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BCG GAMMA - C02.AI
CLIENT :
In collaboration with the BCG team, we launched an ambitious initiative to develop advanced carbon emission software, aimed at supporting global efforts to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 (NZCE50). This complex project involved close collaboration with data scientists and researchers who defined the critical objectives that the software needed to address.
One of the significant challenges was the inherent complexity of the product. The software was later adopted by global enterprises, including Coca-Cola, where it needed to be highly usable across various departments and partners. It was essential to distill the software to its most functional features, ensuring it remained both highly usable and effective for facilitating large-scale, data-intensive environmental management.
Roles & Reponsibilities
My role was to concurrently oversee the development of both the CORE Product, focusing on the Footprint Explorer, and the Product Ecosystem.
Within these two domains, my responsibilities included:
CORE Product - Client Tool
- Conducting high-level architecture reviews and implementing improvements
- Testing and enhancing existing designs within the Footprint Explorer, particularly optimizing the home dashboard
- Streamlining the process for uploading emission data, ensuring accurate matching within the database, and refining the validation steps
- Designing the head office home screen to facilitate easy access to information about plantations
Product Eco-System (PE) - Supplier Tool
- Creating and refining the PE Dashboard Home
- Managing responses to emission data requests from suppliers
- Overseeing the upload of product data and designing the product landing pages.
Product Ecosystem extends the capabilities of the CORE product to include external suppliers, enabling a comprehensive management of emission data across the supply chain. This ecosystem allows suppliers to directly input and update their emission data, which is crucial for accurate overall carbon footprint calculations. The system supports real-time updates and integrates seamlessly with the CORE product, ensuring that all data reflects current conditions and complies with both corporate and regulatory standards. This connectivity not only enhances data accuracy but also boosts efficiency by automating the data collection and updating processes.
CORE Product - Footprint Explorer
The Act phase in the architecture has been meticulously developed to provide robust options such as Create a report, Compare, Validate, and Modify Emission Factors (EF). These options are strategically placed to follow the initial data exploration, facilitating a seamless transition from data discovery to actionable insights. This setup ensures that users can not only view and analyze data but also act on it within the same workflow, enhancing the tool’s utility.
The architecture now prominently features an Identify/Discover/Explore phase at the outset, where users can access summaries and dive deeper into data right from the homepage. This direct access is designed to enhance user engagement by immediately immersing them in the most relevant data and actions.
The Collaborate section is a significant enhancement focusing on teamwork and shared insights. This phase allows users to Share Insights and Track report status, promoting an integrated approach to project management and stakeholder communication. By enabling these features, the tool supports a dynamic work environment where teams can collaborate efficiently and keep track of ongoing changes and updates in real-time.
CORE - Customizable Home Dashboard & Head-office portal
Current State and User Testing of ‘C02.AI - Version 1’
Initial testing of the Footprint Explorer revealed several usability issues:
- Visual Design: The dashboard’s dark color scheme impacted the visual grouping and proximity of components, causing confusion with disconnected CTAs.
- Visual Hierarchy: The design did not align well with core functionalities, leading users to overlook essential functions.
- User Interaction: Certain main functions lacked clear affordances, making it difficult for users to discern clickable elements.
- Data Relevance: Users were unclear about the relevance of the data displayed, affecting their engagement with the product.
- Navigation and Data Interaction: Users expressed frustration with the fixed data display area, citing a lack of ability to zoom or expand data views for detailed examination.
Wire-frame Ideation: Changes Implemented
- Enhanced Navigation: A new global navigation layer with a local left-hand menu was introduced, facilitating easier scaling and habitual use of the product. This change aims to help users navigate more intuitively within the expansive product environment.
- Dashboard Customization: The dashboard was redesigned to be more customizable. Users can now select and minimize widgets on the home dashboard, tailoring the interface to their specific needs.
- Open Interface Design: The interface was opened up to support data visualization better. This adjustment ensures that the interface enhances the data presentation rather than merely accommodating it.
- Functional Components: New components were integrated to improve readability and interaction. Specific designs were created for various actions like downloading, adding filters, saving, and sharing, making each function’s purpose clear and accessible.
- Data Representation Options: Additional functionality was added to allow users to select how data is represented (monthly, quarterly, yearly), providing more flexibility in data handling and analysis.
Final UI Designs with Interaction & Motion
Create a Footprint:
Uploading, matching and Validating Emission Data
- The process was overly prolonged and only allowed the uploading of one data sheet at a time, causing significant delays. This was particularly problematic as data management was a supplementary task for many employees.
- The workflow was rigid, forcing users to frequently backtrack to correct errors, a time-consuming and frustrating experience.
- The users had to navigate through 21 sections to complete the process.
Solution Implementation
To address these issues, we introduced several enhancements:
- Overlay Trays: Implemented to help users visualize their progress within the complex process, preventing them from feeling lost.
- Streamlined Workflow: Many of the process steps were consolidated, simplifying the path users needed to take, which significantly reduced time and user frustration.
- Multiple File Uploading: I designed a feature that allows for the uploading of multiple files simultaneously, which included options for selecting the cycle year and renaming files, streamlining the workflow.
- Direct Transitions: I facilitated smoother transitions from data matching to validation, providing users with initial success messages and optional validation pathways to enhance flexibility in their roles.
Detailed Process Steps
- Initial Options: Users start by choosing to upload activity data sheets or emission factor data sheets—the latter typically contains verified data. We focused on uploading activity data, which links to the CO2 AI database for emissions calculation.
- File Management: Once uploaded, files are displayed as cards that users can manage—adding details, renaming, or sharing with colleagues. Files can be saved for later review, allowing for verification before final data confirmation.
- Data Matching Options: Users proceed by selecting “Create a Footprint,” which leads to options for matching with the CO2 AI database or using custom data. The system provides clear, guided CTAs to keep the process straightforward and user-centric.
- Validation and Review: After data matching, users are presented with scores indicating the confidence level of the data accuracy. They can then choose to review or complete the validation process.
- Efficient Validation Interface: For those responsible for data validation, I designed an intuitive table interface with preset filters for quick scanning and validation of emission data.
Testing with ColaCola - End User-Testing
Further testing was conducting with our potential end-users, Coca-Cola. Much of the process was a success, with glowing reports on the improvements made. However, one change requested was including the ability to connect all files to the save footprint, or have them as individual reports. Due to my previous designs being built to scale, this inclusion was quite a simple process. My decision was to include a tab once the files had been uploaded, with the option to connect or continue as individual reports. The alternative was to ask the user prior whether they wanted to upload as individual / connected, however, the end-client preferred this choice on-call. To be sure, in-house testing was conducted with successful results.
Usability Results
Our internal testing within various BCG departments showed a 250% improvement in process efficiency, reducing the average completion time to about 50 seconds. These results underscored the enhanced usability and efficiency, although actual performance might vary in real-world applications due to differing data complexities.
Improvement in Process Efficiency
250%
Successful Process Completion without Errors
98%
Saved in Process Completion
-75 seconds
C02 AI raises 12m USD in funding
CO2 AI, a carbon tracking spinout from Boston Consulting Group, successfully raised a $12 million Seed round to build on its momentum in the rapidly growing climate tech sector.
As the Lead UX Designer, I had the privilege of contributing to this innovative project that seeks to revolutionize carbon management and sustainability.
https://tracxn.com/d/companies/co2-ai
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Project Takeaways
With this project being predominantly remote, and with many nationalities involved, maintaining communication was key. Due to the complex nature of the product, my decision was to sit down with a data analyst who knew the product well, and have them help with me terminologies and key-phrases. I then set up an excel sheet to have them confirm that wy descriptions were correct. This ensured I hit the ground running.
My skillset when designing complex software and data-heavy dashboards improved greatly, especially when working alongside talented and experienced data analysts. Many different alternatives where designed, allowing users to “quick glance” data versus diving deep into the data, improving me as a visual-data designer and architecture from a top-level perspective.
CORE Product is designed to serve as the backbone of carbon emission management within an enterprise. It features a customizable home dashboard that provides users with a real-time overview of critical emissions data and performance metrics. This product includes advanced data entry and validation tools that ensure the accuracy and reliability of the data collected across various departments. Additionally, it incorporates sophisticated filtering systems that allow for detailed analysis and easy access to specific datasets, making it indispensable for environmental compliance and strategic planning.