Volt.
Role
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UI/UX & Product Designer
Project
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Volt. Mobile App
Inspired by the usability of apps like Airbnb, Lyft, and Uber, its design focuses on streamlining energy management for users and improving customer engagement for providers.
As the sole Product Designer on Volt, I led the design of the mobile app (the primary focus of this portfolio piece), while also designing the supporting website and admin portal to ensure a cohesive experience for both end-users and energy providers.
1. Concept Ideation
The project began with comprehensive research into the utilities sector, including an analysis of energy providers and competitor benchmarking. I worked closely with stakeholders to define the app’s core functionalities, such as bill tracking, energy usage analytics, and personalized recommendations. This foundational research ensured the design addressed key user and business needs.
2. Wireframing and Prototyping
With a clear vision in place, I collaborated with the product owner to develop wireframes that mapped out the app’s structure and user flows. These prototypes underwent several iterations, informed by feedback from stakeholders. Throughout this phase, I maintained close communication with the development team to ensure the designs were both technically feasible and user-friendly.
3. UI/UX Design
The design of Volt needed to be flexible enough for white-labelling while maintaining a polished, professional look. I developed a neutral visual style that could easily adapt to various energy providers’ branding. The color palette and UI elements were chosen to convey trust and efficiency, key qualities for a utilities app. Accessibility was a priority, with designs tested to ensure inclusivity.
I borrowed heavily from Uber and Material UI, and tested the colour palette using the Stark contrast checker to ensure all values met the 4.5:1 ratio required by W3C guidelines.
4. Quality Assurance & User Feedback
As the app neared completion, I gathered user feedback that led to several refinements:
- Clearer information architecture – Focused on the top four categories (Payment, Outage, Services, and More) for clearer navigation.
- Streamlined the Settings page by removing unnecessary options and clarifying key settings like Language, Appearance, and Multi-Factor Authentication.
- Reconfiguration of the payment stepper flow – User feedback revealed confusion over entering both billing and service addresses. A simple checkbox to confirm if the addresses were the same resolved this. However, further consideration was needed for users who may skip or return to this step later in the flow. Ensuring they could easily navigate back to payment while maintaining a smooth, linear experience was key.
Reflections & Findings
Volt’s development presented several challenges that shaped both the process and the final product:
- Balancing white-label flexibility with strong design principles – Required simplifying styles without compromising on quality.
- Technical constraints with React Native and Chart.js – Technical limitations with React Native and Chart.js led to some last-minute changes. It highlighted the need for flexible design, but also made it clear that more research upfront into Chart.js’ styling constraints could have helped avoid these challenges later on.
- Budget limitations towards the end of the project – Due to budget constraints towards the project’s end, I relied on tools like TestFlight and Jira to provide detailed feedback to the development team in India. The upfront cost structure also meant there was less time allocated for user research, and feedback rounds were limited to stakeholders rather than actual users. As a result, by the time the app launched, I was less involved in the feedback loop than I would have preferred.
Volt’s journey highlighted the value of user-centered design, close collaboration, and flexibility in the face of challenges. The result is a scalable, user-friendly solution that meets the needs of both energy providers and the client.
