City Builder Green

Helping investors discover climate change mitigating investments

Timeline

4 months
Sep - Dec 2021

Team

4 UX Designers
2 Stakeholders
2 Advisors

Role

User and Contextual Research
Product Mock-up Video
Business Modelling

Overview

City Builder Green is an investment discovery platform for climate change projects

City Builder is a free online resource to discover regional projects to invest in the United States. The platform was introducing climate change mitigating opportunities and our challenge was to propose an innovative product strategy. In our team of 4 designers, I took the lead as a subject matter expert as I have a background in investment banking and design. My role was to conduct user research, synthesise research into insights, develop a product mock-up video, and predict expected impact.

The Problem

How might we help impact investors discover and track local climate change mitigation opportunities in North America easily?

Difficult to find opportunities, and assess benefits

Impact investors are constantly in search for local climate change projects however no platform allows them to discover them at one place. They also wish to compare these projects and pick the best one.
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User Goal: Discover and compare project in one place

Making climate change investment easier

With scattered information, impact investors find it difficult for establish trust in the platforms and investment opportunities. This was adversely impacting global targets as investors could find opportunities.

User Goal: Have a trust-worthy and reliable platform

Introducing City Builder Green

A climate change mitigation discovery platform that goes beyond discovery

City Builder Green is a web-based investment discovery platform that enables investors to discover, compare, and save investment projects in their local community. The platform aims to make climate change mitigation investments easier for professional investors.

Discovery: Find location-based projects

Comparison: Dynamic tool to compare details

Portfolio Management: Save and track projects

Connect: Directly link with project managers

Challenge 1 - What Differentiates CityBuilder?

Using 10 Type of Innovation Framework, we were able to scope key areas of focus

To identify the right opportunities, we used the 10 Types of Innovation model by Doblin Design Group to identify key areas where our user needs needed to be met. We tested these opportunities with our users through user testing and card sorting workshops.

Challenge 2 - How to Tell an Impactful Story?

Using information from user interviews to tell a story in the mock-up video

To communicate our concept to our stakeholders, I led the design of a 2 minute product video to communicate our research findings through storytelling. This helped our stakeholders to empathize with our users' experiences in the most convincing and time-effective way possible.

Impact on Climate

Forecasting the impact of the our design using prediction forecasting

Users provided highly positive feedback and recommended VoCreate over currently available common solutions such as hand splints and eye-tracking, claiming it was quicker, easier, and more independent.

Key Learnings

Refining the design process

Co-designing is a valuable method to eliminate biases and assumptions by designing with users, not for them.

Telling effective stories

Designing a Voice-UX system, I established new standards in an emerging field, mastering sounds, speech, volume, and tone.

Combining financial acumen

By focusing on user-centered research, unconventional solutions can emerge, revolutionizing established standards.

Behind the Scenes
Conducting stakeholder interviews
Leading affinity mapping exercise
Understanding user through empathy maps

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