Solar Mobile App

Empowering Home Energy Management: Designing an Intuitive Solar Mobile App

Role

UX/UI Designer

Duration

3 months

Understanding the Challenge

The Solar Mobile App was developed for a company that produces batteries to store energy from solar power and rents out solar panels. The challenge was to design an app for the lay public to easily understand and monitor the energy flow from the solar panel to the house, battery, or grid.

Identifying the Core Problem

For the lay public, understanding the usage and flow of electric power without having knowledge about electricity is challenging. Displaying data like kW, kWh, and W can be confusing if users don't understand what those units stand for.

Diving Deep: Research Insights

To ensure a thorough understanding of the domain and the users’ needs, I employed several research methods:

Engaging with Stakeholders: Conducted interviews to gather insights from individuals directly involved with the product, including developers, sales, marketing, and product owners. This helped to align the design with business goals and technical constraints.
Learning from Experts: Interviews provided in-depth knowledge about solar power and battery systems, ensuring the app's technical accuracy.
Market Exploration: Analyzed similar products to identify best practices and gaps. This helped in understanding industry standards and user expectations.
User Conversations: Conducted interviews with potential users to understand their pain points and needs regarding monitoring household energy consumption. This was crucial to ensure the app’s usability and relevance.

Key Findings:

The UI must be simple yet informative.
It should be easy to understand and accurate in monitoring energy consumption from solar/grid or stored from the battery.
The system must visualize the main elements (solar panels, batteries, grid, and household) and their connections, as data comes from the unit switching between these sources.

Understanding the Challenge

Identifying the Core Problem

Diving Deep: Research Insights

To ensure a thorough understanding of the domain and the users’ needs, I employed several research methods:

Engaging with Stakeholders: Conducted interviews to gather insights from individuals directly involved with the product, including developers, sales, marketing, and product owners. This helped to align the design with business goals and technical constraints.
Learning from Experts: Interviews provided in-depth knowledge about solar power and battery systems, ensuring the app's technical accuracy.
Market Exploration: Analyzed similar products to identify best practices and gaps. This helped in understanding industry standards and user expectations.
User Conversations: Conducted interviews with potential users to understand their pain points and needs regarding monitoring household energy consumption. This was crucial to ensure the app’s usability and relevance.

Key Findings:

The UI must be simple yet informative.
It should be easy to understand and accurate in monitoring energy consumption from solar/grid or stored from the battery.
The system must visualize the main elements (solar panels, batteries, grid, and household) and their connections, as data comes from the unit switching between these sources.

Brainstorming the Solution

I conducted a design studio with important stakeholders, including app developers, experts, sales, marketing, and product owners.

Tools Used:

Wireframes were created and reviewed by stakeholders.
Screens and features were prioritized.

Significant Concepts:

Visualization of the main elements (solar panels, batteries, grid, and household) and their connections.

Crafting the User Interface

The primary considerations were ease of use, transparency, accuracy, and avoiding a too technical appearance.

Process:

Created scenarios and a User Story Map.
Developed Wireflows and Key Screens.
Informed and closely managed important stakeholders to ensure the process was on track.

Validating the Design

After creating the key screens, I developed a prototype and validated it through scenarios.

Methods:

Pluralistic Walkthrough with stakeholders.
Usability Tests.

Insights:

Avoid bias from experts about displaying technical data.
Allow time for testing while keeping it time-boxed and well-documented.
Be patient with test participants and avoid influencing them.

Refining the Product

Based on feedback, key elements were made more obvious, and simpler charts and infoboxes were introduced.

Lessons Learned

Take time to understand the domain, especially with technical subjects like solar power and electricity.
Involve important stakeholders and filter out bias.
Validate assumptions thoroughly.

Moving Forward

After the design phase, a development plan was created with the developer team to build the app, starting with a 1st MVP version.