Ideal Connected Home Configurations: Insights From Expert Users
Shabnam FakhrHosseini, Matthew Charles Milton, Chaiwoo Lee, Joseph F. Coughlin · Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting · 2024
Connected Homes incorporate various digital and communication technologies that allow for control and monitoring through a centralized system, ranging from basic to advanced automation. Nevertheless, users often face issues such as interoperability and complexity which hinder the full potential of these technologies and shows the existing state of Connected Homes falls short of the ideal configurations users envision. This research seeks to narrow this gap by delving into the desires and frustrations of current Connected Home users, thus shaping a roadmap for the future development and refinement of smart home technologies. Through a series of in-depth interviews with six early adopters, we explored specific desires and criteria for an ideal connected home. The findings offer insights into various types of connected homes and how technological innovations and design improvements should be approached, considering users’ living conditions and lifestyles.