Sinergia
Sinergia is case study, part of a UX course on increasing the efficiency of electricity consumption in Brazilian capitals.
Desk research
Make it accessible to our target audience a way to control energy expenses and support sustainability.
Make it accessible to our target audience a way to control energy expenses and support sustainability.
I
50% have electricity bills as one of the largest household expenses.
50% have electricity bills as one of the largest household expenses.
Abraceel
II
No caso do Brasil, a conta de luz ficou mais cara devido a necessidade da compra de energia elétrica
No caso do Brasil, a conta de luz ficou mais cara devido a necessidade da compra de energia elétrica
G1
III
Calor leva Brasil a bater recorde de consumo de energia elétrica pelo 2º dia seguido
Calor leva Brasil a bater recorde de consumo de energia elétrica pelo 2º dia seguido
CNN Brasil
Purpose
Provide our target audience, especially low-income households, with an accessible way to manage energy expenses and support sustainability.
Provide our target audience, especially low-income households, with an accessible way to manage energy expenses and support sustainability.
Hypothesis
Many people may not be aware of the energy efficiency practices they could implement in their homes to reduce electricity consumption.
Many people may not be aware of the energy efficiency practices they could implement in their homes to reduce electricity consumption.
The increase in electricity costs can be an incentive for consumers to seek ways to reduce their consumption.
The increase in electricity costs can be an incentive for consumers to seek ways to reduce their consumption.
With the spread of smartphones, urban consumers are comfortable using mobile apps to manage their daily activities, including electricity consumption.
With the spread of smartphones, urban consumers are comfortable using mobile apps to manage their daily activities, including electricity consumption.
People are willing to adopt conscious practices and support renewable energy for environmental and economic benefits.
People are willing to adopt conscious practices and support renewable energy for environmental and economic benefits.
Family learning and apps help manage the appliances that consume the most energy.
Family learning and apps help manage the appliances that consume the most energy.
There is interest in financial incentives and government discounts to reduce energy costs.
There is interest in financial incentives and government discounts to reduce energy costs.
Persona
Miguel, 54
Miguel is a family man from a low-income background, always looking for ways to save on household expenses. With electricity bills straining his budget, he seeks practical ways to monitor consumption and cut costs, aiming for greater financial stability for his family.
Miguel is a family man from a low-income background, always looking for ways to save on household expenses. With electricity bills straining his budget, he seeks practical ways to monitor consumption and cut costs, aiming for greater financial stability for his family.
Goal
To save money while also gaining more control over expenses, allowing for a bit more financial peace at the end of the month.
To save money while also gaining more control over expenses, allowing for a bit more financial peace at the end of the month.
Journey Map
The user journey shows how people manage energy bills, from receiving charges to seeking savings. It highlights pain points like confusing fees and.
The user journey shows how people manage energy bills, from receiving charges to seeking savings. It highlights pain points like confusing fees and.
Receive electricity bill
Check the charges
Pay the electricity bill
Research saving energy
Tasklist
Goes to the mailbox
Checks email
Checks kilowatt usage
Verifies if there was an increase
Checks for extra fees
Compares with previous months
Checks the due date
Opens banking app
Pays bill through a financial institution
Searches online for ways to save energy
Compares with others on how energy is used at home
Feelings
Annoyed by yet another expense
Stressed by high charges and potential fees
Confused about where the extra expenses come from
Frustrated with lines if paying in person
Bored from repeating the same task every month
Relieved to have one less expense to worry about
Surprised to find accessible ways to save energy
Frustrated to learn that high bills are common
Pain points
The hassle of dealing with another expense among many others
Having to go to the mailbox or check the inbox for the bill
Another email cluttering the inbox
Lack of predictability on bill amounts
Unable to view detailed spending
No easy comparison tool
Risk of forgetting to pay, leading to a fine
Payment records get lost among other transactions
Gets stuck in queues
Repeats the same routine every month
Has to search extensively to find accessible tools to save energy
Opportunities
Centralize information in an accessible dashboard and enable notifications (push) for easy access
Provide detailed usage per device to explain final charges along with month-by-month comparison
Always-on reminders
Set up autopay to ensure bills are always paid
Keep a record of each payment
Offer a product that addresses issues related to energy expenses and sustainable energy use
Provide tips on saving energy in a sustainable manner
How AI helped in problem solving
The team flagged repetitive tasks like manually setting device usage days, especially across multiple devices.
The team flagged repetitive tasks like manually setting device usage days, especially across multiple devices.
GPT suggested simplifying configuration with predefined usage patterns, quick exception tweaks, duplication, and automatic recommendations.
GPT suggested simplifying configuration with predefined usage patterns, quick exception tweaks, duplication, and automatic recommendations.
We created a weekly preset concept with flexible adjustments, letting users set patterns and correct occasional extra uses.
We created a weekly preset concept with flexible adjustments, letting users set patterns and correct occasional extra uses.
Usability tests and iteration
Sample: 10 people
The initial concept proved to be useful in basic usability and it's features
The initial concept proved to be useful in basic usability and it's features
More advanced features turned out to be confusing for some users
More advanced features turned out to be confusing for some users
Results
Time on task from v1 to v2 raised in 75%
Time on task from v1 to v2 raised in 75%
Time to value already on v1 was pretty well established, reaching a high level of satisfaction by users
Time to value already on v1 was pretty well established, reaching a high level of satisfaction by users
An MVP that makes the user save more money and improve sustainability
An intuitive dashboard with monthly reports designed to simplify energy consumption tracking and management.
An intuitive dashboard with monthly reports designed to simplify energy consumption tracking and management.
Streamlines electricity bill payments and provides a detailed transaction statement for better financial tracking.
Streamlines electricity bill payments and provides a detailed transaction statement for better financial tracking.
Facilita o pagamento das contas de energia e oferece extrato detalhado para controle financeiro.
Facilita o pagamento das contas de energia e oferece extrato detalhado para controle financeiro.
Allows users to set bill targets and gain greater control over device energy consumption and expenses.
Allows users to set bill targets and gain greater control over device energy consumption and expenses.
