Driving User-Centered Design for Carrier’s Smart Home and Technician Tools

OVERVIEW
As the lead UX researcher for Carrier’s Homeowner and Technician digital suite, I conducted end-to-end research initiatives to improve smart home and service management tools. My work spanned survey design, usability testing, and mixed-method analysis, directly informing product roadmaps and strategic decisions.

THE CHALLENGE
Carrier, a global HVAC leader, was undergoing a digital transformation. While their tools offered robust functionality, the user experience lacked clarity, cohesion, and ease of use. They needed actionable insights grounded in real user behavior to:

• Increase adoption and usability of smart home features
• Understand technician workflows and service delivery challenges
• Validate design directions before full-scale development
• Prioritize enhancements across B2C and B2B digital platforms

MY ROLE
• Led all phases of research: planning, recruitment, execution, and synthesis
• Conducted surveys, interviews, and unmoderated usability testing
• Partnered with design teams to validate prototypes and iterate on concepts
• Analyzed insights from homeowners, HVAC technicians, and service managers
• Collaborated with product and engineering teams to translate findings into roadmaps

RESEARCH ACTIVITES
• Conducted quantitative surveys with over 100 service managers, service technicians, and homeowners to evaluate tool adoption, assess current feature usability, explore interest in future capabilities, and uncover user motivations
• In-Depth Interviews with HVAC technicians to uncover daily friction and expectations from mobile tools
• Usability Testing & Design Validation of new features like technician scheduling, e-commerce subscriptions, and visual equipment status cards
• Rapid Concept Testing for early-stage ideas with homeowners to guide content strategy and UI layout
• Persona & Journey Mapping to align cross-functional teams around user mindsets and touchpoints

KEY INSIGHTS
• Technicians needed faster access to troubleshooting tools and preferred visual over text-heavy interfaces
• Service Managers struggled with fragmented tracking systems and wanted simplified reporting
• Homeowners valued remote access and proactive reminders but were confused by inconsistent UI patterns and vague notification wording
• Early design testing revealed usability issues in the subscription flow, prompting iterative improvements before launch

IMPACT
• Prioritized UX changes that simplified technician onboarding and reduced cognitive load in the field
• Informed a redesign of the homeowner e-commerce and filter subscription experience, improving clarity and task completion
• Conducted multiple rounds of design validation to refine navigation, labeling, and content hierarchy—resulting in cleaner, more intuitive UI
• Delivered detailed research reports and artifacts that directly influenced product prioritization
• Helped shift the organization toward early and continuous user testing within the sprint cycle

COLLABORATIONS AND OUTCOMES
Collaborating closely with designers, I embedded research into the product development process—validating wireframes, click-through prototypes, and final UI. Insights led to design refinements prior to engineering handoff, saving development time and improving feature adoption post-launch.

RESULTS
• Improved task success rates and engagement in validated flows (e.g., filter subscription and equipment status views)
• Increased alignment between product strategy and user needs
• Early-stage testing avoided costly design missteps and rework
• Established a repeatable, cross-functional research and validation cadence

REFLECTIONS
This project reinforced how early design validation can de-risk product decisions and elevate user experience. It was especially fulfilling to contribute to improvements that directly impacted technicians’ efficiency and homeowner satisfaction—and to witness the organization embrace research as a continuous, collaborative practice.