Google Nest
An eco-conscious smart thermostat and app redesign focused on energy savings and simplicity.
Team: Esther Huang, Chang Chen, Songze Wu
Year:
2026
Timeframe:
10 Weeks
Role:
Design Manager
Tools:
Figma
Category:
Mobile + Thermostat
Overview
I redesigned the Google Nest Thermostat and its app as one system.
This was a concept project, not a Google release. Changing the temperature is easy, but people rarely know what that choice means for comfort, energy or their bill. I designed the thermostat and the app together so those trade-offs are clear at the moment people decide.
Problem
Changing the temperature was easy. Understanding it wasn't.
Going from 70°F to 74°F takes one turn. Knowing whether that's efficient, what it costs, or why the thermostat later changed it on its own is much harder. Modes, schedules and energy reports all left people to work out what the system was doing.
Research
Studying Nest as a system, not a screen.
I compared the Nest Thermostat (2020) and the Nest Learning Thermostat (3rd gen) across hardware, controls, automation and the app. Each of us also collected 130+ visual references. We narrowed them to 30 and scored them against 30 design criteria to set a direction: high-end and innovative.
Control is easy, decisions aren't.
Every setting is a trade-off between comfort, cost and energy, but the screen only shows the temperature.
Energy data doesn't say what to do.
Reports show how much energy you used, but not what caused it or what to change.
"I want to save money and energy, but I don't want to give up comfort or keep thinking about my thermostat."
- Interview participant
Solution
Show the trade-off before people commit.
The thermostat and app share one model. People choose what matters most right now, and the interface shows what that means for comfort and energy.
Comfort, Balanced, Save
Three modes replace technical settings with one question: what matters most right now? Comfort holds your temperature, Balanced can adjust it by about 3°F, and Save by about 5°F.
Cost at the moment of choice
Changing the temperature or mode shows the estimated monthly impact, so you don't have to wait for a report to see your savings.
One system, two surfaces
Quick changes happen on the thermostat, and schedules and energy history live in the app. Both use the same modes and terms.
Schedules as a timeline
Participants mixed up editing and adding schedules, so I turned schedules into a daily timeline that confirms each change.
Progress you can see
Usage charts point to what caused a spike and what to change, and energy usage show your savings before the bill arrives.
Impact
I tested the thermostat and app with 7 people on three tasks: change 70°F to 74°F, switch from Balanced to Save, and add 73°F at 5:00 PM. Scheduling, temperature changes and system feedback caused the most friction, so I reworked all three.
3 → 7/7
Completed the schedule task
48s → 19s
Average time to add a schedule
3.1 → 4.5/5
Confidence that the change worked
Thermostat UI · iOS app · mode system · usability testing
