Dashboards that adapt to where you are: contextual home automation

Most home automation apps (like Google Home or the native Philips Hue app) share the same problem: they are static. They always show you the same infinite list of lights and switches. But when you are in bed at midnight, you don't care about the dining room temperature; you care about being able to turn off all the lights in the house with one tap and arming the alarm. True home automation isn't turning on lights from your mobile; it's the house understanding the context.

Thanks to Home Assistant, I've discovered the power of "Contextual Dashboards".

What is Contextual Design in Home Automation?

It's the idea that the user interface should change depending on who is looking at it, when they are looking at it, and from where. If I have a tablet mounted on the hallway wall, it shouldn't show Netflix controls. It should show: today's weather, traffic status to work, and a big button to activate "Away Mode" alarm.

In contrast, the living room tablet should be a media center: ambient light controls, music selection, and blinds. Same software, completely different experience.

Invisible automation

The best dashboard is the one you don't have to use. My golden rule is: if I have to pull out my phone to turn on a light, I have failed. Motion and presence sensors (mmWave) are key. Entering a room and having the light turn on at the correct intensity according to the time of day (bright white in the morning, warm and dim at night) is the real luxury.

But when interaction is needed, the dashboard must be proactive. Home Assistant allows for "conditional cards". For example: the "Low Battery" card only appears if a sensor in the house has less than 10% battery. The rest of the time, it doesn't exist and doesn't take up mental space.

Integrating the physical and digital worlds

Another practical example: when I place my phone to charge on the nightstand after 11:00 PM, Home Assistant understands that I am going to sleep. Automatically, my nightstand tablet interface changes to "Clock Mode", turns off all the house lights, locks the front door, and silences notifications. I didn't have to press any buttons; the physical action (charging the phone) triggered the digital context.

Conclusion: The house at the user's service

Commercial home automation wants to sell us colored light bulbs. Real home automation (DIY with Home Assistant) gifts us time and peace of mind. Creating dashboards that adapt to us requires setup time, but the result is a house that feels alive and takes care of its inhabitants instead of giving them more work.