The HomeLINK Resident App by Aico helps residents living in properties with a HomeLINK system keep their homes healthy and safe. It translates data from our sensors into clear, actionable insights that help protect both residents and their homes.
At Aico, we believe our products should be simple and intuitive to use, removing barriers and helping people get more value from them. That’s why, over the past year, we’ve been redesigning the HomeLINK Resident App by Aico to make it easier than ever to use.
Throughout the process, we’ve worked closely with housing providers and residents to understand what they need from the app, the challenges they face, and how we can create a better experience for them.
One organisation we’ve worked closely with is Hafod Housing. Hafod is a socially conscious, not-for-profit organisation providing housing, care and support across South Wales. Known for their proactive approach to resident engagement, Hafod agreed to arrange an engagement day where we could seek feedback on our app.
As part of this process, we met with a member of the Hafod team to understand their perspective, then visited a number of Hafod residents in Cardiff. We asked questions about how they use the existing app and helped them install a beta version of our new app. We sought feedback on what they liked and what they didn’t, and provided them with a tool for submitting feedback on an ongoing basis.
One Hafod resident, Anne, found the updated version easy to adopt:
“It’s great to be able to keep an eye on things in the home. I want to know I’m doing the right things in my home and that I’m doing my bit to look after my property well.
When I’m away from home in the colder months, the app gives me peace of mind that the temperature in my home is set well. It is easy to use, and these are skills that will help me in the future as things become more digital. I don’t want to be left behind.”
We believe that a collaborative approach is crucial to creating solutions that actually deliver for residents, and we’d like to thank Hafod for their ongoing support.
Speaking about the day, Aico Product Manager Oliver Ryan-George said:
“It was important to us at Aico that this app was built with residents at the centre of the process. By being engaged with the beta trial of the app, Hafod Housing and their residents helped us shape the app into one which empowers residents to control their home’s environment and energy usage.”
Justine Williams, Decarbonisation Engagement Officer at Hafod, said:
“Hafod’s decarbonisation work is about more than reducing energy use and carbon emissions. It is also about supporting residents to live in homes that are healthy, comfortable and affordable to run.
It was great to engage with customers as they explored the updated app and shared their experiences and feedback. It also means that residents aren’t simply being asked to adopt new technology, they have a voice in shaping how that technology works for them.”
