Synergy
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We create a space allowing you to explore and immerse yourself in nature, through building memories and connections
Mobile App
Energy Sustainability
Mixed Project
12 Weeks
My Role
Group - Initial research phases, Primary and Secondary, Insight creation and Storyboarding.
Solo - Ideation, User Experience, Usaability Testing, Brand Vision, Final UI.
Who's the target?
Recent graduates and young working professionals who are first time renters, looking to maximise their money. Those who want to behave more sustainably but do not wish to feel isolated within their new community, due to disputes or conflict.
Brief
Design a mobile app that enhances the experience of domestic energy reduction.
Hunt Statement
Providing direction for our research phase, the hunt statement highlighted the key: user, task and environment to investigate.
We are going to research co-habitation in order to enhance the experience of domestic energy reduction for recent graduates living in shared apartments.
Persona Exploration
After rounds of analysing research packs and statistics, We created a persona which would provide an archetype of our key user group. Our key insights in which our persona was built off were: Communication, Social Responsibility, Visualisation, Impact/Responsibility and Consumption Barriers.
Utilising rounds of discussions with peers to understand how they felt about energy; especially with the cost of living crisis being prevalent in young adults created a realistic wealth of information.
Key Feature
Building key insights from the Paint Points and 'Experience Goals' provided a foundation for our feature set to be designed. Focusing on linking them to the personas problems, ensured our features were validated by the users desires.
Gamification of Usage
User-friendly response to collected data. Ibrahim can digest his own energy usage and compare it with that of his housemates. Creating league tables and granting rewards to the most sustainable housemate.
Prioritising the relationships which he already has, Ibrahim wishes to make a concerted effort to become more sustainable.
Collaborative energy use
App allows Ibrahim to complete communal household tasks (notification is sent out if he is planning to use an appliance). Centred around sustainable energy usage is at its highest.
To reduce guilt caused by an increased energy consumption during hybrid work.
Group Challenges
AI analyses the data provided from Smart meters, highlighting possible areas of excess energy usage. Relevant challenges are created to help the house form healthier habits.
Having learnt to share responsibilities and chores at university, Ibrahim wants to recreate this sense of unity and ‘togetherness’ with new flatmates.
Weekly Energy Breakdown
Offering an intuitive interface for users to monitor their energy usage patterns, with daily, weekly, and monthly breakdowns with personalised energy-saving tips.
Worried as he is spending substantially more time WFH. Ibrahim wants to feel secure in his personal energy consumption.
Story Boarding
Exploring the users journey focusing on key environmental interaction highlighted key moments of friction. This particular story board explored the possible environmental interactions and key moments where the app could provide value in everyday life.
Story Board
Mid-Fidelity Prototyping
Initially focusing on key interaction points, the design was shaped through the lens of retaining interest and adding enjoyment to the process. Although these were interesting to explore, these often led to additional pain points for the user.
Condensing the flow of the product, provided a focused attention on the pain points which were highlighted. Creating a journey which was both reducing the friction of the current process but also exploring opportunities for innovation. Reducing gamification features throughout the whole process and focusing on key moments of interest.
Wireframe Prototyping
Body Storming
Body storming provided an opportunity to physically test my wireframes imitating the environment which the design would be used in. Exploring different stages allowed reflection on the process and the possible opportunities to improve the user experience.
Providing constant reassurance towards their good actions was one such aspect which pushed repeated use. In order to ensure users built healthier habits they needed to have a product which added value in all aspects of their life. During the process however, there were issues with time sensitivity and when the user would be seeing the tasks/able to complete the tasks. Focusing on rewarding prompt completion was a major take away.
Body Storming
Mood Board
Brand Identity
Focusing on utilising colours which are typically used on the appliances, allows the app to easily assimilate into the energy ecosystem. While text choice being modern, clear and attention grabbing allows key elements to easily be understood.
Brand Identity
Personal Device Control
Monitoring live device status providing control of energy state. Tracking daily habits and creating suggestions.
Exploring Events
Easily track and manage shared appliances. Automatic updates streamlining routines and reducing additional energy use.
Check-in System
Know who’s available to help while you’re away. The check-in system and built-in messaging allows personalised requests.
One For All
Tasks encourage healthy energy-saving habits by fostering community, boosting interaction, and reducing individual appliance use.
Gamification
Motivating households through friendly competition and rewards. By climbing weekly ranks to earn bill discounts. Users build lasting habits that benefit both the environment and their savings.
Mindfullness
Group tasks are based on honesty and proximity. We work to encourage connections using their phones proximity as the main metric.
Promoting open and honest discourse is the first step to understanding each others personal goals and in turn breaking barriers to speak more openly about energy usage.
Reflection
Understanding your progression and how your habits have impacted your lifestyle, positively or negatively, is essential.
Allowing users to compare their past usage statistics in a visually digestible format. Highlighting clear stats and the main areas of consumption. Providing suggestions on how to make more informed decisions to improve habits.
Reflection
Overall I believe the implementation of the app into the new 'smart home' would work extremely well. From the utilisation of meter data, to new smart products all being collated into a more user friendly experience. The ability to work as a community in order to gain money off their bill provides incentive for the whole house and in turn continuous use of the app leading to formation of healthy habits.
Some challenges which are still prevalent, is how to balance workload amongst the house. Especially with different levels of ability to stay home dependant on their job and current situations. There can be over reliance on specific people rather than a group effort.
The group 'bonding' feature provides good opportunity for the household to form a community, however the key metric of time together is extremely hard to track.
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