This project optimized energy savings for Virginia by aligning user needs with statewide energy initiatives through purposeful UX design. As a result, the platform simplified workflows, improved accessibility, and surfaced meaningful insights—enabling users to take measurable actions toward reducing energy use while supporting broader sustainability and policy goals.
Virginia Energy Sense
Role
UI Design
UX Research
Interaction
Client
VES
Programs
Figma
Confluence
Time
8+ Months
Methodology & Scope
We aggregated and analyzed data from September 1, 2020, to August 31, 2021, examining public posts, owned channels, and website performance.
Social Listening
Used Synthesio to aggregate data from Twitter, Reddit, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, blogs, and forums.
- Keyword: Virginia Energy Sense
- Keyword: Saving Money
- Keyword: Energy Reduction
SEO & Keywords
Leveraged SEMRush to analyze traffic sources and identify keyword opportunities in the consumer energy sector.
- Website Traffic Analysis
- Keyword Gap Analysis
- Competitor Benchmarking
PR & Partnerships
Analyzed news pieces and internal content to identify promotion opportunities for initiatives and success stories.
- News Mentions Review
- Partner Re-engagement
- Content Gap Analysis
Summary
Content / Messaging
Through research, we identified two main stages in the user journey: Awareness/Motivation and Ready To Act.
- These are the two phases audience members move through. First they learn why it's important to save energy, and then they move into the action phase.
- Our KPIs and messaging will differ by phase to reflect these groups.
Audiences
Within each user journey stage, there are multiple audiences with different motivators and awareness levels.
- Examples of these audiences are new homeowners, Gen Z'ers moving into their first apartments, and rural homeowners.
- We will create messaging to reach audiences ranging from completely unaware of energy saving and its benefits to fully committed and ready to make changes.
Channels
No one platform by itself can reach all the various audiences across Virginia.
- It will take a coordinated messaging and campaign effort — spanning digital paid media, earned media placements, and owned social media — to get information out.
Recommendations
Offer tips and tricks that are easy to implement, like thermostat changes.
Embrace seasonality by posting more during times of peak interest.
Introduce new content types and messaging to drum up engagements.
Reintroduce channels like Instagram with a new look and feel aligned with the upcoming content strategy.
Focus messaging and keyword strategy on specific, achievable tasks instead of general energy saving terms.
In the long term, optimize pages and content to increase traffic from search engines.
UI Design System
0px 4px 12px rgba(0,0,0,0.05)
0px 10px 15px rgba(0,0,0,0.1)
Email Notifications
SMS Alerts
Push Notifications
Real-time Tracking
Monitor energy usage live
Weekly Reports
Receive usage summaries
Home Energy Audit
Professional assessment of your home's energy usage to identify savings opportunities.
Smart Device Status
Real-time monitoring of smart home devices and their energy consumption.
Cost Savings
Track your monthly savings and see the impact of energy-efficient choices.
⚡ Energy Saving Tips
Quick ways to reduce your energy consumption
🏠 Smart Device Status
Real-time monitoring dashboard
Delete Energy Report
Are you sure you want to delete "Monthly Energy Usage Report"? This action cannot be undone.
Save Changes
You have unsaved changes to your energy efficiency settings. Do you want to save them before leaving?