the confirmation screen. This solved the common problem of installers forgetting to hand over the account, helping users quickly figure out who the site owner was and how to change it.Streamlining Access
Designed the system so all users connected to the account could easily check the subscription status in the app after activation.Design Output
Designed the purchasing and activation flow across the app and a web form, created a consistent paywall, mapped out subscription management, and wrote the communication (onboarding and activation messages).
Impact & Results
Conversion milestone & maintained safety
We achieved the 30% conversion goal in less than two months, significantly faster than the three-month target, even during a quiet summer period.
The design successfully prevented critical access issues, maintaining device connectivity and essential services for all linked users.
