Enercity - Smart Energy, Seamless Experience

Designing a utility app to boost user growth through clarity, fun, and brand-driven UI.

We participated in a pitch for Enercity, a major gas and energy supplier in Hanover, Germany. The challenge: design a mobile app that increases new user acquisition by 20% annually—all under tight time constraints and limited resources. Though we didn’t win the pitch, our smart, user-oriented solution remains a highlight of strategic, collaborative, and intuitive design.

palmerhargreaves – 2023

Enercity aimed to expand its user base through a mobile app that made its energy services more accessible and engaging. However, attracting new users in a competitive utility market required more than just functionality—it demanded clarity, usability, and a compelling user experience aligned with the brand.

We followed a structured human-centered design process, starting with research and concept development. I led the UI design while ensuring visual consistency with Enercity’s brand identity. My role also involved defining the context of use, outlining user needs, and translating them into clear requirements.

Through benchmarking and moodboarding, we identified what made successful apps in this space work—and how we could differentiate Enercity’s experience. A mood board helped capture the emotional tone, while in-depth brand exploration ensured our design felt authentic and familiar.

Key Features

🔄 Gamified Onboarding Journey
A discovery mode that welcomed users with playful guidance, easing them into app functionality.

⚡ Simplified Information Architecture
Clear navigation paths made it easy to access essential features and data at a glance.

🎨 Visual Usage Categorization
Secondary brand colors were used to reflect different user patterns and habits, enhancing usability and strengthening brand alignment.

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Product Development and UX Process

1. Context of Use We asked: Why would users need or want this app? Understanding user motivations helped us define the app’s core value. 2. User Requirements We identified what benefits, content, and functionality mattered most to users and defined requirements that prioritized their needs. 3. Design Solutions We delivered an app concept that was not only functional and user-friendly but also emotionally engaging and visually unique—tailored to appeal to both new and existing customers. Final Thoughts This project showcased the power of a small, focused team. Despite time and resource constraints, we created a design that was grounded in empathy, strategy, and brand cohesion. It highlighted my strengths in translating insights into action, crafting polished UIs, and staying true to both user needs and brand identity.