"Technology should serve us, not the other way around" | Interview with Arnau Donate Duch

Ahead of his appearance at The Smart Home Summit 2025, we sat down with Arnau Donate Duch, Co-founder & CTO at Phare Labs, to discuss creativity, computation, and centralizing intelligence.

The Design-First Philosophy

For Arnau Duch, who comes to technology from a creative background, the division between design and engineering has never made sense. "It is impossible for me to visualize these as two separate fields, design looks to ask the right questions, and engineering tries to find the right answers to those questions," he explains. This philosophy stems from experiencing poorly designed products, like smoke alarms with terrible user experiences.

It's very easy to run into scope creep or overengineer products: "My frustration experiencing how many products are badly designed or have very poor user experience, like smoke alarms have, is what drew me to it. Seeing how tiny details can make huge differences in how we interact with the products we use everyday, and understanding the nuances of what makes a product better than another one to use. Every detail matters and affects the experience of the user."

From Data to Insight

In the smart home space, sensors generate torrents of data. But data alone is meaningless without interpretation. "Capturing and processing data on its own is meaningless, creativity helps me add a new layer of interpretation and understanding on top of it: What is this data telling us? What is happening in this home?" Arnau Duch explains. "Users don't want data, they want actionable insights, and they really don't care about how you got there if the answer is right and valuable."

The Fragmentation Problem

When asked about the "smart home gap," the answer is direct: fragmentation is the main barrier. "Scattered sensors and devices from different brands that don't interconnect, working independently rather than together", he describes. Even when devices integrate through existing protocols, the data remains siloed.

The problem extends beyond connectivity. "Having a range of physically separate devices, all battery-powered, from different brands, each doing a single niche function, is a very inefficient approach", he argues. This creates complexity, integration problems, and maintenance headaches that frustrate users.

The solution? "This is why we decided to centralize all spatial computing into a mains-powered, single device that is able to sense and also make sense of the data".

Embedded AI and Human Intelligence

Embedded AI will operate much like thermostats automated temperature control, but at a more sophisticated level. "Embedded AI will substitute many of the actions we do on autopilot, similar to how thermostats eliminated the need for us to manually turn heaters on and off when we felt too hot or cold. Embedded AI will do this at a much more elevated level, with greater spatial awareness of our needs, improving our comfort, safety, and security. It handles routine, low-value decisions automatically, giving users more time and mental capacity to focus on the decisions that truly matter to them.”

However, he notes that most AI applications in PropTech are missing something crucial. "Most of it is focused on customer service, chatbots, and onboarding tenants, which is good, but isn't enough. It's still missing the real-world asset layer: the ability to bridge the digital and physical to make more informed, timely decisions."

Universal Design Principles

Having exhibited work globally and taught design across continents, Arnau Donate Duch has observed both differences and universal truths. "Designing a product for global use is a true challenge. There's no way to anticipate all the different ways a product will be used: different users, needs, contexts, and expectations."

His approach? "One way to think about it is to focus on the common truths universally shared by most people, rather than every single individual difference, though those shouldn't be ignored. Different cultures have different values and expectations, which tie to their willingness to adopt new technology or change habits, but one thing seems universal: people want technology that feels invisible and intuitive."

The ideal user experience is clear. "People want technology that adapts to them, not the other way around. Products that understand context, knowing when to act autonomously and when to ask for input. Ultimately, people want technology that thinks like they would, and, to the degree possible, acts like they would."

The Core Philosophy

When asked what he wants people to remember from his work, the answer is simple: "Technology should serve us, not the other way around."

"The less we need to interact with technology, the better it's serving us. True intelligence means technology that works so well in the background, we almost forget it's there, until it prevents a problem we didn't even know was coming."

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As smart home technology continues to evolve, this perspective offers a compelling alternative to the device-centric, feature-focused approach that has dominated the industry. By starting with human needs, centralizing intelligence, and letting creativity guide computation, the future of smart living might finally close the gap between promise and reality.

Let us know: is the best technology the kind you forget is there, or do you want to stay hands-on?

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