I planned and conducted the tests and then came up with design proposals.
5 days
Göteborg Energi
Just me
Where I joined the project
I did the initial UI Design for testing, but The UI Designer of the team was responsible for the final design.
Preliminary research
Current app
Analyzed user needs
Ease of use, learnability & efficiency
Entire process
UI Design
Development of KWH Calculator
The challenge lies in the lack of understanding among many users regarding the costs associated with household electricity usage.
Understanding electricity and its pricing can be challenging, especially for those without prior experience. While Göteborg Energy's app caters to many expert users, we also aim to engage novice users who may not be as knowledgeable. By doing so, we strive to make the app more accessible and engaging for a broader user base.
New users have reported seeing their bill but don't understand what influences it, what to consider, or when electricity is most expensive during the day.
Based on this feedback, I investigated our homes' most common energy-consuming appliances and the products we use frequently.
I then visually simplified the information and tested it with young electricity users to see if it made the information more accessible.
The goal of this initiative is to engage people and encourage them to make more informed choices regarding their electricity usage.
Firstly I established an overall goal with my test. I wanted to evaluate:
- Usability, is the user being guided instead of searching himself?
- Feeling, how is the app perceived?
- Attitude, the general feeling about the concept.
To ensure a comprehensive analysis with as big a perspective as possible, I used data triangulation. This involved answering questions about why certain issues occurred, what exactly the issues were, and how they impacted the user experience. The test started off with an interview and turned into a Think Out Loud test with tasks. The test was conducted on four people. After the tasks were done they answered Microsoft Reaction Cards and a SUS-scale.
This whole test resulted in a presentation I showed to the customer Göteborg Energi. In the presentation, I showed the results of pain points, Microsoft Reaction Cards, and the SUS scale. I also gave a proposal to relieve the pain points, resulting in a design and copy change.
All the participants thought the Kwh Calculator would help them get more informed and better understanding. Therefore the product reached our set goal.
Overall, the users wanted more positive feedback and confirmations and a clearer hierarchy and flow.
In the new design, we restructured the information hierarchy to clarify groupings. By leveraging the previous hierarchy, we achieved a cohesive design where users could analyze information using familiar patterns. This approach not only streamlined the user experience but also ensured a seamless transition for users, minimizing the learning curve and enhancing overall usability.
Additionally, we modified the color scheme, making the buttons darker to guide users and show them which actions are possible. This adjustment improved the flow and clarity of information. The confirmation messages became more noticeable, and the app became more intuitive overall.
This project was my first "real-world testing" that I did all by myself outside of school with a tight deadline. It was eye-opening to see the differences and similarities between compared to academic settings. I've grown and learned from this experience, especially parts of the test that didn't run as smoothly. After this test, I have planned my data collection more carefully, especially when I'm conducting tests on my own just to make sure nothing gets lost in documentation.