Overview
A course assignment at Academy of Art University: research Pacific Gas & Electric's mobile website, identify key pain points, and design an improved mobile experience. The goal was to apply real-world UX research methodology to a live product.
The Problem
PG&E's mobile website had no way to report a gas leak or power outage digitally. Users were redirected to call a customer care number, which didn't operate 24 hours. In an emergency, users needed a fast, digital path to report hazards and get safety information.
"Neither the user will be pleasant nor the hazard will wait in an emergency till help reaches. Users look for a quick way to raise a complaint."
User Research
Interviewed target users with different backgrounds to understand their perspective, feedback, goals, and observed behaviour patterns.
User Flow
Designed a user flow that matches user desires, reporting an incident in the fewest steps while surfacing safety tips and emergency contact.
The Solution
- Online emergency request flow, report gas leaks or power outages in under 3 steps
- Inline "Gas Leak Safety Tips" surfaced at the right moment during the reporting flow
- One-tap "Click to Call" button for users who need to speak to someone immediately
- Designed in InVision as an interactive prototype for user testing
Key Learnings
- Taking user feedback is essential, observed behaviour reveals what surveys miss
- Emergency use cases demand the absolute minimum steps, every extra tap costs trust
- Personas grounded in real interviews produce dramatically different designs