e.on - SupperClub app

Hamish Lehan B323430

portfolio

Make friends. Save the planet.SupperClubSupperClub


ExperientialPrototype #1

Scenario #1Profile

Insights

The final app will work on a smartphone, which are becoming increasingly common for the older

generation.

Rough wireframes were drawn up to represent the screens shown on the phone. A quick interac-tive protoype was made using POP to imitate use

in real-life scenarios.

Here, the first representative user and insights into how her new experience with another similar

person affected her are shown.

Betty decides to use the app to find company (intrinsic motivation) / She always has her iPhone to hand as she runs her business from it / She checks for other prople in a similar situation nearby, and finds someone interested in meeting / A meeting at her home is arranged; they meet to cook and eat ‘supper’ together / They each rate their meal and company.

Betty said that she would go back to the app the next day to check on her energy saving, especially if she had been a guest at another supper.

She enjoyed company and a shared activity. She said she might struggle to ‘make friends straight away’, so would consider a follow-up meal.

Betty asked for an easier way to find local people to invite.

BETTY, 76Owns an iPhone 6, iPad Mini

Owns her home outright and runs a small busi-ness to supplement pension. Heating and energy bills are seen as a necessary expense to stay comfortable

Widowed, lives in her own home with family nearby

Situation: Betty is alone on an evening and has no plans

“I have aFacebook, why wouldn’t I use that instead?”

It seems that social

pressures (real or

imagined) may encourage users to

try and impress with their hostined

supper events

The older generation are

more vulnerable,

so perhaps a

vetting system?

“Once I have a supper partner’s telephone number, why wouldn’t I just call them?”



InsightsLaura also asked why the app couldn’t be replaced by email or by ‘a FaceTime group’ (I believe she meant ‘Facebook’). It is clear that the benefits must be made more obvious, since things like energy saving reminders can be easily missed. A points system or other mechanics may have to be introduced, but confusing and alienating the user must be avoided above all.

The app mock-up was shown to the second representative user, and she was asked to walk

through a set scenario to better understand how the app would work in a real-life context and to

provide feedback.

ExperientialPrototype #2

Laura trades recipe ideas with the guests for her next supper / They set a supermarket delivery to the cook’s home / They attend the meal and save energy by cooking at home / They photograph the meal and save the recipe / Individually, they recieve a reminder about how much energy they saved / The group can begin planning their next meal.

Scenario #2

“How do we work out who owes money to whom?”

Laura was the first to refer to

a ‘Supper Club’,

and accidentally

named the app

Monetary reward would

apparently not

motivate them

much to save

energy

They naturally prepared the meal together without instruction

2

Profile

Laura, 64Owns an iPhone 4 and a laptop

Divorced, lives with her daughter’s family but they are often not home. Her daughter pays they bills so she has no direct need to save on energy

Situation: Laura wants to organise a successful supper for several regular friends/guests



Make the point scoring systemannonymous

“Do I owe money to my host?”

Illustrate SupperClub’s benefits vs. other services, social media

E.ON gains by improving trust with their customers, proving they care about lower bills.Older customers are more likley to be loyal to the brand.

Appointment: In the final app, there will be a type of calendar to keep track of upcoming meals, and users can plan around these set dates and times.Turn-taking: This mechanic is applied at a slower pace than usual (eg, Scrabble), but it means that since a user has had a free meal, they now ‘owe’ one.Accountability: Users will feel gentle (maybeimaginary) pressure from guests when hosting.Point-scoring: After a meal, each guest rates their meal and the company, leading to...Status: A high status may usually be all in the mind, but the points scored by hosts and guests lead to a certain reputation.Rewards: No direct rewards or incentives are offered by e.on. However, participating in the service is almost certain to provide external monetary rewards through reduced energy bills and food shopping costs, and ‘soft’ rewards like friendship, skills and company.

/ Must have a smartphone, and basic knowledge of how to work it./ A certain quantity of users are required for the service to work.

The scenario evaluation and the user’s continued feedback helped to iteratively improve the service

step-by-step.

Hosting gains you a point per guest, Attending a supper costs one point.

ConceptDevelopment

Problems Game Mechanics

e.onRequirementsFrom e.on’s website:

“Helping customers to use no more energy than they need, and investing in the communities where we have an impact.”“As a founding partner of Go ON UK, we aim to provide the basic online skills to be confident online.”

Scoring: The scores guests provide are only added in groups of three, anonnymising the individual scores through average.Owing money: The host is reminded of a recommended maximum spend, and no money changes hands.Vetting: The system should be self-regulating, with bad users getting bad scores and being encouraged to improve.

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Concept Statement: “An app-based service which encour-

ages the older generation to gain skills and save energy through cooking and

sharing meals.”

The app will work on a smartphone or tablet, which are becoming increasingly common for the older generation. The app will connect older people and foster community through shared values and shared meals.

Use of the app and service will educate older people in the use of the internet and mobile technology, and will provide lasting friendships based on shared skills and experiences.

Energy will be saved in the cooking process (fewer pans, less refrigeration, less washing up) and also because the empty homes of the guests are not required to be heated.But users are encouraged to use the app for com-pany, and find that they ‘accidentally’ save energy.

/ Originally, it was unclear off the app’s benefits over a Facebook group, or other services/ Users may create social pressures, which push them to impress their guests, hosts and friends/ Older people already tend to have a set routine, so it may be difficult to change their behaviour/ Monetary rewards motivate users who are middle-class less than most younger people/ The factor that may change behaviour the most is providing much-needed company and community/ Whilst Game Mechanics may be required to encourage continued use, the app must not confuse users who are unfamiliar with their smartphone

Benefits

How does it work?insights

Final Concept

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How does it work?The app will work on an iPhone, which are becoming increasingly common for the older generation. The

app will connect older people and foster community through shared experiences and meals.

By sharing meals, energy will be saved in the cooking process and also because the empty homes of the

guests are not required to be heated.

APP LINK: https://popapp.in/projects/55548955fcbd59797ff504e9/preview

Visuals #1

5

Scenario #1/ The home screen provides a personal greeting message to help the user feel more welcomed./ All local users are shown on the map, within a customisable radius./ The Chat feature is intended to allow users to become acquainted before commiting to a meeting./ Once the meeting is decided, the details are set on the Schedule page./ After finishing their supper and separating, users rate each other for anonnymous feedback.

Both the Chat and Rating systems provide a sort of vetting procedure to ensure all users have a great experi-ence and continue to use the service.

Rating each other’s performance (cooking, promptness, friendliness) means users compete for status and keeps users accountable.

A target audience who tend to have little smartphone experience requires careful thought. Where possible, the only interaction was a tap or press. It was important to avoid pinching because of reduced dexterity in some older people. This is a generalisation (Betty had an iPhone 6 and used it with ease), but the app must be produced for the least capable, and made available to everyone.There is a ‘Back’ or ‘OK’ button on every page -- user should never feel trapped.



Visual StyleThe appearance is deliberately strightforward.

Without patronising older users, the app had to be fairly high-contrast and easy to read with

poor eyesight. Bold, sans-serif fonts only, no huge graphics or

animations.

InteractionSome visual cues that are taken for granted had to be re-thought for those who are new to the

internet and smartphones. Futuristic or Flat Design were out, and more ‘physical’ cues like

shadows under interactive elements were reintroduced.

visuals #2

6

Scenario #2

Feedback

The Login page includes a link to create an email address, since some older people may not have one / Homepage is displayed on previous page / The user can review the details of an upcoming Supper, and browse recipes / The user can submit their own photos and recipes for later use / A thankyou message rewards the host for their service with points and an update on how much they may have helped save (altruism)

Behaviour change

Game Mechanics are an important tool to encourage positive habits. Mechanics such as Appointment (scheduled suppers), Reward (fighting lonliness), Trading (giving and recieving suppers), Accountability (Supper Partners), Point-Scoring, and Turn-Taking have all been worked into the concept app/service.

At the boundary in life stages (like using the internet for the first time), behaviour change is brought about most effectively because routines and habits are challenged. This period of uncertainty is the ideal point for the app to be introduced as it should have the greatest effect.

Comitting to iterative improvement, I revisited Betty and Laura. This helped in reducing ‘friction’ through improved usablitity, and better understanding their moti-vations. It also became clear that some users may require a ceratin amount of Onboarding or Scaffolding when using the service for the first time.The ‘Challenge vs. Ability’ theme is left to the user. they can choose how frequently they host or attend, and the number of guests.


Documents

e.on - SupperClub app