Passionfruit DesignPortsmouth and the South Coast

Technology that makes life a little easier.

Hello, I’m Matt. I help people make their homes more efficient, and charities and businesses make technology work for their people. I listen, explain things in plain English, and help you find a practical way forward. Based in Portsmouth, working along the South Coast and across the UK.

  • Senior academic
  • Over 20 years of experience
  • Working with charities throughout my adult life

Let’s talk it through

Matt, smiling with his arms folded, standing outside in front of a tree with yellow leaves.

Where can I help?

A home that works around you

Illustration of a house and a shop in cross-section, with lights, a radiator and a sensor all linked to one small computer inside.
  • Heating that fits your routine.
  • Lights that help you feel at home.
  • Everyday tasks taken care of.

We start with what would make a difference to your day. I help your heating, lights and devices work together, with controls you feel comfortable using. In Portsmouth and along the South Coast.

Installation, controls and ongoing support

From a conversation to a working home

  • Visit your home or business for a free consultation and quote: on the mainland within 30 miles of Portsmouth. The Isle of Wight costs extra, because of the ferries.
  • Source the hardware, or advise you on what to buy yourself.
  • Install the devices and set up your network.
  • Set up and test your automations with you, and show you how to use them.

How you control it

  • A web dashboard
  • Apple Home
  • Google Home
  • Alexa

Google Home and Alexa need Home Assistant Link, a separate subscription from Nabu Casa at £6.50 a month or £65 a year billed annually, and are cloud services themselves. Apple Home and the dashboard do not need it.

After it is installed

I take time to show you how everything works. The hardware and code are yours, with the choice to make changes yourself or ask for help.

Or retain me for £15 a month. If an automation stops working, send me a message and I fix it remotely, and I apply the Home Assistant updates for you. Faults caused by your own edits, new automations and changes are quoted separately.

Support is done remotely, over a private link, and only with your permission. It needs Home Assistant on its own computer, such as a Raspberry Pi.

How home automation works

Support for charities and businesses

I’ve worked with charities throughout my adult life, supporting people with all levels of IT confidence. We can work through the things that matter to your organisation, at a pace that suits your team.

Explore support for charities

Work

A few examples of helping people: supporting a charity, making a home work better and turning survey results into something useful.

See all the work

Services

Practical help for your home, charity or business. We start with what you need, then find an approach that fits your people and your budget.

How I work

A conversation comes first.

I start by listening: what matters to you, what is getting in the way, and what would make things easier. Then we agree a practical plan that fits your people, your budget and the way you work.

  1. You can ask anything.

    I work with people with all levels of IT experience. You can ask questions, take your time and tell me what you want to do in your own words. I will explain the options in plain English.

  2. We work together.

    You know your home or organisation. I bring the technical experience. I involve you and the people who will use the result, from the first conversation through to trying it out.

  3. Care with your information.

    We discuss who needs access, how information is protected and what support is needed. Remote access to your home is only with your permission.

  4. Room for everyone.

    I consider accessibility from the beginning, so people can use what we build on different devices and with assistive technology.

  5. Clear costs and choices.

    I explain the setup and running costs before you decide. We choose what is useful for you and keep ongoing maintenance manageable.

  6. Confidence to carry on.

    I explain how things work and document what you need. You can look after it yourself, work with your team or arrange ongoing support.

A little about me

I’m Dr Matt Dennis, a senior academic based in Portsmouth with over 20 years of experience in the field. I enjoy making complicated things understandable, and helping people feel confident with technology.

More about my experience: GitHub · LinkedIn

More about my background

My doctorate at the University of Aberdeen is in human-computer interaction: understanding how technology can work better for the people using it. Listening, research and accessibility shape how I approach every project.

I have taught web technologies for over a decade, published peer-reviewed research and run production systems since 2018. I bring that experience to practical questions, from making sense of data to keeping an organisation’s systems running.

I’ve worked with charities throughout my adult life, supporting people with a wide range of IT skills and confidence. I care about making things that work for them, and taking the time to help them feel comfortable using them.

I’m a charity trustee and a member of the BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT. I have held a senior role covering safeguarding, regulatory compliance and data protection. I bring that experience to helping organisations look after their people, information and systems.

Let’s talk it through

Tell me what you would like to make easier. It is fine if you are still working out what you need. We can start with a conversation, in person around Portsmouth and the South Coast, or by video call anywhere in the UK. Or email hello@passionfruit.design, or call or WhatsApp 07385 509278 (open WhatsApp).