Lloyds Carbon Calculator (Internal)
My role: Sole designer in a team of a copy writer, developer, data analyst and the carbon calculator creator in this project, that took place over 2 months.
Pain points:
Extremely complex and hard to use
Multiple parts to the carbon calculator including an extensive and wordy “help”/guide screen and another screen that lists all of the available activities and metrics
Very basic and static calculator screen with no visuals
Need to gain trust and confidence from colleagues about the way that it works
Tags: #UI Design #Illustrations & Icons #Sustainability #Re-design #Banking
“If you don’t measure it,
you can’t manage it”
SCOPE
Re-design the internal carbon calculator and increase understanding and satisfaction as well as conversion and engagement by at least 10 %.
The carbon calculator is an internal tool that can be used to motivate colleagues to calculate their own carbon footprints and any projects that they may be working on. By having an improved internal carbon calculator, I hope that there would be a more positive impact on the environment can be made with more of an effort and inclination to change habits and reduce corporate carbon emissions for the better.
THE PROBLEM
First, I must understand carbon footprint and business model, define the real problem from tester questions, and understand the user's motivation. I wanted to get an understanding on what came to mind when colleagues thought about their carbon footprints and what their assumptions and expectations were when they came across a carbon footprint calculator. In a world prioritizing sustainability, reducing carbon footprint is crucial.
Nowadays, the public realizes that they are just as responsible for reversing the damaging effects of CO2 emission as organizations. Thus, there is a growing demand for carbon footprint calculators and relevant software services.
Transparency and precise calculations are key. Online carbon calculators measure and analyse operational activities to determine your carbon footprint. Understanding and reducing emissions is essential for environmental consciousness, increasingly valued by colleagues, customer, investor and stakeholder groups.
Carbon calculators are predominantly online tools, where you add operational activity, such as energy consumption, travel, waste etc. The calculator that I redesign will need for this to be clear and intuitive so that people want to regularly use it.
SURVEY
I began with a short comprehensive survey of twelve questions to seventeen colleagues between the ages of 23-54, that sought to understand their perception and their utility experiences with carbon calculators, and how they felt when they viewed the internal carbon calculator that we had (which was the first time that the majority of the colleagues had seen it).
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1) How familiar are you with carbon calculators? Do you know what a carbon footprint is?
2) Have you ever used a carbon calculator before?
3) What assumptions, if any, do you have about carbon calculators before using them?
4) If you have used a carbon calculator, what motivated you to use them?
5) Do you want to know what your carbon footprint is? Why or why not?
6) Can you describe any challenges or difficulties you've encountered while using carbon calculators?
7) How important is environmental sustainability to you in your daily life and decision-making?
8) How would you describe your understanding of your own carbon footprint and its impact on the environment? Do you believe in calculating your carbon footprint to contribute to environmental sustainability?
9) Have you heard or used the internal carbon calculator? How did you hear about it?
10) If you have used the internal carbon calculator, roughly how many times have you used it?
11) Here is the link to the carbon calculator. What are your first impressions?
12) Does it look friendly and easy to use? What do you think of the help sheet and instructions?
““I felt like the calculator was too general for me. I could not enter my values in a correct, relevant way””
““I am aware of the dangers of climate change but I am unable to relate or understand it.””
SURVEY FINDINGS
I was able to draw out some key findings and insights from the survey.
While most individuals were eager to be environmentally conscious and welcomed the idea of a carbon calculator, most respondents were unaware of the calculator’s existence.
Three colleagues had stumbled across it out of curiosity and there was a small fraction of only two colleagues that used the calculator regularly, with just three out of 19 finding it valuable enough to incorporate into their sustainability efforts. I recognised that simplification of the interface would be integral to overcoming the engagement and accessibility challenges of the calculator.
I found that respondents would have quickly abandoned it in the past as most found the calculator very complex and hard to understand, especially with the reliance on the two accompanying spreadsheets and step-by-step instructions (a lot of excessive textual information) on how to use it. This ended up being extremely intimidating and discouraging for the user. The absence of visuals has also been mentioned in connection to comprehension and readability.
There also exists a challenge in getting people to adopt and use the calculator more than once. Overall I found a positive low-carbon attitude and knowledge are key factors that influence user retention.
Advanced input options and functionalities deter first-time users with little knowledge about carbon consumption. The calculator needs to be as automated as possible so that it is as easy as possible for users to input information.
Colleagues thought that being transparent with accurate readings shows involvement and commitment to preserving the environment.
First-time users were able to gain an appreciation and awareness for carbon footprints, expressing a desire to be more environmentally conscious; therefore carbon calculators can play an important role in both educating and motivating lifestyle changes.
Impala:
A 19.36 and a 29.00 minute long videos- shows the complexity that the carbon calculator has
This backs the needs for the spreadsheets and instructions as it is universal that a carbon calculator is quite complex and in need of instructions
Carbonfund:
Has different categories of carbon-emitting activities
Uses a progress bar at the top that moves through the categories
CTA is green at the bottom for “next”- doesn’t show any error abilities- no “cancel” or “back”
Looks at cost as well as activities
GCC:
Shows a guide, template and video tutorial
Accessibility orientated by having different choices
Seen before interacting with the carbon calculator below
Carbonfootprint.com:
Simple instructions are included. Also comes with a video and extensive information at the top of the page
Different categories are named. As you go through the questions you move to the next page
Allows individual, small business, large business and product calculations
Interface.com:
Simplest interface out of all of them
Dropdown to choose options of the item/activity and the metric that is used
Ability to “add material” on bottom left
Bottom black CTA button, “Calculator”
Minimal instructions- very straight forward explanations and interface
Competitor research helped me to see what other companies were doing with their carbon calculators. Most interfaces were very clean and seamless to use and included variants of green, undoubtedly due to the symbolism of nature and sustainability. Effective carbon calculators always include an input of an action, its measurement and the output of CO2 that it included. Sometimes other customisable options were available such as cost.
It was interesting to see the way that each calculator balances comprehension of what can be very complex calculations. There were always some form of instructions that went with each calculator, whether it was quite extensive guides or in the form of a video tutorial. This proactive approach ensures that users are well-equipped to navigate the platform effectively, enhancing overall user satisfaction. Most calculators focused on usability by making sure that there was easy navigation and functionality of the calculator.
I then began the journey of creating a user-friendly and comprehensive tool that effectively assists users in assessing their carbon footprint and making informed decisions regarding sustainability that reflected the positive features of the competitors that I analysed.
Sustainability tools in Cultural Heritage:
Allows you to browse and search through items/activities
Dropdowns to make selection easier
When items are added they appear at the top with information
CTA button is black, has a plus icon
Allowance to cancel each item added
Total amount is at the top
RESEARCH
COMPETITOR ANALYSIS
Many calculators consisted of multiple questionnaires and screens to decipher the users carbon emissions, whereas the calculator that I am re-designing consists of the one screen that shows both the input and the output in what is closer to a one-screen spreadsheet.
Carbon intensity metrics for activities has meant that many organisations have created or subscribe to third-party carbon footprint calculations which can offer other features such as different input categories and user customization/personalization. Visually, most calculators used the colour green which has ties to nature and sustainability and included visualisations that reflected this.
Although one of the pain points of the carbon calculator that I am redesigning for was that there were wordy and complex instructions, most of the other carbon calculators that I found had similar. This proves the universal complexities and misunderstandings that users encounter when encountering a carbon calculator.
LO FI FRAMES
Option 1:
Allows you to browse the items/activities
Allows for category , amount and metric input
“Add item” button is at the bottom
Added items get listed bottom
Option 3:
Some input forms above
Dropdown menu to select an activity/item
Metric input is automated
The list is in a table format- gets separated by activity, amount & metrics
“Add” button on the bottom left of the list
Option 2:
Three different ways of finding instructions at the top- no spreadsheet
Inputs in the center of the page, with the calculate button at the bottom
Total amount is at the bottom. Users can make sense of metrics like “17 tonnes, the same as 4 cars driving from London to x”
Option 4:
Clear Information about the calculator at the top, alongside a video tutorial
Default three activities to put through but “add” button on the bottom left for better automation
Input for activity, amount and metric
Questionnaire idea
Competitor analysis showed that a lot of carbon calculators included a form of a questionnaire in order to get the most accurate readings
Since there was no form of personalisation, it meant that every time a colleague would want to use the calculator, they would have to go through the questions each time
I wanted to keep it simple so I kept it to a single screen with the input and output available rather than going through multiple steps
I did keep the idea of the different channels of getting instructions: video, spreadsheet and information were all made available
I designed steps for a questionnaire however it ended up being a pain point and was left unused
SOLUTION
I started by looking at how various competitors handled the interface of the carbon calculator. Compared to others, the calculator was extremely dense and text-heavy. I endeavoured to design a set of sustainability icons and illustrations that could help and act as universally recognised symbols and visual guides to the complex feel of the calculator providing clarity and simplicity to the interface.
These thoughtfully crafted visuals not only enhance the aesthetics of the tool but also play a significant role in making the user experience seamless and enjoyable. This was an effort to create a visual language that resonates with users making it accessible to users from all backgrounds.
To enhance accessibility, I also integrated a video tutorial with subtitles, which also took weight off of the intimidating two spreadsheets. The spreadsheets were also optimised for readability, consistency and comprehension which was reviewed with the copy-writer on my team. I ended up going for an interface that looked close to my option 4 mockup; simple to use with instructions ready at hand.
I redesigned the tool to match brand standards, using a lighter aesthetic and the brand’s font and colors for consistency with company materials.
The most important part of the tool is the input and output of data, which I ensured was a lot clearer by adding a drop-down menu to allow more of a sense of automation and to allow users to enter values and select actions from a list of activities which ensured consistency with the spreadsheets.
The new CTA button is larger and dark green, grabbing the user's attention. It was previously smaller and grey, blending into the cluttered page.
USER FEEDBACK
A post-release survey placed at the bottom of the page revealed that 61% of users found the calculator more easy and helpful.
Colleagues found it more effortless to navigate the calculator as engagement improved after the re-release resulting in a CSAT score of 6.4 of colleagues feeling like they would return and/or recommend the tool to others, reflecting the success of the initiative.
The overwhelmingly positive feedback I received from our colleagues is a testament to the success of these icons and illustrations. Many have expressed how much more comfortable and motivated they feel in using the carbon calculator tool, thanks to the inviting visuals and intuitive design.
14% of users included in the data reported that they had used the tool regularly (more than 4 times) and that it had been referenced in stakeholder and budgetary meetings.
By incorporating these icons throughout the tool's interface, I managed to create a user-friendly experience, reducing the burden of dense text and making navigation a breeze.
OUTCOME
I am unable to share the final screens of the carbon calculator due to privacy & security. Please contact me for more information.
From the answers to the post-release questionnaire, I learned that the base design is solid. The final step of the project was to find any clear problems in my design through Heuristic Evaluations done by two other groups. However, our design had no clear flaws that needed addressing. That came as a pleasant surprise. It means the design I worked on got positive feedback from my peers (who are also part of the target user group).
By simplifying complex calculations and enhancing usability and accessibility, I feel I have empowered colleagues to take meaningful steps towards reducing their carbon footprint.
I remain committed to providing accessible and effective tools that foster environmental awareness and responsibility throughout the organization. This was an extremely interesting project to work on as I got to be creative and design illustrations and icons from scratch.
PROJECT LEARNINGS
Sustainability: I learned about the importance of sustainability and finding out what users think about a project before re-vamping it.
MVP: Sometimes you need to work with an MVP first, before adding too many options and features. The questionnaire would have worked, as I have seen from competitor analysis however since there is no personalisation just yet then the questionnaire wouldn’t work this time.
User assumptions/expectations: Finding out what your users assumptions and expectations about the product, and what features and pain points they have encountered in the past. I have realised how integral this is before starting to create or redesign a product.
NEXT TIME…
There is definitely room for improvement regarding the number of functionalities. If I had more time, I would have loved to feature the following:
The downfall of the app is that it does not give you any recommendations for lowering your emissions. It would be nice to be able to give more advice on some quick wins and long term goals to reduce your footprint.
An expense analysis feature to think about the costs involved with reducing carbon footprints: An expense analysis feature.
Personalised Weekly/Monthly user statistics and overviews with a dashboard to visualise emissions and set goals
A better way to share with colleagues and groups- healthy competitions and comparison with statistics