Case Study
I led the design of an Intelligent Carbon Reporting SAAS platform that has launched and is now available to 110 million SMEs though BrandXchange.
EcoHedge Website
EcoHedge is a SAAS platform that automates the creation of carbon accounting reports for SME businesses.
We identified the frustrations for SME businesses in creating carbon accounting reports
From user flows to low fidelity to prototypes to a full flow interactive prototype ready to test
User testing sessions to validate our ideas and assumptions to continue improving for users
EcoHedge is one of Activate Studio’s portfolio of start-up companies. It is a SAAS platform that automates the creation of carbon accounting reports for SME businesses. Between July 2022 and January 2023, we took EcoHedge from a set of user journeys to a launched product.
Since launch EcoHedge has launched and is now available to 110 million SMEs though BrandXchange as well as being certified by Xero to become available to all their users through their App Store. In addition EcoHedge has worked with 100's more SME's directly.
The co-founders of EcoHedge identified the need for an automated carbon accountancy platform to service UK SME businesses that would have to conform to new carbon emission reporting laws. Problem areas identified around this included:
After receiving initial funding from Activate and assistance with generating further funding through a successful crowdfunding campaign on Seedrs. We began working on the EcoHedge product in July 2022 with a planned launch date of January 2023. I was the lead product designer on the project with the rest of the team made up of the two co-founders of EcoHedge (one acting as product manager) and two engineers for the majority of the project with a third added soon before launch.
I was the sole product designer working on the project making me responsible for ideation workshops with EcoHedge co-founders, low-fidelity prototypes, the design system, high-fidelity designs, user testing and handover to dev. My work on EcoHedge has continued since launch, expanding the feature set and improving the product based on user feedback.
The dashboard displays an overview of the companies yearly carbon statistics.
The data hub allows the user to view and manage all their companies transactions and carbon values.
Users can view their carbon report in the report hub which then can be exported and shared to stakeholders, for marketing or to governments.
The action hub lets the user reduce their carbon emissions through education and the option to purchase carbon offsets.
Ecohedge is fully responsive so the user can view and manage their carbon accounts on any device.
I conducted usability testing sessions with SME business owners to validate the UX of the product as well as the value proposition. The test involved tasks asking the user to create an account, connect their accountancy software, complete the required manual data inputs and export a report.
During the session, I observed how they interacted with the prototype and asked relevant questions based on observations throughout the session. The usability session revealed that it was easy to complete the key uses of the product such as onboarding, viewing data and exporting reports however users wanted more reassurance when it comes to trust and security of connecting their accounts. Solutions including FAQs, explainers, contact forms and certifications were implemented as a solution to this discovery.
Rob Smallcombe
Co-founder of Ecohedge
Working with Jack for the EcoHedge Express application UX designs was an absolute pleasure.
Throughout the project from user interviews, wireframing, designs and finally user feedback, Jack was professional, fast, and innovative. Our application always receives amazing feedback from clients on its look and feel, this is largely thanks to Jack.
Jack joined our team sprint calls and stand-ups throughout the project, contributing positively to our team culture and mission. He built strong working relationships across our business, collaborating well with our project management and software engineering teams.
I would highly recommend working with Jack and look forward to the opportunity to work with him again in the not-too-distant future!
Send me an email or connect on LinkedIn.
Alternatively I always leave slots open in my calendar to talk about how I can help your business.
