EcoTrack App

Introduction

As part of Industry experience unit at Monash University, our team was given the profound task of addressing Victorians' high carbon emissions through energy consumption. Our objective was to design an app that would educate and encourage sustainable energy usage to align with Australia's renewable energy goals for 2030.

Problem Statement

The 2005 report by EPA Victoria revealed a crucial gap in the understanding of carbon emissions among Australians. Our project aimed to design a system that would motivate Victorians to make informed and sustainable energy choices, ultimately reducing their carbon footprint.

My Role: Business Analyst & UI/UX Designer

In this project, I took on the role of a Business Analyst. I developed user stories, acceptance criteria, personas, and user journey maps, and managed the project using Agile methodologies,and designed user flows, mockups, high-fidelity prototypes which provided a comprehensive visualization of the app's user experience, focusing on the crucial features required to drive change in energy consumption behavior.

Epic and Features

The design revolved around a central epic: to equip parents with the knowledge of their carbon footprint, thus enabling them to foster a greener environment and reduce living costs. This translated into two main features:

• Feature 1: Carbon Footprint Calculator - This feature allows users to input various household activities to understand and manage their emissions.
• Feature 2: Neighbourhood Comparison Tool - With this, users can compare their carbon output with their neighbors, encouraging community-wide sustainable practices.

User Journey Mapping

The user journey for the EcoTrack app is a thoughtful expedition from awareness to action. It's designed to guide parents in understanding and reducing their household's carbon emissions. Here's how we've charted the course:

• Stage 1: Awareness and Onboarding - The journey begins with the user recognizing the need to reduce their carbon footprint. Initial app interactions are designed to be intuitive, laying the groundwork for a seamless experience.
• Stage 2: Engagement with CO2 Calculator - Users engage with the CO2 Calculator to enter data and get real-time emissions feedback. This stage is crucial for users to understand the impact of their daily activities.
• Stage 3: Comparison and Community - The app allows users to select their suburb and compare emissions with their community, fostering a sense of shared responsibility and collective action towards a greener future.
• Stage 4: Action and Reflection - Armed with insights, users are nudged to implement energy-saving measures. The journey culminates with reflection on the positive changes made, both financially and environmentally.

For each user story, I formulated detailed acceptance criteria that aligned with our design goals and user needs, ensuring functionality and usability of the app.

User Story 1

As Heidi (Role), I want to calculate my carbon footprint based on different household activities based on my family’s usage ( Action ) so that I can Identify what activities create more emissions.(Goal)

Acceptance Criteria 1

Acceptance Criteria for the User Story "Identify Carbon Footprint by Household Activities":

• Given Heidi selects the Calculate Carbon Footprint Button
• Heidi selects the date month and year to calculate in the calculate carbon footprint screen in a scrollable date picker and click on next button below
• And enter the units consumed for each energy category.
• When she clicks on the "Calculate" button below
• Then the app displays calculated CO2 emissions to Heidi in a new screen
• And gives insights below on how to reduce energy usage
• Given then Heidi goes to Compare CO2 emissions screen by going back to the Home Screen using the navigation button and clicking the "Compare Co2 Emissions"
• Then she sees an input field for household's carbon footprint.
• When she inputs her footprint
• Then the data is saved.
• Given Heidi doesn't know her footprint
• Then she can go back to Calculate CO2 Footprint screen by clicking the navigation button calculate below
• Given Heidi inputs her footprint or returns from calculation
• When she selects a suburb from the drop down list and clicks "Compare"
• Then Average CO2 emissions for the selected suburb is shown in a new screen along with her household emissions
• And along with the average co2 emissions graph for the selected suburb comparing the CO2 footprint

User Story 2

As Heidi (Role), I want to calculate my carbon footprint based on all my household activities based on my family’s usage (Action) so that I can compare my household to others in the neighborhood (Goal)

Acceptance Criteria 2

Acceptance Criteria for the User Story "Compare Carbon Footprint by Household Activities":

• Given Heidi clicks "Compare CO2 Emissions" from the home page
• Then she sees an input field for the household's carbon footprint
• When she inputs her footprint
• Then the data is saved
• Given Heidi doesn't know her footprint
• She can navigate to the Calculate CO2 Footprint screen from the navigation bar
• Given Heidi inputs her footprint or returns from calculation
• When she selects a suburb from the drop-down list and clicks "Compare"
• Then Average CO2 emissions for the selected suburb are shown in a new screen along with her household emissions
• And along with the average CO2 emissions graph for the selected suburb
• Then a Tip message from the UN for sustainable energy usage is displayed below the graph

Prototype

Conclusion

The EcoTrack app developed stands as a testament to our team's ability to address environmental concerns through innovative UX design. This project was not only a reflection of our technical acumen but also our commitment to contributing to a sustainable future.