PWRscan App
Roles
Product Strategy, Lead UX/UI Designer
In Production (Development in Progress)
Overview
PWRscan, Personal Wattage Reduction Scan, is a mobile application I conceived to make it easier for customers to find energy efficient appliances and available rebates. After seeing how much time customers spent researching products, comparing efficiency ratings, and determining rebate eligibility, I developed a solution that simplifies the process into a single scan. I created the product concept, defined the user experience, and designed the complete interface through high fidelity mockups. The application helps customers make informed purchasing decisions faster while supporting greater participation in energy efficiency programs.
Problem
Finding an energy efficient replacement appliance is often more complicated than it should be. Customers must compare products across multiple retailers, research efficiency ratings, determine rebate eligibility, and confirm whether a purchase qualifies for available incentives. The amount of research required can be overwhelming and discourages many customers from taking advantage of energy efficiency programs. I saw an opportunity to simplify this experience by creating a mobile application that could instantly identify an appliance and provide recommended replacements, rebate information, and purchasing options in one place.
Project Goals
- Simplify the appliance shopping experience by replacing hours of product research with a single scan.
- Help customers make confident purchasing decisions by providing energy efficient alternatives, rebate eligibility, and purchasing options in one place.
- Increase participation in Ameren Illinois Energy Efficiency programs by making incentives easier to discover and understand.
- Design a fast, mobile first experience that removes unnecessary steps and allows users to begin scanning without creating an account.
- Deliver a personalized experience for both Residential and Business customers based on their specific program needs.
- Give field contractors a quick and reliable tool to identify qualifying products while working with customers in their homes.
- Create a scalable platform that can support additional appliance categories, future enhancements, and data driven program insights.
Research and Planning
Before designing the interface, I took a step back to understand why finding energy efficient appliances was so difficult for customers. Purchasing a qualifying product often meant researching multiple retailer websites, comparing efficiency ratings, checking rebate eligibility, and confirming whether an appliance met program requirements. The process required too much time and effort, making it easy for customers to abandon their search or miss available incentives.
From there, I identified three primary user groups the application needed to support:
- Homeowners looking for quick, reliable recommendations and rebate information.
- Registered users who wanted additional tools such as saved products, product comparisons, and scan history.
- Field contractors who needed a fast way to identify qualifying products while assisting customers in their homes.
With these audiences in mind, I established a set of guiding principles for the product. The experience needed to be mobile first, simple to navigate, and require as few steps as possible. A Quick Scan option would allow users to begin immediately without creating an account, while registered users would have access to additional features that encouraged continued engagement. I also planned for future growth by designing a framework that could expand to additional appliance categories and support new program initiatives over time.
This planning process created a clear direction for the project and ensured every design decision supported a faster, simpler, and more intuitive customer experience.
Pictured above: Prototype designs and user pathway.
Design Phase
With the project goals established, I began designing an experience that served two distinct audiences, Residential customers and Business customers. While both groups were looking for energy efficient products, they qualified for different rebates, programs, and recommendations. I intentionally placed the Residential and Business selection at the beginning of the experience so the application could immediately display relevant products, rebates, and recommendations, eliminating unnecessary choices and helping users reach the information they needed faster.
Another priority was reducing the time it took for someone to get value from the app. I introduced a Quick Scan option that allowed users to immediately scan an appliance without creating an account, making the experience ideal for first time users and field contractors. Registered users could unlock additional functionality, including saved products, product comparisons, scan history, and personalized recommendations.
As the interface evolved, I focused on keeping navigation simple and information easy to understand. I created wireframes and high fidelity mockups to refine the user flow, organize content, and ensure important information, such as rebate eligibility and recommended products, was always easy to find. Every design decision supported the same objective, helping users spend less time researching appliances and more time making informed purchasing decisions.
Production and Business Impact
After presenting the concept to stakeholders, PWRscan was approved for development and is now in production. Seeing the project move beyond mockups and into active development confirmed there was both a genuine customer need and strong business value behind the idea.
Once released, the application will give customers a faster and simpler way to identify energy efficient appliances, explore available rebates, and make informed purchasing decisions. By bringing product recommendations, incentive information, and purchasing options together in one place, PWRscan removes much of the research that has traditionally been required to participate in energy efficiency programs.
The application also creates value beyond the individual user. By capturing anonymized appliance and home data, the platform can provide insights into customer behavior, identify trends across the Ameren Illinois service territory, and help shape future energy efficiency initiatives.
Watching PWRscan evolve from an idea I proposed into a product that is actively being developed has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. It reinforced the importance of identifying real customer problems, building support around a clear product strategy, and designing solutions that create value for both customers and the business.