CHARGEPOINT
APP REDESIGN
OVERVIEW
Chargepoint is an electric vehicle charging company, providing a network of chargers for public, business, and home use.
As an electric vehicle owner who relies almost exclusively on Chargepoint, I found myself using the app and wishing for certain functionality. Luckily, my job had a connection with their business and I was able to discuss some features with their team. This is redesign is a concept submitted for their consideration.
PROBLEM
I found visual clutter to be the stem of my issues. There is a lot of great info shown on the app, especially if you're into data and trends. However, a lot of it can be lost upon the viewer due to the infomation not being presented in the more organized way.
Combined with the user journey, visual clutter prevented me from discovering some features. One of the biggest advantages to using the Chargepoint app is getting details on specific charger stations. A large amount of information is provided, including prices, peak charging times, and tips from others who have used the same charging station. However, due to the visual clutter, this information can be hard to find.
SOLUTION
With this design, what I ultimately want to achieve is cohesion. Cohesion within the app, cohesion with other Chargepoint touchpoints, cohesion with the brand itself. The app needed to feel like an extension of Chargepoint's product library, including website and charging station UI.
The easiest way to make the app feel like part of Chargepoint's wider portfolio is by smothering it with Brand Guidelines. Looking at their website and decks, I was able to incorporate some of their rules.
Electric vehicles are seen as futuristic and clean, almost robotic. Charging stations should be viewed in the same vein, which I wanted to be conveyed through this app.
I wanted each data group to have its own card, making it easier for the viewer to differentiate between each section. With the current app’s design, it is hard to characterize each category due to a lack of visual hierarchy. The redesign aims to have a stronger hierarchy, giving the user a better sense of each data grouping.
Because of the clutter, it’s easy to miss some great features. One of the best features is the ability to add user tips. These user tips can include parking tips, how to locate the charger, and whether or not this is an accessible charger. There are other interesting, albeit not as useful, features, such as showing the vehicle that last used the charger.
Working at an EV company has some perks - including a peek into consumer charging data. This data shows that most people default to the same 3-5 public chargers, typically at the office, gym, or shopping center. For this reason, I felt a “Favorites” section would improve the experience, as the user would be able to view the status of their preferred charger as soon as they open the app. If the user doesn't have any favorite stations, the app would default to "Nearby Chargers".
RESULTS
This was all done based on personal experience, hypothesizing what Chargepoint’s general audience would like to see. With access to research, the design may be drastically changed, with the main design change being the landing page.
It seems that most charging apps default to the map as its landing page, which makes perfect sense, given that people would be using the app primarily to locate their nearest charger. My use case is different, as I charge primarily in my apartment and use Chargepoint 99% of the time. Additionally, these chargers are listed as private and do not appear on the Chargepoint map, meaning I cannot check the details to see if it's in use. This detail, combined with charging at home and the map’s visual clutter, makes the map irrelevant to me.
The optimistic nerd in me hopes that others will enjoy having a dedicated landing page.