Roomba Rewards: Clean More, Save More

Roomba Rewards began as a hackathon sprint to tackle two key problems: idle robots and users buying accessories elsewhere. We created a tiered loyalty program rewarding cleaning frequency, maintenance, and advocacy. The concept won first place, launching our approach to boosting engagement and sales.

Role: Product Design Manager, iRobot

Team: Paired with Sr. Director, Digital Experience

Skills: UX Design, Branding, Video Production

Deliverables: Hackathon entry (Concept video), Program brand identity, UX concepts

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THE CHALLENGE

When Roombas run regularly and autonomously, everyone wins. But we were seeing two issues: many users weren't running their robots consistently, and when they needed accessories, they defaulted to generic brands instead of buying directly from our website.

The question: how might we incentivize regular cleaning AND encourage direct purchases from our website?

OUR PROPOSAL

Roomba Rewards is a tiered loyalty program where every cleaning session and maintenance activity earns points that unlock discounts and exclusive accessories at our store.

How it works:

• Earn points for each cleaning routines

• Track progress in the Roomba Home app

• Level up for bigger discounts on filters, brushes, and exclusive accessories

• Automatic enrollment—no extra steps

  
  

The thing we really like about this approach is that it doesn't require behavior change beyond what users already want to do. It just adds value on top of running their robot.

THE PROCESS

We had two weeks to go from concept to demo video. My manager structured the program logic and wrote the script. I handled the creative: UX concepts, branding, tier naming, and video polish.

BrANDING

I wanted the program to feel premium but approachable. The tier names reflect progression without feeling childish, and the visual identity fits iRobot's brand while having its own personality.

Key Design Principles

• Visibility without nagging: Progress is visible on your profile and when making purchases, but it doesn't demand constant app attention. The goal is autonomous cleaning, not engagement; this is a nuance, but an important one.

• Automatic enrollment: Users are enrolled from their first cleaning session—no opt-in friction.

• Clear value: Every tier unlocks meaningful discounts and perks, not token gestures.

  
  

THE OUTCOME

After two weeks, we delivered our demo video, which placed first among 10 other entries.

What I Learned

• Constraints breed creativity: Two weeks forced us to focus on core value and make quick decisions.

• Collaboration works: Clear role division (program logic vs. creative) let us each work in our strengths.

• Real problems make the best projects: We were solving actual pain points, and proposing something within the realm of possible for our team, not just building something cool for fun. This made the project feel purposeful.