Enhancing home premium subscription retention
Enhancing home premium subscription retention
Company
Company
Google Home
Google Home
Role
User Experience Design Intern
Timeline
March - May 2024
(3 months)
Team
Team
UX Designer, UX Researcher, UX Writer, Product Manager, Software Engineer, Marketing
1 Product Owner
1 Tech Lead
10 Developers
Timeline
May - August 2025 (14 weeks)
Role
Product Design Lead
User Research
Design System
If you’re a Googler, check out this project at
If you’re a Googler, check out this project at
Overview
With Gemini, Google is introducing many exciting AI features, available through the Home Premium subscription service.
With Gemini, Google is introducing many exciting AI features, available through the Home Premium subscription service.
Home Premium (previously Nest Aware) is Google Home's subscription that enhancesecurity devices and smart home products by providing extended video history, intelligent alerts, and Gemini-powered AI for smarter insights and automations.
Home Premium (previously Nest Aware) is Google Home's subscription that enhancesecurity devices and smart home products by providing extended video history, intelligent alerts, and Gemini-powered AI for smarter insights and automations.
Reference image from Home Premium website
🌋 Problem
Users are not fully aware of premium features, leading to higher churn rate
Users are not fully aware of premium features, leading to higher churn rate
Project
Reimagining how users understand and interact with premium services
Reimagining how users understand and interact with premium services
This summer, I was the UX Design Intern the Google Home Platform team, where I focused on reimagining how users understand and interact with premium services, ultimately ehancing subscription retention.
Because the subscription product is deeply interconnected with all features across Google Home platform, I collaborated closely with various cross-functional partners. I developed impactful and scalable UX design strategies, ensuring consistency across features and communication channels.
This summer, I was the UX Design Intern the Google Home Platform team, where I focused on reimagining how users understand and interact with premium services, ultimately ehancing subscription retention.
Because the subscription product is deeply interconnected with all features across Google Home platform, I collaborated closely with various cross-functional partners. I developed impactful and scalable UX design strategies, ensuring consistency across features and communication channels.
Highlights
Proposed 2 UX strategies, one secured in the workstream, the other gained PM buy-in
Collaborated with 30 teammates across 8 disciplines to drive cross-functional alignment
Organized user research sessions with 12 participants, understanding the design impact
Proposed 2 UX strategies, one secured in the workstream, the other gained PM buy-in
Collaborated with 30 teammates across 8 disciplines to drive cross-functional alignment
Organized user research sessions with 12 participants, understanding the design impact
Reflection
Learnings
Learnings
I’m incredibly grateful to the Google Home team for a summer full of learning. This was the most collaborative internship I’ve had, and working within a mature UX team sharpened both my design and communication skills. This experience reinforced my belief that companies can be both profit-driven and purpose-drivenm and that great design helps make that balance possible.
I’m incredibly grateful to the Google Home team for a summer full of learning. This was the most collaborative internship I’ve had, and working within a mature UX team sharpened both my design and communication skills. This experience reinforced my belief that companies can be both profit-driven and purpose-drivenm and that great design helps make that balance possible.
⚖️
⚖️
balance business and user needs
balance business and user needs
Subscriptions drive revenue, but design ensures retention. I learned to encourage users to stay engaged without making the experience feel transactional.
Subscriptions drive revenue, but design ensures retention. I learned to encourage users to stay engaged without making the experience feel transactional.
🎯
Communicate with intention
Communicate with intention
Presenting your work is equally important as crafting itself. For a future-vision project like mine, showing how my design contributes to others’ work was key to earning stakeholder buy-in and securing a place on the roadmap.
Presenting your work is equally important as crafting itself. For a future-vision project like mine, showing how my design contributes to others’ work was key to earning stakeholder buy-in and securing a place on the roadmap.
Outside of Figma
I'm also a community builder
I'm also a community builder
Beyond working on subscription retention, I also enjoy bringing people together, whether through a simple animation or in-person events. These "extra work" give me the chance to meet new designers and engineers across the company while deepening connections with my team, which strengthens our day-to-day collaboration.
Beyond working on subscription retention, I also enjoy bringing people together, whether through a simple animation or in-person events. These "extra work" give me the chance to meet new designers and engineers across the company while deepening connections with my team, which strengthens our day-to-day collaboration.
Team badge
Team badge
Google has an internal profile tool where each team can use a small sticker to represent themselves
Google has an internal profile tool where each team can use a small sticker to represent themselves
Homie Blind box
Homie Blind box
Collaborated with David L. to create Google Home’s first-ever blind box, fostering belonging
Collaborated with David L. to create Google Home’s first-ever blind box, fostering belonging
Print exchange
Print exchange
Organized a postcard exchange for 25 Googlers to boost UX community engagement.
Organized a postcard exchange for 25 Googlers to boost UX community engagement.
Want to learn more?
Want to learn more?
Much of my work during this internship is under NDA. For details on my learnings, feel free to contact me at anvuthienho@gmail.com
Much of my work during this internship is under NDA. For details on my learnings, feel free to contact me at anvuthienho@gmail.com
Thank you everyone for a fulfilling summer
Thank you everyone for a fulfilling summer
Especially to Anna, my amazing host ❤️
Especially to Anna, my amazing host ❤️
my other works
my other works
Revamping fleet management platform
Revamping fleet management platform
Gained 80+ new business customers, overseeing 1000+ vehicles in 1 year
Gained 80+ new business customers, overseeing 1000+ vehicles in 1 year
Scene Health design system
Scene Health design system
System-first, responsive reusable assets for web portal and mobile app
System-first, responsive reusable assets for web portal and mobile app
Location
Location
Base in Boston, open to relocation
Base in Boston, open to relocation
* Thank You in Vietnamese