We argue that a convenient way to analyze instabilities of black holes in AdS space is via Bragg-Williams construction of a free energy function. Starting with a pedagogical review of this construction in condensed matter systems and also its impleme
ntation to Hawking-Page transition, we study instabilities associated with hairy black holes and also with the $R$-charged black holes. For the hairy black holes, an analysis of thermal quench is presented.
