Solar marketplace
A project to design a site where homeowners can compare quotations for solar installs designed around their homes. This project covers the process of building and designing the solar marketplace tool.Overview
Competition
A competitor analysis was carried out to consider what the solar marketplace was up against.
Wireframing
Wireframes were built to visualise the structure and flow. Ensuring a simple, easy to use UI.
Testing
A prototype was set up on figma to test with potential users, insights were used to develop the design.
Final Design
After many iterations, proposals for a new brand and whop site were presented to the directors.
The brief
Easy PV is a software designed to aid solar installers in the design, purchase and installation of solar systems on homes. The Easy PV Solar Marketplace is a tool to connect solar installers with homeowners looking for a solar system for their home. Using Easy PV's automatic roof scanning, it is an instant process, producing tailored quotes in as little as 5 steps. Creating a single site for homeowners to compare multiple quotes, designed specifically for their house and giving installers new leads without the work.
Competition
There were several competitors currently in this market, some direct competitors, and some offering similar products with different purposes. The first stage was to carry out a competitor analysis. This uncovered that the one main direct competitor had poor UI and was known to few potential customers. However, some indirect competitors offered a very strong user experience, both in design and function. Heatable being the strongest contender.
It was noted exactly what these strengths were and how they used them. Generally, it was the simplicity of the UI that made it so easy to use for potential homeowners. But being designed as a mobile-first platform also gave it a strong edge.
Competitor analysis
Wireframing
Taking this vital information on board, a wireframe was built to consider the flow of the process, both on mobile and desktop. Ensuring a seamless product flow and a simple, easy-to-use UI.
Some sections of this process were built on top of an existing structure for drawing around the roofs (a failsafe for when the auto-scanning doesn't work). This was streamlined to make it a simpler, easier-to-use process whilst still closely holding its original structure.
Wireframes
Testing
Once the wireframes were collectively approved, a visual prototype was set up. This was built as a Figma prototype so it could be tested. Several tests were carried out to see how users interacted with the software and if they could instinctively work out what they needed to do and when.
Generally, the product was easily used, but there were a few points which arose which required some improvement. Especially around the alterations between mobile and desktop.
Test flows
Final designs
The results of the test were drawn up, and the suggested improvements were implemented into the design. A production file, showing breakpoints, hoverstates and other necessary annotations was built. I worked closely with the developer to ensure accurate and effective formatting and structure within the final implementation.
