Making 10,000 homes more energy efficient

Key Achievements

• Apps developed on iOS and Android
• Used by over 10,000 UK homes within 4 years
• Integrated with Nest thermostats to double market reach
• Simplified control of 10 smarthome devices
• Supported sales and marketing activities

Summary

Energenie manufactures electronic devices that turn ordinary homes into smart homes. This means that appliances can be monitored and controlled remotely.

Energenie approached Pocketworks with an end-goal of creating a suite of mobile products that would give their customers complete control of their homes.

The Challenge

There are 10 smart-home devices with unique capabilities. Designing an app that would make the complexity of these devices appear simple was important to the success of the app.

In addition to that, Energenie needed a team that could confidently work with their device prototypes. Like many IoT manufacturers, Energenie need to have their apps and cloud services designed and developed a long time before their products hit the shelves

The Work

Simplifying a complex product range

We talked to the experts at Energenie to gain an understanding of the nuances of each device, both from a technical perspective and a "user experience" perspective.

This involved working through product manuals, building a demo environment in our offices, and drafting information architecture diagrams to form a complete picture.

We could then explore a design concept that was technically capable, but also attractive and easy to use.

Nest Thermostats

An opportunity to integrate with Nest meant that Energenies' product range could appeal to a wider audience.

Our design and technology teams applied modern mobile design principles to create a user experience that would combine the two products in way that people could understand.

Micro Interactions

In apps, an easy way to avoid confusion is to tell a user what is happening when after they interact with the app in some way.

Even the simplest actions such as turning on a switch can benefit from visual feedback. Our solution for Energenie was to create a micro-interaction that communicates what is happening when you flick a switch.

The Results

Over 2 years, Energenie successfully sold into 5,000 UK homes. They had partnerships with Amazon and the the UK Government.