Home Retrofit Assessment Platform
Validating demand for a data-driven approach to residential energy upgrades
Problem
Retrofitting residential properties requires:
- Reliable building data
- Expert surveying
- Accurate energy modelling
However, private homeowners typically lack the knowledge and tools to make informed decisions.
This creates a gap between:
- Accessible decision-making for non-expert users
- Complex technical processes
My Role: Solo Product Designer
Challenge
Homeowners faced significant barriers when planning retrofit projects:
- Limited understanding of available measures and their impact
- Difficulty accessing qualified professionals
- Risk of poor decisions leading to inefficiencies or structural issues
The challenge was to explore whether a digital product could simplify decision-making while maintaining technical reliability.
Approach
This project was a feasibility study focused on validating both:
- Market demand
- Product viability
I reframed the problem as a service + platform experience, combining:
- Data inputs (property information)
- Expert validation (surveyors)
- Decision support (recommended improvement packages)
Key design principles:
- Reduce complexity for non-expert users
- Guide users toward reliable outcomes (not just options)
- Align the interface with real-world service delivery (survey → recommendations)
Solution
I designed a prototype platform that:
- Generates tailored retrofit recommendations based on property data
- Connects users with qualified surveyors to validate decisions
- Shifts the user journey from “choosing measures” to “booking a survey” as a critical step
- Structures information progressively to balance simplicity and technical depth
- Supports mobile-first usage to improve accessibility
The design evolved from an existing concept, refining:
- User flow and decision points
- Information clarity and hierarchy
- Alignment between user intent and system outcomes
Interim web view workflow:
Design development highlights:
Mobile view of flow from onboarding to check out:
Decisive points:
Impact
- Validated early market interest with potential customer groups
- Demonstrated feasibility of combining public data with energy modelling
- Supported decision-making on future product direction and investment
Key Takeaway
When designing for non-expert users in technically complex domains, the challenge is to structure decision-making so users arrive at reliable outcomes, not just informed choices.