Designing the UX Behind ADT Pulse, Comcast Xfinity Home, and Piper. Pioneering smart home experiences at scale
I joined Icontrol as the founding designer, responsible for shaping the company's first user experiences and eventually building and leading a team of 8 designers across 3 locations.
Our work defined the UX for one of the earliest large-scale smart home platforms, ultimately reaching 3M+ daily active subscribers and powering deployments for industry leaders like ADT, Comcast, and DIY consumers.
Designing for three business units
As the Icontrol platform grew, so did our solution portfolio along with the design team. My team supported three business units:
Connect (ADT Pulse): We introduced the Orb (a patented status indicator) and Home View (a visual floorplan of devices). I designed the first touchscreen security panel UI, transforming a dated 9-keypad experience into a smart home hub for 40% of our users.
Converge (Comcast Xfinity Home): I led the distributed design team in Austin to adapt and scale the platform for Comcast's needs.
Piper (DIY System): Following the acquisition of the company Piper, my team integrated the all-in-one camera system, redesigning the mobile app and consumer-facing components.
Together, these initiatives blended industrial design, embedded UI, web, and mobile applications into a unified ecosystem.
Connect (ADT Pulse)
We introduced the Orb (a patented status indicator) and Home View (a visual floorplan of devices). I designed the first touchscreen security panel UI, transforming a dated 9-keypad experience into a smart home hub for 40% of our users.
Converge (Comcast Xfinity Home)
I led the distributed design team in Austin to adapt and scale the platform for Comcast's needs.
Piper (DIY System)
Following the acquisition of the company Piper, my team integrated the all-in-one camera system, redesigning the mobile app and consumer-facing components.
Impact and legacy
The Icontrol platform set a new standard for smart home security and automation. Patented UI elements including the Orb and Home View influenced how tens of thousands of households monitor and control their environments.
Beyond the product impact, building and scaling a design team across geographies gave me deep experience in leadership, cross-functional collaboration, and sustaining design culture in a high-growth startup.
The company was jointly acquired by Alarm.com and Comcast, and the design foundations we created continue to support one of the largest connected home platforms in the world.