Competition project: Power pilot

Designed for the Designathon at SLIIT Codefest 2023, this project focuses on creating a user-friendly interface for efficient energy monitoring and control.

Role

UX/UI Designer

Industry

Utilities

Duration

1 months

Stage 1. User Research

Engaged with a range of users, including homeowners, energy consumers, and sustainability advocates, through surveys and interviews to understand their needs in energy management. This research phase revealed common pain points, such as a lack of visibility into energy usage and difficulty managing consumption. Based on these findings, user personas were created to represent key stakeholders, such as tech-savvy homeowners and environmentally conscious users.

Stage 2. Ideation & Conceptualization

Collaborated with stakeholders and designers in brainstorming sessions to ideate innovative features for an intuitive energy management solution. Mapped out user journeys to visualize how users would interact with features like real-time energy monitoring, usage alerts, and personalized energy-saving tips. The concept focused on empowering users with insights into their energy consumption patterns through a clean and engaging interface.

Stage 3. Design Execution

Wireframing: Developed wireframes for key screens, focusing on features like energy consumption tracking, device control, and real-time analytics. These wireframes ensured a seamless and intuitive user flow that would make energy monitoring simple for users.
Prototyping: Created interactive prototypes using Figma, simulating user interactions such as monitoring energy usage, receiving alerts, and adjusting settings. Demonstrated these prototypes to stakeholders to showcase the functionality and design approach.
UI Design: Crafted a visually clean and modern user interface with a color palette that conveys calmness and control, enhancing the user's experience in managing their energy consumption. The design emphasized readability and ease of use, ensuring that users could access important information quickly.

Stage 1. User Research

Stage 2. Ideation & Conceptualization

Stage 3. Design Execution

Wireframing: Developed wireframes for key screens, focusing on features like energy consumption tracking, device control, and real-time analytics. These wireframes ensured a seamless and intuitive user flow that would make energy monitoring simple for users.
Prototyping: Created interactive prototypes using Figma, simulating user interactions such as monitoring energy usage, receiving alerts, and adjusting settings. Demonstrated these prototypes to stakeholders to showcase the functionality and design approach.
UI Design: Crafted a visually clean and modern user interface with a color palette that conveys calmness and control, enhancing the user's experience in managing their energy consumption. The design emphasized readability and ease of use, ensuring that users could access important information quickly.

Stage 4. User Testing & Iterations

Conducted user testing sessions with a sample of target users, gathering feedback on the platform’s usability and effectiveness. The feedback highlighted areas for improvement, such as making navigation more intuitive and enhancing the clarity of real-time energy data. Based on the feedback, iterative design changes were made to ensure a more engaging and user-friendly experience.

Stage 5. Final Presentation and Documentation

Prepared a detailed presentation showcasing the research findings, design process, and final prototype for the Power Pilot project. Highlighted how the design can help users optimize their energy usage and reduce costs through an accessible and intuitive interface. Documentation was created to guide developers through the design handoff, ensuring consistency during implementation.

a pair of cell phones on a concrete block

a cell phone with a yellow rectangular screen

Reflections

This project underscored the importance of user research and iterative design in solving real-world challenges like energy management. It allowed me to deepen my skills in user-centric design, prototyping, and creating solutions that align with sustainability goals. The experience reinforced the critical role of design in driving user engagement and behavior change.