Very well-made video and very clearly presented. 
However, I’m going to have to respectfully disagree with your statement that this is the “best“ way to handle the situation for several different reasons.
-
code in some jurisdictions requires that some switches always operate from the wall switch. This is most commonly for attic lights. So you need to check on that before beginning this kind of project.
-
doing it this way means that there is no “Plan B“ if your home automation system itself is failing, like the smartthings hub acting up. Or the SmartThings cloud being unavailable. So I think the “best“ solution should have an alternative means of control for those cases. But that will cost more since you will likely have to add at least one additional device. Or you will have to use a child safety lock, which you mentioned is being ugly, but some of them are quite nice. And you can always hang a picture over the switch if you want to disguise it all together.
The following community FAQ discusses various options for handling the desired “always on“ situation.
FAQ: Looking at a good Wall Switch for my Hue Bulbs (2018 Short FAQ)
- If you do want to hot wire a switch, and it does meet the other requirements as noted above, using a wire nut should be fine. I defer to the electricians in the community if I’m wrong on the following point, but I would expect your little U-shaped connector to be a code violation in most places. And in any case it’s going to have all the usual problems of a backstab connection. That is, it can come loose over time which can lead to arcing. (That’s particularly a problem because you’ve still allowed the physical switch to move, so every time it does so there’s a higher probability of the connector shifting positions.)
https://www.handymanhowto.com/electrical-outlets-side-wire-versus-back-wire/
There’s also a higher probability of a DIY person forgetting to turn the power off, opening the plate, and getting a shock from the connector.
So I really like the style of the video and if it had been limited to nutting together the wires with a brief mention of the possible issues described in this post, I think it would’ve been a really excellent tutorial on this particular method of hot wiring.
I think it’s a method that many people will choose, although I would still disagree on the “best.“ But “good for many people“ would take care of that objection.
JMO