Toro
Increasing Toro’s app adoption by designing features users love
Toro produces high-performance landscaping equipment and has a digital platform, SMRTscape, for managing irrigation and lighting. However, SMRTscape was outdated, overly complicated for homeowners post-installation, and competitors were advancing their digital offerings, putting Toro at a disadvantage.
Research
Research
Research
Strategy
Strategy
Strategy
Envisioning
Envisioning
Envisioning
Exceeding expectations with a 200+ screen prototype
As a gardening lover, this was an envisioning project made just for me. We conducted foundational research and concept testing, resulting in a final prototype with over 200+screens that addressed contractor workflows like morning checks and system monitoring, as well as common homeowner updates.
My responsibilities
Led discovery through stakeholder interviews, competitive analysis, and experience audits.
Partnered with researchers to plan and run foundational research and concept testing across contractor and homeowner audiences.
Designed, validated, and refined concepts while leading strategy workshops with client teams.
Delivered a comprehensive prototype, ready for immediate user testing.
Contractor app view with all the bells and whistles
Homeowner app view hides unnecessary complexity
Contractor app view with all the bells and whistles
Homeowner app view hides unnecessary complexity
Contractor app view with all the bells and whistles
Homeowner app view hides unnecessary complexity
Discovery
Designing for two audiences
Contractors
22 interviews
The primary audience includes high-end irrigation and lighting contractors who prioritize efficient management, client satisfaction, and cost savings.
Contractors
22 interviews
The primary audience includes high-end irrigation and lighting contractors who prioritize efficient management, client satisfaction, and cost savings.
Contractors
22 interviews
The primary audience includes high-end irrigation and lighting contractors who prioritize efficient management, client satisfaction, and cost savings.
Homeowners
0 Interviews
The secondary audience consists of homeowners who prefer professionals to manage their systems but occasionally want some control over their setups.
Homeowners
0 Interviews
The secondary audience consists of homeowners who prefer professionals to manage their systems but occasionally want some control over their setups.
Homeowners
0 Interviews
The secondary audience consists of homeowners who prefer professionals to manage their systems but occasionally want some control over their setups.
Conducting activities to define a valuable path forward
After stakeholder interviews, competitive analysis, and foundational research, we brought everything together in a workshop to align with the client on a clear design direction.
Opportunities
Aim for simplicity by making key features teachable and easy to find.
Help employees get acquainted with the property and the system.
Help contractors provide excellent customer service, especially in emergencies.
Provide the ability to create reports to assess system effectiveness and ROI.
Design account access that can be shared between employees and contractors.
Design
Validating what users want
Through testing, we identified key features that help contractors work more efficiently and keep homeowners satisfied, leading to increased revenue. Users particularly liked maps-based organization, time-saving presets, and a streamlined handoff process.
Design
Validating what users want
Through testing, we identified key features that help contractors work more efficiently and keep homeowners satisfied, leading to increased revenue. Users particularly liked maps-based organization, time-saving presets, and a streamlined handoff process.
Design
Validating what users want
Through testing, we identified key features that help contractors work more efficiently and keep homeowners satisfied, leading to increased revenue. Users particularly liked maps-based organization, time-saving presets, and a streamlined handoff process.
The map's going to be more useful than having a photo of each zone because you would have to figure out what angle the person took the photo from to make sure you're looking at the same spot.
— Participant quote on map view for organizing zones
The map's going to be more useful than having a photo of each zone because you would have to figure out what angle the person took the photo from to make sure you're looking at the same spot.
— Participant quote on map view for organizing zones
The map's going to be more useful than having a photo of each zone because you would have to figure out what angle the person took the photo from to make sure you're looking at the same spot.
— Participant quote on map view for organizing zones
Map-base organization
Contractors often have teams, so some employees may be unfamiliar with a property. Aerial maps help identify zones and fixtures, providing a clear overview of the system's status. Users can also upload custom images for added flexibility.
Map-base organization
Contractors often have teams, so some employees may be unfamiliar with a property. Aerial maps help identify zones and fixtures, providing a clear overview of the system's status. Users can also upload custom images for added flexibility.
Map-base organization
Contractors often have teams, so some employees may be unfamiliar with a property. Aerial maps help identify zones and fixtures, providing a clear overview of the system's status. Users can also upload custom images for added flexibility.
Having the presets in there is very useful. Nobody that I know has preset themes. [Currently] you have to program them all.
— Participant quote on lighting themes
Having the presets in there is very useful. Nobody that I know has preset themes. [Currently] you have to program them all.
— Participant quote on lighting themes
Having the presets in there is very useful. Nobody that I know has preset themes. [Currently] you have to program them all.
— Participant quote on lighting themes
Reusable lighting theme presets
Toro lighting enables colorful designs that are often reused for various holidays. Predefined settings streamline setup and can be shared across clients, saving time, and allowing users to easily save new settings to the global presets list.
Reusable lighting theme presets
Toro lighting enables colorful designs that are often reused for various holidays. Predefined settings streamline setup and can be shared across clients, saving time, and allowing users to easily save new settings to the global presets list.
Reusable lighting theme presets
Toro lighting enables colorful designs that are often reused for various holidays. Predefined settings streamline setup and can be shared across clients, saving time, and allowing users to easily save new settings to the global presets list.
It's very easy and streamlined. There are only three clicks to transfer it. And there's still some contractor access.
— Participant quote on homeowner handoff
It's very easy and streamlined. There are only three clicks to transfer it. And there's still some contractor access.
— Participant quote on homeowner handoff
It's very easy and streamlined. There are only three clicks to transfer it. And there's still some contractor access.
— Participant quote on homeowner handoff
Streamlined owner handoff
At the end of installation, contractors must grant homeowners access to a simplified system, allowing them to turn it on/off and pause it without complexity. Some contractors continue to monitor services and can continue to access the app to monitor the property, minimizing customer bottlenecks during setup.
Streamlined owner handoff
At the end of installation, contractors must grant homeowners access to a simplified system, allowing them to turn it on/off and pause it without complexity. Some contractors continue to monitor services and can continue to access the app to monitor the property, minimizing customer bottlenecks during setup.
Streamlined owner handoff
At the end of installation, contractors must grant homeowners access to a simplified system, allowing them to turn it on/off and pause it without complexity. Some contractors continue to monitor services and can continue to access the app to monitor the property, minimizing customer bottlenecks during setup.
Monitoring comms
Proactive alerts enable contractors to monitor potential issues. The alerts are based on thresholds for flow rate and voltage. An ongoing log of all activities and services simplifies troubleshooting.
Temporary system access
Multiple contractors can access the homeowner's account simultaneously. Contractor employees can also be assigned different permission levels temporarily to complete their tasks.
Monitoring comms
Proactive alerts enable contractors to monitor potential issues. The alerts are based on thresholds for flow rate and voltage. An ongoing log of all activities and services simplifies troubleshooting.
Temporary system access
Multiple contractors can access the homeowner's account simultaneously. Contractor employees can also be assigned different permission levels temporarily to complete their tasks.
Monitoring comms
Proactive alerts enable contractors to monitor potential issues. The alerts are based on thresholds for flow rate and voltage. An ongoing log of all activities and services simplifies troubleshooting.
Temporary system access
Multiple contractors can access the homeowner's account simultaneously. Contractor employees can also be assigned different permission levels temporarily to complete their tasks.
Turning up the visual charm
The visual design direction is based on the look and feel already established during a previous project, but with modifications to appeal to a more consumer audience with the addition of color and illustrations.
Illustrations and visual details by Eric Hung added interest
Turning up the visual charm
The visual design direction is based on the look and feel already established during a previous project, but with modifications to appeal to a more consumer audience with the addition of color and illustrations.
Illustrations and visual details by Eric Hung added interest
Turning up the visual charm
The visual design direction is based on the look and feel already established during a previous project, but with modifications to appeal to a more consumer audience with the addition of color and illustrations.
Illustrations and visual details by Eric Hung added interest
Outcome
Originally scoped to design the setup flow for irrigation and lighting, the project expanded once discovery showed contractors and homeowners needed support at multiple points beyond setup, resulting in a 200+ frame Figma prototype spanning both personas. Concepts were strongly validated by users, averaging 4.0/5 for usefulness and 8.8/10 for likelihood of recommendation.
Outcome
Originally scoped to design the setup flow for irrigation and lighting, the project expanded once discovery showed contractors and homeowners needed support at multiple points beyond setup, resulting in a 200+ frame Figma prototype spanning both personas. Concepts were strongly validated by users, averaging 4.0/5 for usefulness and 8.8/10 for likelihood of recommendation.
Outcome
Originally scoped to design the setup flow for irrigation and lighting, the project expanded once discovery showed contractors and homeowners needed support at multiple points beyond setup, resulting in a 200+ frame Figma prototype spanning both personas. Concepts were strongly validated by users, averaging 4.0/5 for usefulness and 8.8/10 for likelihood of recommendation.
It's been a great journey. It's hard to believe we just started this project a few months ago. We're excited about where we are and what you guys presented... I got a lot more than I had expected.
— Sergio Ramos, key stakeholder
It's been a great journey. It's hard to believe we just started this project a few months ago. We're excited about where we are and what you guys presented... I got a lot more than I had expected.
— Sergio Ramos, key stakeholder
It's been a great journey. It's hard to believe we just started this project a few months ago. We're excited about where we are and what you guys presented... I got a lot more than I had expected.
— Sergio Ramos, key stakeholder