Energy And Utilities App Design

Hey, we're the user experience team at Opower.

Our design challenge: to motivate everyone, everywhere, to use less energy. In other words, we design like the world depends on it.

How?

Most people don't think much about their energy consumption.

We apply user-centered design to energy data to transform it into products that are clear, intuitive, and compelling.

Does it work?

We're fundamentally changing people's relationship with energy.

In fact, our users have saved enough energy to replace the Hoover Dam.

Meet the team

Team

We may come from different places and ride different bikes, but we're joined by our love of good design.

Beth

Curator of Chocolate

Copywriter

Why are you here?Creating change while drinking perfect coffee
Bill

Man in Black

Product Architect

Why are you here?To be a contrarian (everyone else is too nice)
Colin

Pantone Princess

Graphic Designer

Why are you here?For the cereal
David G.

Tee K.O. Aficionado

Senior Designer Developer

Why are you here?To make things simpler
David S.

Clandestine Chemist

Senior Director, Product Architecture

Why are you here?To change enterprise software
Jennifer

Resident Cat Lady

Principal Designer

Why are you here?To work on interesting problems with some very cool people
Jod

The Salty Bard

Senior Director, UX Design & Research

Why are you here?To create a viable future we can thrive in
Joy

Pixel Wrangler

UX Designer

Why are you here?To work on projects that matter
Justin

Chronomancer

UX Project Manager

Why are you here?To unravel the mystery of "Free Time"
Karina

Energy Therapist

Principal User Experience Researcher

Why are you here?To learn about your electric vehicle
Kate

Curiosity Queen

User Experience Researcher

Why are you here?To observe behavioral science in action
Lauren

EE Wizard

Energy Efficiency Program Manager

Why are you here?To help people save energy
Liza

Sustainability Sleuth

User Experience Designer

Why are you here?To crack the case of the changing climate
ML

Brand Ninja

Director, Design & Content

Why are you here?To make things that matter
Reiko

CX Tightrope Walker

Senior User Experience Designer

Why are you here?To strike the balance between a wide range of stakeholders
Jaxson

The Wonder-pup

Branch Manager, Virginia

Why are you here?To get belly rubs and give out puppy hugs
You?

Yeah, you.

We're always on the lookout for talented designers with a passion for behavior change. We have internship opportunities too! Check out our open jobs or just say hello.

Our Thoughts and Contributions

Here's what some past team members have said about design, code, and behavior change.

The Behavioral Science of Limiting User Behavior

Dave and Ryan write for UX Magazine Read the article

The Web is inefficient, but we can fix it

Justin on energy, design, and the Internet Read the article

Design principles

Opower is not like other software companies. Our goal is to drive measurable energy savings, so we stick to 5 behavioral design principles for delighting and informing energy consumers.

1

Design for how people actually behave

At Opower, our focus is different than most product companies: we strive to influence people's daily actions outside of our product. To do this, we've become experts in the science of behavior change. We incorporate behavioral science techniques such as normative comparison, social proof, loss language, defaults, and user commitment into our product designs.
2

Assume people don't care

We must accept the burden of relevance — "boring until proven otherwise." Studies show that people only spend 9 minutes per year thinking about their energy use, so we're starting at a disadvantage. We respect people's limited time, so we use familiar mental models, clear language, and visual cues to help people quickly process our messages.
3

Always lead to action

To achieve measurable energy savings, people must change their behavior. We take the time to understand our users so that our savings tips are actionable and can integrate into their lives. Users should always have a clear next step to take.
4

Aim for lasting relationships, not one-night stands

People receive Opower reports and products from their utility company. It is important to respect that relationship, and help improve it over time. As we learn more about people while they use our products, we adapt to their circumstances by providing appropriate encouragement and rewards.
5

Build for everyone... who receives a utility bill

At Opower, we strive to find the right message and deliver it through the appropriate channel to make sure everyone, everywhere, has the information they need to be energy efficient regardless of their age, income, language, energy knowledge, or access to technology.

Of course we have fun

And we have the pictures to prove it.

We love colors and coordinated outfits!

(maybe a little too much)

Get in touch

We love meeting new people.

If you're excited by our mission or have questions about joining our team, please send us a message.

Send an email