EduPet
Energy conservation has a bad name. It is oftentimes perceived as a burdensome and laborious task. In an effort to design a new product that will reduce electricity consumption in homes, our team aimed to reframe what it means to conserve energy by putting a fun and exciting twist on it through gamification.
Overview
Context: As a part of Human-Centered Design and Innovation, a course taught by frog executives Harry West and Turi McKinley at Columbia University, we were given the challenge to “create a new product or service that will reduce electricity consumption in a home.” Our team had initially identified the problem statement to be the following: “A huge portion of energy consumption is caused by careless habits. There is an opportunity to provide a sense of fulfillment day to day from the simple actions for the young-minded energy consumers who have the willingness to make more mindful and environmentally-conscious decisions.” After several rounds of user testing, we found a young girl who loved the tamagotchi-style game built for electricity reduction. That is when we decided to pivot to design for a younger audience, targeting kids of ages 5-10 years old.
The Solution: “Tamagotchi Meets QuizUp”— With the collaboration of teachers in a classroom setting, we aim to help kids build simple, daily habits of electricity conservation by raising their e-pets. Sparked by the curiosity and interest of the child, a sense of care permeates throughout the entire household. Ultimately, we hope the whole family realizes that energy conservation starts from the simple habits.
Timeline: 3 months
My Role: User Research, UX/UI Design, Interaction Design, and Product Thinking
Our Final Deliverable
Below is the pitch deck that our team presented at frog design New York to some of the designers and executive members.
Mid-Fidelity Teacher Interface Walk-Through Video
Team Photo
Our team photo after presenting at frog New York. I worked along side engineers and learned their diverse perspectives and applications towards design from their respective majors. From left-to-right: Chang Wang, Suriya Arumugavelan, Ji Yeon Kwon, and Kavitha Prasannan.
Our Next Steps
Upon completion of the semester, we concluded the course with a mid-fidelity prototype above. In order to further develop the product, I have been conducting user testing with couple of elementary school teachers. The next step would be to do more user testing with teachers and have a session with children of ages 5-10 years old in order to evaluate the functionality and feasibility of implementing the product in a classroom setting. Furthermore, I would love to receive honest feedbacks from the children to see whether they feel a sense of emotional connection to the product, and ultimately, whether our product addresses our initial goal of changing attitudes and perception towards electricity reduction.