EWise - Design challenge: Climate Change
about.
EWISE is a sustainability-focused design challenge aimed at tackling energy waste in households. Our team developed a low-cost mobile app and an interactive door display to help users monitor appliances in real time, receive energy-saving tips, and take action when needed. I led the user research using interviews and ethnographic methods, which guided our design decisions. Tools like Figma, FigJam, and Adobe Illustrator helped us turn early insights into a working prototype rooted in real user behavior.
EWISE is a sustainability-focused design challenge aimed at tackling energy waste in households. Our team developed a low-cost mobile app and an interactive door display to help users monitor appliances in real time, receive energy-saving tips, and take action when needed. I led the user research using interviews and ethnographic methods, which guided our design decisions. Tools like Figma, FigJam, and Adobe Illustrator helped us turn early insights into a working prototype rooted in real user behavior.
problem.
Many households unknowingly waste energy due to a lack of real-time feedback and awareness. Existing energy apps are often too technical or passive, offering data but not clear, actionable advice. Users don’t need another dashboard. They need something that fits into their daily habits and nudges them at the right moments to make better energy choices.
Many households unknowingly waste energy due to a lack of real-time feedback and awareness. Existing energy apps are often too technical or passive, offering data but not clear, actionable advice. Users don’t need another dashboard. They need something that fits into their daily habits and nudges them at the right moments to make better energy choices.
solution.
We designed two connected solutions:
A mobile app prototype that offers personalized alerts, real-time appliance monitoring, and simple energy-saving suggestions.
An interactive door display that provides gentle, timely nudges based on household energy use—visible right as users leave or enter a room.
Our design was informed by interviews and contextual research, ensuring the tech felt less like a dashboard and more like a guide.
We designed two connected solutions:
A mobile app prototype that offers personalized alerts, real-time appliance monitoring, and simple energy-saving suggestions.
An interactive door display that provides gentle, timely nudges based on household energy use—visible right as users leave or enter a room.
Our design was informed by interviews and contextual research, ensuring the tech felt less like a dashboard and more like a guide.
impact.
Our approach helped shift the focus from information to action. Test participants found the physical reminders surprisingly effective especially in shared households. The app’s simplicity and real-time feedback made users more conscious of their daily habits. Overall, users said the experience felt personal, not preachy a small but important step toward sustainable living.
Our approach helped shift the focus from information to action. Test participants found the physical reminders surprisingly effective especially in shared households. The app’s simplicity and real-time feedback made users more conscious of their daily habits. Overall, users said the experience felt personal, not preachy a small but important step toward sustainable living.
conclusion.
This project showed how meaningful change doesn’t always need complex tech. When design speaks directly to behavior, even a simple display or well-timed alert can lead to better choices. For me, it reinforced how critical it is to research deeply, design humbly, and build with both insight and empathy.
This project showed how meaningful change doesn’t always need complex tech. When design speaks directly to behavior, even a simple display or well-timed alert can lead to better choices. For me, it reinforced how critical it is to research deeply, design humbly, and build with both insight and empathy.
