The Interface of Energy — Or how we can support people locally within the enera research project
By Dr. Jutta Fortmann
Developing a future in which technology supports people in the best possible way and makes everyday life easier. Designing technology that blends seamlessly with everyday life and is fun to use. That is our goal. In order to achieve these objectives, we need to identify the needs of the users of the future. In what areas do they need support? How and in what environments and situations can technology help them?
The answers can be found locally, amongst the people themselves. Our investigations therefore lead us into the model region of enera. In the districts of Wittmund, Aurich and Friesland, this spring we are looking to have conversations this spring with a wide range of people from the economics sector, from administration, trades, agriculture and even retired people. In addition to pure energy consumers are those consumers who already produce their own energy. We are reaching out to people between the ages of 22 and 66 years, averaging 45 years, who live in households comprising one to five individuals. In order to get a realistic impression of the environmental conditions, we will meet with interviewees at home whenever possible. On the way, we will drive through sprawling landscape that is characterised by meadows and farmland, wind turbines and the salty North Sea winds.
“We seek answers and inspiration from the people in the enera model region.”
- Dr. Jutta Fortmann, Senior User Experience Engineer
On site, we will discuss the characteristics of the household or business, the condition of the building, energy use, mobility and attitudes when it comes to the subject of energy transition. The conversation will also address digitalisation, digital applications around the home, data security, energy in general and expectations for the digital future. These comprehensive interviews will help us to comprehend people’s needs and fears locally and to realistically put ourselves in your day-to-day position. In this way, we can use our understanding to develop new technical solutions that put the individual as a user in the forefront: as the basis for an Interface of Energy.
Making local people tangible
For us, the goal was to make the people we interviewed continue to feel understood and perceived even long after the face-to-face conversation so that we can continue to work with them long-term. Not just for ourselves, but for the entire project team. We looked for a quick and easily comprehensible format and made the decision to document the individual interviews on large-format profile posters. Structured according to topic, we summarised the contents there and added illustrations. With the idea of attaching these posters to display panels to clarify the character of the individual, each interviewee was now represented by a vertical, double-sided profile poster (see Gallery). These profiles allow us to work together with the individuals within the target group.
However, because it is not expedient to develop a special solution for each individual, we ultimately identified a typical user group within the target group. We consolidated the profiles into personas. A persona is a specific, fictitious representative of a user from within a certain target group. The persona combines certain needs and characteristics of the target group within a single person and allows us to develop targeted solutions for them. For example, the Gallery presents the persona of Lars, an open-minded personality interested in technology with good social connections of middle age and based in the model region.
Each persona acts within specific conditions and situations that are typical for it. Based on these profiles and personas, we have described typical scenarios that help to put oneself into the everyday life of the personas. That helps us design solutions that integrate well with the real environment of the local people. Following on the research on profiles and personas, specific requirements have become clear. Through all profiles, we identified the most important needs as comfort, social exchange and mobility, as well as transparency and benefitting from innovations. However, saving money and being informed and up-to-date, as well as security, control and saving time were highly present. Other, less common requirements included fun and sustainability. Certain personas are characterised by having specific requirements that are particularly important to them. For example, for the Lars persona, comfort, social exchange and transparency, as well as benefitting from innovation, saving money and sustainability are especially important needs.
Developing design solutions
With this intensive preparatory work completed, at the end of the year we launched into the design phase. The goal of this phase is to use the identified requirements as the basis for design solutions to develop an Interface of Energy. As with all the other phases, collaboration with potential users, that is, the target group, is of key importance. Because it is only if people continue to be involved that we can develop solutions that from the outset that offer added value and are appealing.
We want to see the big picture. We are working in interdisciplinary teams to come up with creative concepts. This also means we sometimes take unconventional approaches, for example with prototyping workshops in a home within the model region. Within this real world environment, it is easy to see things from the point of view of the target group and view from the living room window serves as a stimulus for creativity. We receive preliminary feedback from our participants from the environment, who offer an impression in an informal setting on site. It’s a win-win situation: we are grateful for the helpful feedback that moves our work ahead in great strides and the participants are happy that they are able to actively contribute. Intensive workshop days come to and end, with all participants still highly motivated and continuing the discussion with inspiration. There will be more to come!
Originally published at www.interfaceofenergy.com.
