Speeding up engineering processes with an energy model selector
Overview
🤔 Problem: Engineers must look through countless energy details and requirements to choose an energy model suitable for their unique project needs.The process is data-heavy and takes time, so engineers need help sifting through the fine print.
💡 Solution: A web application with a succinct questionnaire and simple comparison chart that helps engineers discover the best models for their project’s specific and complex needs.
✅ Full UX research and design completed under the mentorship of Kaitlyn He & Paul Tran @ Pacific Northwest National Laboratory↗
How might we come alongside engineers as they search for an energy model that best fits their needs?
Research
💡 I interviewed and worked alongside the team who designed an algorithm to help engineers select energy models for their projects.
🔎 I learned energy storage valuation tools (“energy models”) have a unique set of capabilities and environment requirements. Similarly, engineering projects that use these models have complex and specific restrictions.
👥 Engineers responsible for choosing these energy models need help sorting through all the fine-print so they can find the best match for their projects.
Wireframes
✏️ Time to put pencil to paper and “fail fast” (instead of too far down the road)
🏗️ Medium-fidelity design time. Feel free to scroll through the gallery.
A homepage option that highlights the comparison table
A second homepage that offers two "model selection comparison" actions, and the chance to view model summaries
The selection form in use - note the "Current Ranking" section on the right for user clarity
A results page that helps users understand the best model and compare it with other models
A comparison table so users can sift through requirements on their own
🧠 Something I learned on this project?
It’s all in the details hidden user needs.
Involving users in the design process and iterations helps uncover more questions and gaps in the UX requirements. UX starts with helping users tell their stories.
Final Design
🎁 Ta-da! Handoff time. After a coworker helped apply our team’s design system, we jumped into final tweaks.
Engineers can now:
✅ Save time finding the best energy models for their engineering projects with a questionnaire↗ that both finds a best match and ranks runner-ups
✅ Sift through data-heavy details about energy models in a customizable comparison table↗
✅ Learn about all energy model selectors available to them with a well-organized summary homepage↗
What I learned
👂 Listen well and ask follow-up questions. The heart of the project is all in the details hidden user needs.
🌱 Products will grow! What started with 5 energy models became 63 models (!) after I left the lab. By building a scalable design, this growth did not prove to be a problem.
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