Home Energy Consumption App

Featuring AI Prompt Engineering

A user-friendly home energy management app can accelerate the transition to a sustainable energy future by providing real-time monitoring, personalized recommendations, and information on renewable energy options. By creating an engaging app, more people can be encouraged to adopt renewable energy and contribute to a sustainable future.

The Design

Overall Goals

  1. Easy to navigate and use

  2. Gamification and Incentives

  3. Fit seamlessly into the user’s current life

  4. Teach the user about energy consumption in a way that is longstanding and alleviates societal concerns

Outcome Goals

  1. Decrease energy consumption through education and take actionable steps towards reducing a carbon footprint.

  2. Teach the user about energy consumption in a way that is longstanding and alleviates societal concerns.

  3. Show the user the financial benefits of reducing energy consumption.

ChatGPT and OpenAI???

I set off to complete this project as a multi-faceted foray into a few of my interests. I love the Earth Conservation and Green Energy field. I want to breathe well and have drinkable water in the future, and I want to be a part of the solution to that better life. We can’t just sit back and hope someone does something.

I also love to see new advances in technology. I am fascinated by AR/VR technology, and look forward to using it in every day life some day. I think it has so many benefits, from social to educational, that it is only a matter of time before it is mainstream. ChatGPT and OpenAI are the exact same way.

So, how does ChatGPT play in a Product/UX Designers world? I set out to attempt to learn the exact same thing. In this project, I used ChatGPT for all my design questions. I found out that it will never replace a designer, but designers that do not use it will be replaced by those that do.

Ways to use ChatGPT in UX

  1. Information about the field (research)

  2. User Research

  3. Ideas and User Paths

  4. User Flow

  5. AI Art Design ideas

  6. UI Design choices

  7. Lorum Ipsum Replacement

  8. Troubleshooting Figma

Explained

  1. Provided parameters for app ideas, UI design choices, and AI art generators

  2. Asked for name, colors, and app development suggestions

  3. Requested insights on industry and societal challenges and solutions

  4. Sought help with goals, expected outcomes, and app ethos

  5. Needed assistance with page layouts, call to action, and energy conservation tips

  6. Received guidance on AR Vision, AI art generators, and photo editing software

  7. Optimized colors and accessibility matching

  8. Provided efficient Figma troubleshooting.

Product and UX/UI Design is an industry built around making the world more accessible for other people.

Why would we handcuff ourselves when the world presents that same opportunity to us?

Background

User Personas

  1. Sarah, 32-year-old working mom who wants to reduce her family's carbon footprint but is hesitant due to cost and reliability concerns.

    Problem: Sarah needs an easy-to-use app that seamlessly integrates into her busy schedule and provides personalized energy-saving tips and real-time energy monitoring to make more sustainable choices.

    Solution: A user-friendly app that offers renewable energy options available in her area, personalized energy-saving tips, and real-time energy monitoring.

  2. Mark is a 45-year-old small business owner who wants to reduce his company's energy costs and carbon footprint.

    Problem: Mark needs an app that provides him with clear and actionable recommendations for reducing energy usage and transitioning to renewable energy.

    Solution: An app that offers personalized energy-saving tips, information on local renewable energy providers, and real-time energy monitoring would help him make data-driven decisions and achieve his sustainability goals.

    *User Research was AI Generated using ChatGPT, as real user data was unavailable at this time

Solution Statement

Our energy management app promotes sustainability by empowering users to reduce their energy consumption and transition to renewable energy sources. With real-time monitoring, personalized tips, and information on local options, our app offers a user-friendly solution for energy management. By facilitating the transition to sustainable energy, our app contributes to a healthier planet for future generations.

Solution Goals

  1. Encourage renewable energy adoption: Provide easy access to renewable energy information and personalized recommendations for transitioning to renewable energy sources.

  1. Improve energy efficiency: Offer real-time monitoring, personalized energy-saving tips, and gamification elements to encourage sustainable behavior change and save money on energy bills.

  2. Enhance user engagement: Create an intuitive and engaging user experience with clear and actionable recommendations, incorporating gamification and personalized incentives to motivate sustainable choices.

Research and Wireframing

Design Tiers

  1. Tier 1 (Absolutely must have):

    1. Clean and intuitive user interface

    2. Real-time energy monitoring and tracking features

    3. Personalized energy-saving tips and recommendations

    4. Information on local renewable energy options

  2. Tier 2 (Important wants):

    1. Gamification elements to encourage sustainable behavior change

    2. Integration with smart home devices and appliances

    3. Support for multiple languages

    4. Community forum for users to share tips and advice

  3. Tier 3 (Nice to haves):

    1. Augmented reality (AR) features to visualize renewable energy systems

    2. Virtual assistants to provide personalized energy-saving recommendations

    3. Social media integration for users to share their sustainable actions and achievements

    4. Personalized carbon footprint tracking and goal setting features.

As a general rule for Wireframing/Low-Fi design, I use colors and/or words to navigate my thoughts throughout the general layout and keep the plan organized.

Design Explanations

"Choose colors that convey your message, evoke emotions, and promote accessibility."

Landing and Home Screen

  1. Clear app purpose, usability, and functionality conveyed through intuitive design.

  2. Accessible navigation with image buttons and clear labels.

  3. Calming and fresh green color palette creates an inviting visual experience.

  4. Logo and buttons generated by AI Art technology, adding a modern touch.

Profile

  1. Setting up a user profile is essential for tracking appliance energy usage and differentiating between energy-efficient and non-energy-efficient devices.

  2. User-friendly navigation with buttons and clear labels improves accessibility for all users.

  3. Access to usage, suggestions, and community discussion pages, as well as a clear logout option, enhances user experience and functionality.

User Flow for Appliance Tracking

  1. The user navigates to their profile.

  2. They enter the appliance information.

  3. The user goes to the appliance tracking section.

  4. They select the device from a drop-down menu.

  5. The user selects the hours used from a drop-down menu.

  6. They select the time of day from a drop-down menu.

  7. The user views the energy use of the appliance over time.

What this does well

  1. The user flow for appliance tracking is clearly defined and easy to follow, with a logical sequence of steps.

  2. The flow guides the user through each necessary action to track their appliance energy use over time.

  3. The drop-down menus provide clear options for the user to select the device, hours used, and time of day, making the process straightforward.

  4. The user flow integrates well with the app's overall design and functionality, allowing users to easily navigate to the appliance tracking feature from their profile.

After conducting user research and testing, it was determined that users desired customizable options for time intervals. Subsequent research combined with energy standards found that 15-minute intervals were sufficient. The app has now been updated to include a scrolling drop-down menu for every 15-minute interval, with a minimum of 15 minutes and a maximum of 24 hours.

Update:

User Flow for Usage Tracking

  1. Select Usage Tracking icon.

  2. Choose the type of chart to view, such as line chart or bar graph.

    1. This can either be tracked by:

      1. The user’s appliances vs. an average person’s appliance usage

      2. The appliance power share of the user’s total consumption

      3. The user’s total consumption over a period of time vs. average for the area

  3. Select whether to view usage data for a specific appliance or for total usage.

  4. View graph charting usage over time, with the ability to adjust the time frame using a slider.

  5. View suggestions on how to lower energy consumption based on the data.

What this does well

  1. The user flow is straightforward and easy to understand, with clear steps for accessing and viewing usage tracking data.

  2. The use of a slider to adjust the time frame of the chart is a useful and intuitive feature that allows users to easily view their energy usage trends over different periods of time.

  3. The inclusion of suggestions for lowering energy consumption is a valuable addition that helps users take concrete steps towards reducing their carbon footprint.

  4. Overall, the user flow effectively provides users with the information and tools they need to monitor and improve their energy usage over time.

AR View for Appliance Consumption

  1. A user will use their phone camera in an Augmented Reality View to scan the room

    1. Providing an interactive experience for users to visually see the energy efficiency of their appliances in real-time

    2. Using color-coding to quickly and easily communicate the energy efficiency of appliances to users

    3. Combining the duration of appliance usage and type of energy used to give a more comprehensive energy efficiency rating

    4. Encouraging users to make more sustainable choices by providing them with actionable information about their energy usage in a visually appealing way.

Lessons Learned

  1. Can ChatGPT replace a Product/UX Designer?

    1. No. The only thing that will replace a Product/UX Designer is a Product/UX Designer that harnesses the power of AI. It’s such a powerful tool and offers us so many options and enhancements.

  2. AI was a lot of fun to use, and I was able to learn a lot from using it. My UX Design skills increased. My knowledge about energy conservation increased. My understanding of society and their needs is now even better. Overall, this was a fun and enlightening experience.

Did I Achieve my Goals?

  1. Easy to navigate and use

    1. Yes. I would like to make the options for choosing times more customizable. Overall, the flow is easy to use, and users will not get lost along the way. With more time, I would build in more options.

  2. Gamification and Incentives

    1. With more time, I would like to expand upon this a lot more. I look at the success that companies like Noom and Calm have had when changing a person’s thought process about a certain topic. I think the areas where I included a user’s consumption vs average consumer is a great start. I also think there is something with the AR View that could be greatly expanded on.

  3. Fit seamlessly into the user’s current life

    1. Absolutely. The app is designed to be quickly used when the user wants it to be, and able to support teaching, research, and other enrichment when the user has time or desire to do so. This creates a sense of loyalty and makes users want to come back for more.

  4. Teach the user about energy consumption in a way that is longstanding and alleviates societal concerns

    1. With more time/budget, I would love to incorporate a community discussion tab, as well as articles. As previously stated, I love the progress that Noom and Calm have made, and I see them as a standard in which to strive for.

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