SSE Energy Solutions
Leading a team of UX Consultants and Product Designers across a 2-year programme of work for 100% green electricity provider
I joined renowned experience design consultancy cxpartners as Art Director across multiple value streams; each focused on complex self-serve user journey/s and having a dedicated scrum team. Alongside overseeing the work of the UX Designers and Consultants, I worked in collaboration with senior stakeholders at SSE to understand and shape the entire programme of work, creating a product and research roadmap, understanding and measuring business and user benefits impacts.
During the programme we completely overhauled and re-launched SSE’s main website: https://www.sseenergysolutions.co.uk in addition to the ‘manage my account’ portal. We also launched self-serve sales journeys for SME customers and energy brokers. We established an overarching Pattern Library in Figma (working closely with SSE’s corporate brand team), set the basis for a Design System and helped SSE to grow their own in-house team of Product Design experts.
Launching SSE Energy Solutions website, a powerful tool for a complex business
In creating https://www.sseenergysolutions.co.uk/ we were tasked with uniting several different business arms of SSE under one brand: SSE Energy Solutions. Since each of the business units already had their own digital presence, goals and audiences, we undertook a content audit and worked closely with stakeholders to create an information architecture which we tested with users. The new site adopted SSE’s recently launched brand guidelines, and has since contributed a pattern library that has been used across other parts of the business.
By summer 2021 we had launched a website which caters both for business energy customers (and those thinking of joining SSE), regardless of the size of the business, as well as offering SSE’s Distributed Energy Infrastructure services, which aim to help businesses reduce their impact on the planet and reduce costs, including EV infrastructure, balancing energy demand using smart technologies, and empowering businesses with detailed personalised data insights and energy management systems.
Re-imagining the business energy portal with existing users
SSE’s original business energy portal was clunky and many users avoided it altogether, preferring to phone the help centre instead. We used insights from the call centre team to shape initial low-fidelity prototypes which we usability tested with customers and non-customers before iterating and moving into higher fidelity.
Working in fortnightly sprints, the scrum team delivered an MVP to replace the portal, which immediately received more positive feedback from users. Over time we used feedback forms on the live product and additional rounds of research and testing to further shape the product.
Many more customers are now choosing to self-serve tasks like check account balance, view and download invoices, make payments or view and submit meter readings, which in turn has taken the pressure off the call centre team and created savings for SSE.
Introducing a quoting tool for energy brokers
Third party intermediaries or energy brokers can now generate quotes for their clients using a self-serve digital journey.
Until recently energy brokers had to use a spreadsheet to generate quotes for their clients, which SSE’s internal team also needed to update daily to ensure prices remained accurate.
Working in fortnightly sprints, and taking a user-centred approach, a second scrum team designed and delivered a quoting tool that energy brokers can populate with multiple business energy meters, filtering by their client’s preference of contract duration and product type.
The service was released and continues to evolve.
Helping SME’s quickly get a quote and buy online
SME customers can now get a quote online in moments
Again, there was no self-serve journey for potential customers to get a quote if they were interested in SSE’s 100% renewable electricity, or green gas offerings. Instead they had to get in touch by phone.
Our third scrum team designed and delivered a mobile-first quote and buy service in consultation with users. Again the service is now live and the team continue to improve on it, helping to remove pressure from SSE’s contact centre.
Orchestrating the programme of work
My role as Art Director
Uncovering user needs, prototyping and testing
Throughout the programme of work, I worked closely with the SSE’s Product Owners and subject matter experts to map user journeys across digital and other channels, searching out pain points and opportunities to improve.
Establishing a cross team Pattern Library, design documentation and foundations for a Design System
Our work needed to reflect the new SSE Energy Solutions brand and be consistent across many digital journeys, which meant each practitioner team had to be drawing from the same source components and be clear how to apply them. I worked with the SSE brand team and oversaw UX/UI design practitioners to create a shared pattern library in Figma.
Usability testing and research into smart meter expectations
Alongside Art Direction and hands-on UX Design work, I dedicated some of my time to testing a high fidelity prototype of the online portal with users. This allowed us to identify and make improvements before committing the work to front end development, QA and launch. I also took the opportunity to dig into user expectation around accessing and making the most of smart meter data within their business’ needs.
Collaborating on a strategic vision across digital teams
Working closely with product owners of different areas of the end-to-end digital experience, I helped define a set of strategic outcomes, objectives and key results to ensure that the digital transformation met, and continued to meet, user needs and business requirements, as well as being reflective of the SSE Energy Solutions’ vision.
What’s next? Handing over the programme roadmap and products to SSE’s newly established UX community
We were delighted to see SSE build on their commitment to user centred design by recruiting a team of 8 UX Designers who will carry the work on.
An initial Discovery phase we conducted into user’s experiences of getting help and support will be combined with findings from a ‘Virtual Assistant’ pilot project to create a new value stream around customer engagement and support.
Innovation and a continued commitment to user centricity
SSE’s Smart Innovation Group (whom we also supported with a pilot app for smart data) hope to extend their trial further too.
Together, we worked with SSE Energy Solutions on a programme-wide roadmap that will continue to guide the teams and let them evolve as they respond to the changing energy sector and their continued commitment to be a leading business provider of renewable energy.