Who we design for
The three types of users we keep in mind when making design decisions.
Home Assistant has a very wide audience. To make decisions throughout the product, we describe it with three user types. They are a lean way to split up that audience. They are not personas: they are not based on demographics, and there is no invented character with a name and a backstory.
People who outgrow the smart home solutions of big tech companies. For them, it just needs to work, with an easy setup through an app.
People who know their way around home networking and development, and know how to code.
People who want more advanced home automation, but need support to make it work.
When you propose a design, check it against all three. Ask who it helps, and whether it gets in the way of anyone else. Mention it in your proposal when a design is meant for one type in particular.
The user types are a starting point. For real numbers about who uses Home Assistant, how, and why, look at the 2024 community survey. Its anonymized data is open for anyone to use. See Research for more.