Product Designer, UX Researcher, Brand & UI Systems
Team
Maitreyi Bhardwaj & Anahi Moreno
The Problem
Every smart appliance comes with an app. Almost no one uses it.
People do not register products because the setup is confusing and offers no immediate value. Current setup loops are designed around data collection instead of providing real help to the homeowner.
The Scale
1 in 2
U.S. homes owns a smart appliance today.
~10%
ever connect it to the app built to support it.
The pain
Users don't register because the value only appears when something breaks.
The opportunity
Frontdoor learns what is inside a household only after a warranty claim is filed, making proactive home maintenance structurally impossible.
Competitive Research 01
LG ThinQ
Current platforms feature too many steps and long forms.
Onboarding flows frame registration as optional but it becomes mandatory the moment a user submits a service request
Every single repair request forces re-selection of brand, category, appliance, and problem details. The app has zero memory of the home
Non-smart appliances hit a dead end. Older hardware forces manual entry of model numbers, serial numbers, and appliance categories
Form burden · Hidden dependency · Legacy exclusion
Competitive Research 02
Samsung SmartThings & LG ThinQ , Field Testing
Used appliances create an instant roadblock for second-hand owners.
We tested a pre-owned smart washer. The setup QR code was inside the machine and completely smudged
The app required original retail dates and purchase details that second-hand owners simply do not have
Users were forced to input random placeholder data just to complete the form
Used market gap · Physical access failure · Ownership complexity
Competitive Research 03
Current AHS App
Device records belong to accounts, not homes. Ownership transfer erases all history.
When properties change hands, resetting a connected device completely wipes historical data
New owners lose access to service logs, no context on appliance age, repair history, or maintenance needs
AHS learns what is in a household only after a warranty claim is filed. Proactive maintenance is structurally impossible
Home transfer flaw · Zero persistent model · Reactive only
What We Found
None of the apps give users a reason to register before something breaks.
The shared failure
All three treat registration as a form-filling task. The interface is not the problem. The missing felt benefit is.
The direction
Reduce activation energy to near zero. Deliver value before any appliance fails. Stop asking. Make it a tap.
Secondary Research
Who already makes registration feel effortless?
Apple Wallet
Scan. Haptic tap. Card ready. One motion, immediate value.
Onboarding that doesn't feel like onboarding.
CARFAX
Service history as a resale asset. People keep records because they're worth having.
Value people want, not just have to have.
Peloton
Setup happens during unboxing, peak motivation, day one, not day broken.
Timing matters as much as the flow.
Design Principle
The value has to come before the breakdown, not after.
Tools
Research & Design Stack
Research
LG
LG ThinQ
ST
SmartThings
AHS
AHS App
Design
Fig
Figma
TK
Tokens
PR
Prototyping
Build
NFC
NFC Tag
3D
Physical Model
Strategy
GR
Gartner
SB
Storyboard
MI
Miro
Task Lifecycle
We mapped every onboarding scenario across the full appliance lifecycle.
01
Connect New Devices
02
Inherit Used Devices
03
Official Registration
04
Request Tech Repairs
05
Transfer Ownership
Current Workflow
12 steps. Every single time. No memory.
Find Help
Open the AHS app
Tap Request Service
Search for your brand
Describe Problem
Select appliance category
Pick the appliance
Describe issue manually
Enter serial number
Book Repair
Confirm address
Choose time slot
Enter payment
Wait
01 NFC Tap Onboarding
Tap your phone. Passport updated.
No form. No account. No serial number. Three screens.
Before / After
12 steps → 3 taps.
Before: Current AHS
01Open app
02Request Service
03Select brand
04Pick appliance type
05Select appliance
06Describe issue
07Serial number
08Confirm address
09Time slot
10Payment
11Confirm
12Wait
12 steps
After: Home Passport
01Tap phone to appliance
02Confirm device
03Done
3 taps
02 Home Passport Dashboard
Every appliance. One view.
Health, age, last service, efficiency, all visible before anything breaks.
03 & 04
Proactive Alerts
"Your fridge coils are dusty. Save $15/month."
Predictive nudges before anything fails.
Paperless Drawer
Every manual and receipt, stored on tap.
Export Verified Home History when you sell.
Brand System
AHS is orange. We moved to blue.
Orange signals energy, not trust. Blue is the language of safety and reliability. Full token system, one variable updates everything.
Physical Prototype
The NFC tag. Any appliance.
Attaches to new or existing appliances. Tap once on arrival, registered.
10-Year Vision
Making Frontdoor+ the trusted system for home care.
Outcomes
Selected as a recognized proposal at the final review.
3 screens
to onboard any appliance
12→3
steps reduced to taps
1 system
blue token library delivered to Frontdoor
Home services won't be won by who fixes things fastest, but by who knows your home best before anything breaks.
Takeaways
This was an incentive problem, not a UI problem.
A good interface at the wrong moment still fails.
Working across physical design, UI systems, brand, and strategy simultaneously. That's where I do my best work.
Get in touch
Send a message.
Reach out directly. Usually responds within a day.
