A sustainable SaaS platform using AI to cut CO2 emissions
Summary
I crafted a highly valued concept that equips companies with the tools to gain insights into their emissions and projections. My design provided a clear overview of a company's emissions and a streamlined process for action planning to reduce emissions. This involved UX research, competitive analysis, and culminated in a polished prototype.
Time frame
Aug 2023 - Oct 2023
UX research, UI design, Performance data
User problem
Navigating Sustainability Challenges in Sweden
In a world grappling with the consequences of climate change,
organizations are confronted with the imperative of reducing their
carbon footprint.
In Sweden, companies are thrust into the deep end of complex
sustainability reporting without expert guidance, all the while
trying to stay afloat amidst the tides of rapidly changing
regulations.
This case study examines Stratasys' sustainability product, a tool
designed to empower organizations to make informed decisions that
align with the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol for emissions
reduction.
Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG):
Set up measurement points
Establish structure and calculations according to GHG.
Data Collection Collect
Report the data in Stratsys.
Results
Total climate impact, from the baseline year zero.
Identify focus areas
Identify the emissions where the biggest impact can be made.
Identify actions
Focus on a priority area - What can we do? What would be the
effect?
Follow up
Towards the baseline year Towards the goal.
Project Objectives
-
Increased efficiency in action creation for reducing emissions: Save
time, money, and resources.
-
Supporting user understanding: Help users determine if their
reduction efforts align with their larger goals and comply with
regulations.
-
Evidence-based reduction actions: Contribute to the development of
reduction actions based on solid evidence.
-
Enhancing Stratasys' competitive advantages towards a sustainable
future: User needs for emission Management.
Towards a Sustainable Future
User Needs for Emission Management
I conducted research to understand the users and their current
situation when developing actions to reduce emissions.
Research insights:
-
Action visibility and delays: Users require a transparent view of
their progress and delays for each emission goal, helping them
stay on course and modify strategies as needed.
-
Future impact forecasting: Enabling users to calculate and
visualize the outcomes of their emission reduction efforts.
-
Effective suggestions: Users need evidence-based recommendations
to minimize reliance on costly external consultants.
-
Cost-effective, high-impact solutions: The ideal tool offered
affordable yet impactful solutions for significant carbon dioxide
reduction, balancing cost with effectiveness.
These insights were crucial in shaping a tool that addresses the
pain points of many companies today lacking expertise in efficient
reduction planning.
Navigating the Green Shift
Stratsys position in the market
Further investigating the market, I quickly saw that competitors to
Stratsys had more tools to help their customers with reduction
plans. This confirmed the importance of developing this part of
Stratasy's product to gain a strong position in the market.
Business impact:
Stratsys is falling behind the competitors as they only offered
support in the product for the first part of GHG, regarding
reporting the emissions, but risk losing customers who also want
to reduce emissions.
Sustainability is a rapidly growing industry with increasing
regulations for all companies in Sweden. Therefore, sustainability
can be a lucrative market opportunity.
From Insight to Impact
Pioneering User-Driven Solutions in Emission Control
AI is used by other competitors to enhance the customers'
sustainability work and streamline the process. The competitors also
offered consults and expert service, E-learning, but just a few
offered the service of forecast emission for the customers.
The competitor analysis and the insight from the research helped
decide which of the features would give Stratasys the best
competitor advantage and help its customers in the best way.
Developing a forecast design would give Stratasys a unique business
opportunity.
This research led to insights that formed the design of an overview
feature. The overview design was developed to help users identify
focus areas and check if they align with their overarching goals. I
also created a forecast feature to enable users to understand how
their efforts contribute to their objectives and to provide clear
indications when they are off track.
I recognized that users need support in creating actions, so I
designed a feature with AI suggestions based on their data.
- Most of the design is under NDA -
Overall, my concept aims to minimize the time users need, not only
to develop effective actions but also efficient action plans
aligned with their overall goals to reduce company emissions.
Additionally, it contributes to aligning companies with
regulations and enabling a sustainable future for us all.
"So, when can we develop this?"
- Sustainability strategists and sellers asked the product owner
after my presentation.
“Your designs will push our sustainability product to the next
level.”
- Design lead
Learnings -
Seeking External Perspective
The biggest lesson was the value of seeking external help when stuck.
There are many ways to do this, but the important thing is to save
time by not trying to solve things alone. An external perspective
saves time and provides valuable insights. I also learned the
importance of keeping the scope down in order to save time and make it
realistic for the timeframe.
