Recovery Experience for Runaway Heating
Recovery Experience for Runaway Heating
Recovery Experience for Runaway Heating
I led the design of a critical safety experience that helps homeowners quickly identify, understand, and resolve thermostat failures that can cause unintended home overheating.
I led the design of a critical safety experience that helps homeowners quickly identify, understand, and resolve thermostat failures that can cause unintended home overheating.
I led the design of a critical safety experience that helps homeowners quickly identify, understand, and resolve thermostat failures that can cause unintended home overheating.
2025 | Lead Product Designer
2025 | Lead Product Designer
2025 | Lead Product Designer
Challenge
Challenge
Challenge
To expand beyond Vivint's traditional Z-Wave ecosystem, the business launched a new thermostat variant equipped with a Zigbee radio, allowing it to operate through a standalone Zigbee bridge rather than requiring a Vivint panel.
Shortly after launch, field reports revealed a critical failure in which some thermostats continued calling for heat after reaching the target temperature. In severe cases, homes overheated significantly beyond the set point, resulting in property damage and potential safety risks for pets and occupants.
To expand beyond Vivint’s traditional Z-Wave ecosystem, the business launched a new thermostat variant equipped with a Zigbee radio, allowing it to operate through a standalone Zigbee bridge rather than requiring a Vivint panel.
Shortly after launch, field reports revealed a critical failure mode in which some thermostats continued calling for heat after reaching their target temperature. In severe cases, homes overheated significantly beyond the set point, resulting in property damage and potential safety risks for pets and occupants.
To expand beyond Vivint's traditional Z-Wave ecosystem, the business launched a new thermostat variant equipped with a Zigbee radio, allowing it to operate through a standalone Zigbee bridge rather than requiring a Vivint panel.
Shortly after launch, field reports revealed a critical failure in which some thermostats continued calling for heat after reaching the target temperature. In severe cases, homes overheated significantly beyond the set point, resulting in property damage and potential safety risks for pets and occupants.
Design Solution
Design Solution
Design Solution
In a high-severity product failure, our goal was to reduce uncertainty without placing the burden of resolution on the customer. I advocated for a proactive approach that shifted responsibility from the user to the business.
Notify immediately so customers understood that a potential issue had been detected.
Set clear expectations about what would happen next.
Own the resolution process rather than requiring customers to navigate it themselves.
In a high-severity product failure, our goal was to reduce uncertainty without placing the burden of resolution on the customer. I advocated for a proactive approach that shifted responsibility from the user to the business.
Notify immediately so customers understood that a potential issue had been detected.
Set clear expectations about what would happen next.
Own the resolution process rather than requiring customers to navigate it themselves.
In a high-severity product failure, our goal was to reduce uncertainty without placing the burden of resolution on the customer. I advocated for a proactive approach that shifted responsibility from the user to the business.
Notify immediately so customers understood that a potential issue had been detected.
Set clear expectations about what would happen next.
Own the resolution process rather than requiring customers to navigate it themselves.
Inform
Inform
Inform
Support
Support
Resolve
Resolve
Resolve
Real-time notifications: When high temperatures are detected, customers receive a push notification with helpline access for immediate support
Customer Care outreach: Customers who have received a push notification then receive a phone call from Customer Care to evaluate the situation within 16 hours of the notification and provide a new product if needed
New thermostat firmware: Logic to detect stuck relays and trigger mitigation steps to stop potential issues before they happen
Real-time notifications: When high temperatures are detected, customers receive a push notification with helpline access for immediate support
Customer Care outreach: Customers who have received a push notification then receive a phone call from Customer Care to evaluate the situation within 16 hours of the notification and provide a new product if needed
New thermostat firmware: Logic to detect stuck relays and trigger mitigation steps to stop potential issues before they happen
Real-time notifications: When high temperatures are detected, customers receive a push notification with helpline access for immediate support
Customer Care outreach: Customers who have received a push notification then receive a phone call from Customer Care to evaluate the situation within 16 hours of the notification and provide a new product if needed
New thermostat firmware: Logic to detect stuck relays and trigger mitigation steps to stop potential issues before they happen
Impact
Impact
Impact
This malfunction could have been a PR nightmare, but we were able to act fast. The low lift of the experience for developers and the minimal intervention from the user seemed to have positive business impact and minimize bad press.
This malfunction could have been a PR nightmare, but we were able to act fast. The low lift of the experience for developers and the minimal intervention from the user seemed to have positive business impact and minimize bad press.
This malfunction could have been a PR nightmare, but we were able to act fast. The low lift of the experience for developers and the minimal intervention from the user seemed to have positive business impact and minimize bad press.
Decreased Customer Care call volume by 75%
Notified 587 systems, replaced 23 thermostats
Time on task reduced from 52seconds to 17seconds (67% reduction) in user tests
Task success rate increased from 50% to 98% in user tests
Enables Vivint to compete at the top of the market with brands such as Ecobee and Nest
Predicted increased purchase intent and customer lifetime value
Decreased Customer Care call volume by 75%
Notified 587 systems, replaced 23 thermostats
10% of customers notified never responded or contacted Vivint.
10% of customers notified never responded or contacted Vivint.
10% of customers notified never responded or contacted Vivint.
Why this works
Why this works
Why this works
Reduced burden on the customer
Reduced burden on the customer
Reduced burden on the customer
Built confidence through human support
Built confidence through human support
Built confidence through human support
Frictionless recovery
Frictionless recovery
Frictionless recovery
Challenges & Tradeoffs
Challenges & Tradeoffs
Challenges & Tradeoffs
Balancing false positives with customer burden
Balancing false positives with customer burden
Balancing false positives with customer burden
The challenge was determining whether customers should be responsible for validating the issue themselves or whether the business should proactively investigate. I advocated for reducing customer effort and ensuring the business owned the burden of diagnosis.
The challenge was determining whether customers should be responsible for validating the issue themselves or whether the business should proactively investigate. I advocated for reducing customer effort and ensuring the business owned the burden of diagnosis.
The challenge was determining whether customers should be responsible for validating the issue themselves or whether the business should proactively investigate. I advocated for reducing customer effort and ensuring the business owned the burden of diagnosis.
Speed versus experience quality
Speed versus experience quality
Speed versus experience quality
Because the issue posed a risk to customer property and trust, there was pressure to move quickly. At the same time, poorly executed communication could create confusion, support volume, and negative publicity. The challenge was delivering a response rapidly while ensuring customers felt informed, supported, and confident that the issue was being handled.
Because the issue posed a risk to customer property and trust, there was pressure to move quickly. At the same time, poorly executed communication could create confusion, support volume, and negative publicity. The challenge was delivering a response rapidly while ensuring customers felt informed, supported, and confident that the issue was being handled.
Because the issue posed a risk to customer property and trust, there was pressure to move quickly. At the same time, poorly executed communication could create confusion, support volume, and negative publicity. The challenge was delivering a response rapidly while ensuring customers felt informed, supported, and confident that the issue was being handled.
Release schedule
Release schedule
Release schedule
The solution was released through a phased rollout, progressing from a pilot cohort (~14K users) in may 2025 to a broader expansion (~50K users) in June 2025 before reaching General Availability in August 2025.
The solution was released through a phased rollout, progressing from a pilot cohort (~14K users) in may 2025 to a broader expansion (~50K users) in June 2025 before reaching General Availability in August 2025.
The solution was released through a phased rollout, progressing from a pilot cohort (~14K users) in may 2025 to a broader expansion (~50K users) in June 2025 before reaching General Availability in August 2025.
Cohort 1 ~14K users: May 2025
Cohort 1 ~14K users: May 2025
Cohort 1 ~14K users: May 2025
Cohort 2 ~50K users: June 2025
Cohort 2 ~50K users: June 2025
Cohort 2 ~50K users: June 2025
General availability: August 2025
General availability: August 2025
General availability: August 2025
View more work
View more work
View more work
Thermostat Installation
Reducing risk of errors and damage costs through guided UX and automation.
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Jenny Eckles 2026
Jenny Eckles 2026