Create PV Project: Streamlining Solar Rebate Claims at Formbay
The Challenge
In the solar installation landscape, claiming rebates entails a detailed and intricate PV form completion for every task. Traditionally, Formbay, like many of its counterparts, relied on static forms that gave scant feedback to users. Our in-depth internal assessment — amalgamating insights from support calls and form failures recorded post-processing with the Clean Energy Regulator — pinpointed the form failure culprits. A substantial 40% of failures were traced back to users opting for the wrong installation type. Another 20% arose due to imprecise address input.
Role
Lead Product Designer (and sometimes PM)
(2 Frontend Devs, 1 Backend Dev)
Timeline
2020 - 3 months
Company
Formbay
A leading provider of digital workflow solutions and one of Australia's largest REC Agents for the solar industry.
Tools
Adobe creative suite, Storybook, Hotjar, Google suite, Jira, Confluence
Before
After
Research and discovery
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User Interviews: Gathered insights from venue managers and patrons.
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User Shadowing: Observed staff interactions with the me&u platform.
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Hotjar Analysis: Tracked user behaviors and interface interactions.
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Onsite user interviews: I went onsite to solar installations and solar admin offices to understand the end users environment.
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Competitor Analysis: Looked into what the competitors were doing at the time and how we could stand out from them as we couldnt match them on price.
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Taking calls like a support person: I sat with a phone on my desk to answer support querys about the forms so I could understand users pain points
Research Results
I found that the majority of the problems were that the paper forms were too flexible (as you could just write anything on them) and that there were a few key issues that as a team we wanted to solve:
Clearer job types, more accurate address selections, and an updated list for users to choose the right panels and inverters. We also picked up that users tried to skip ahead, so we designed a flow that nudged them to complete essential steps first.
The Process in Action:
I sketched out some initial designs, gathered feedback, and iterated until we had a solid blueprint.
We rolled out the initial page to some loyal users
and gathered their feedback. They were still having some trouble with identifying materials so I added in some visual examples of what they might look like. I worked closely with the dev team to understand which data was coming from where and what we needed to match the data coing from the API's.
Prototyping & Tech Integration
Working on the Create PV project was a unique dance of collaboration, flexibility, and resilience. A significant part of my journey was working hand-in-hand with both the front-end and back-end teams. This synergy was vital, not just in ensuring our designs were technically feasible but also in understanding the constraints and possibilities of our tech stack and the clean energy industry.
The waters were often muddied with a lack of set requirements as we started. The landscape became even more dynamic with a steady influx of requests and requirements from management. While this could have derailed many projects, our collaborative spirit was our anchor. We became adept at assessing the value and feasibility of new requests, pushing back where necessary to maintain the project's integrity.
However, in situations where a new requirement was essential or offered significant value, our agility came into play. We'd brainstorm, iterate, and adapt at a swift pace, ensuring that we could incorporate these changes without compromising the project's overall timeline or quality. This balance of sticking to our design convictions while remaining open to necessary change was pivotal in keeping the project on track and meeting the company's larger objectives.
Initial roll out
Findings
Once we fully launched the new form, things changed big-time. The rate at which forms were failing dropped significantly. Jobs were being completed in just 1-2 days, down from 2-4 days. And the cherry on top? Fewer support calls and a smoother continous experience for our clients.
One of our users, Leanne from Leesons Solar, even said: "Creating a form is smooth and saves me so much more time."
Further work
This was the first part of the journey for getting the solar rebate forms online. Up next we needed to create ways to view the forms and navigate around them.
This came in the form of:
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The Jobs page
To conclude...
The Create PV project was a challenging yet enlightening journey at Formbay. With a dynamic landscape and continuously evolving requirements, it demanded flexibility, resilience, and an unyielding focus on the end goal.
In retrospect, while there were bumps on the road, the project's success underscored the importance of user-centric design, adaptability, and close cross-departmental collaboration. It's a testament to what can be achieved when a team comes together with a shared vision and an unwavering commitment to delivering value to its users.
What Went Well:
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Collaboration: The tight-knit collaboration between design and both the front-end and back-end development teams ensured designs were not only user-friendly but also technically feasible.
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User Feedback: Our approach of rolling out a beta version to a select group of users and then expanding it proved invaluable. Their insights, combined with data from Hotjar and Google Analytics, allowed us to refine the form based on real-world usage.
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Response to Change: The team's agility in responding to new requirements meant we could adapt quickly, incorporating changes that added value without overly extending our timelines.
Key Outcomes:
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The form failure rate experienced a significant drop.
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Job completion times improved, averaging 1-2 days, down from the previous 2-4 days.
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We observed a decrease in support calls, which spoke volumes about the form's enhanced intuitiveness.
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Client onboarding became a smoother experience, further cementing Formbay's position as a user-centric platform in the solar rebate sector.
Areas of Challenge:
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Dynamic Requirements: The steady influx of requests from management sometimes threatened to push out the scope. While we managed most of it, a clearer initial requirement set could have streamlined the process.
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Industry Regulations: Ever-changing industry regulations meant we were often back to the drawing board, leading to occasional delays.
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