Original article appearing on Medium
Designing for a sustainable future is an important goal for many companies, and the renewable energy sector is no exception. As more and more companies in the renewable energy industry begin to focus on software solutions, it is becoming increasingly important for them to consider the role of user experience (UX) design in their products.
In this article, we’ll look at the top renewable energy software companies that should be using UX design and discuss how doing so can help the industry move forward.
Our team at IIIMPACT has worked closely in the Energy sector, helping Oil/Gas software companies improve the UX design and development of enterprise software applications for the past several years.
Our expert UX and software product designers and developers have learned a lot along the way that renewable energy companies can use to make the complex simple in managing, monitoring, and analyzing their systems for their users.
Usability testing enterprise software for energy companies is also difficult because you must not only listen to what your users say but also observe how they behave.
Users hate change. So your design is going to be initially met with resistance and negative feedback. This is almost a given. Cognitive biases and the ‘Squeaky wheel gets the grease’ syndrome will be seen throughout the feedback process if done incorrectly by those with little experience in user/usability research for enterprise software applications.
We have learned that enterprise users will usually have a negative response to changes in the UI especially when they have created an efficient workflow for themselves in older software. This is where it is very important to utilize feedback, constant testing, and qualitative and quantitative approaches supported by the Kano and MoSCoW methods for usability testing.
From optimizing dashboards so users can see complex data in intuitive visualizations that allow them to quickly prioritize and take action, to mobile apps and responsive tablet and web applications so that users out in the field can easily complete their daily tasks and workflows in a simple and effective way.
What are the top renewable energy software enterprise companies that should be incorporating UX design?
- Siemens Energy: Siemens Energy is a global leader in developing renewable energy software solutions. They have a strong focus on innovation and are dedicated to delivering products that are user-friendly and easy to use.
- GE Renewable Energy: GE Renewable Energy is a major player in the renewable energy industry, with a strong focus on developing software solutions for wind and solar power.
- Vestas: Vestas is a Danish company that is a leading developer of wind energy software solutions.
- ENEL X: ENEL X is an Italian company that specializes in the development of software solutions for the renewable energy industry.
- ABB: ABB is a global company that specializes in the development of software solutions through the purchase of electricity from renewable sources and the installation of on-site solar photovoltaic (PV) power plants.
Designing for a sustainable future is an important goal for many companies, and the renewable energy sector is no exception. As more and more companies in the renewable energy industry begin to focus on software solutions, it is becoming increasingly important for them to consider the role of user experience (UX) design in their products.
How can renewable energy companies incorporate good UX design processes into their software development to improve the overall sustainability and effectiveness of their products?
- User-centered design: Renewable energy companies should focus on user-centered design, which involves putting the needs and wants of the end users at the center of the design process. By considering the users’ needs, companies can design products more likely to be used.
- Empathy-driven design: Empathy-driven design is another important aspect of good UX design. This approach involves understanding the users’ needs and wants by putting oneself in their shoes.
- Iterative design: Iterative design is an important aspect of good UX design. This approach involves designing, testing, and refining the product until it meets the users’ needs.
- Accessibility: Making sure your software is accessible to users with different abilities and disabilities is also important for a sustainable future. By considering accessibility from the start, companies can create products more likely to be used by a broader range of users.
- Continuous improvement: Continuously improving your software and making sure that it meets the needs of the users is crucial for a sustainable future. Kaizen — Japanese term — always be improving. Your design should always improve as technology, workflows, user types, devices, and competitors constantly change.
Incorporating good UX design processes into software development can help renewable energy companies improve the overall sustainability and effectiveness of their products. By considering the needs and wants of the end-users, these companies can design products that are more likely to be used, and, therefore, more likely to have a positive impact on the environment.
IIIMPACT has successfully collaborated with hundreds of companies worldwide helping them create the best user experience, strategy, and product innovation and improving their DevOps and DesignOps processes for a coachable and scalable team.
We help companies create innovative products for energy and renewable green software companies with a user-centered design process that ensures better user engagement, usability, and UX so that your products succeed at scale.
There are a lot of risks and problems that come with launching a software product. Let us help you find your way around these problems and solve some of them so you can feel more confident during the process.
Please drop us a message if you have any questions or would like to see how we can help you create the next innovative product.