This was a short project in the Masters Degree with a brief of redesigning an energy tracking dashboard and mobile app for UNICORN. The objective was to create a dashboard with all necessary features, that explores new forms of data visualization. The dashboard is meant for an expert user that manages the building and tenants, while the mobile app is for the tenant and their usage/cost tracking.
Process
This process was expedited but was still well researched and explored during pre-production. Starting with a competitive analysis, I identified weaknesses in the market such as overwhelming information per page and low flexibility for expert users. Strengths that I felt could be included in the design were easy comparisons over time, alerts on large usage changes and organization based on time period. From there, moodboards, style tiles, sketching and wireframes followed to bring me to a final design and functioning prototype.
Challenges
There was some ambiguity in the tracking capabilities that would be able to integrate with the platform. To deal with this, I kept the functionality more basic to not over complicate the platform. The timeline for the project was also fairly rushed, not allowing for proper user testing and feedback. This lead me to test the dashboard myself and with close friends, meaning there is still room for feedback from potential users in the business and building management space.
Outcome
The outcome was a Bauhaus inspired design, moving away from aggressive and high energy colour palettes that were seen in competitor products. It is meant to be a functional work tool with aesthetically pleasing colours and subtle micro animations to guide the user through their task.