Once our designer, Kieran, completed the mid-fidelity prototype of the Nook CRM, we moved on to user testing. We engaged with five hands-on energy advisors, some of whom had participated in the previous design sprint and were already familiar with the user challenges we will be addressing.

This process helped us validate our assumptions and immediately gather feedback to confirm whether we had captured the desired feature set correctly. From our experience, translating energy advice terminology and working practices into CRM requirements takes time and is an essential stage of the process that cannot be overlooked.

Here is a brief summary of the outcomes from the prototype testing, followed by a more detailed review of several prototype screens:

• The feedback on the designs was overwhelmingly positive (yay!).
• Energy advisors are always pressed for time, so anything that can quickly highlight what needs attention next will significantly reduce their cognitive load. This could include colour-coding, a simple user interface, tagging, or clearly indicating deadlines for tasks.
• There were a few suggestions regarding how to prioritise cases on the waiting list, with some people questioning the conceptual difference between triage and the waiting list.
• It must be clear which tasks or actions are assigned to individual users and which are intended for the whole team.
• When adding customer data, it is important to capture the preferred method of contact and any eligibility criteria.
• Funders are primarily interested in reporting on outcomes and the actions taken for each client, rather than focusing solely on client demographics.

Dashboard

The dashboard is the first page users see when they log in to Nook.

A dashboard screen from the mid-fidelity Nook prototype

The purpose of the dashboard is to provide energy advisors with a clear indication of task priorities and what needs to be done next. It also offers overviews related to the waiting list, cases, and reporting, which can be useful not only for energy advisors but also for their team leads.

Quote (on the breakdown of tasks):

"And then I've got my tasks. Okay, so that all feels very clear, really nice. I think I'd really like having that clarity of what I need to do next. And the fact that it looks like it's organized or could be organized by a priority would be really good" - Katey from the Center for Sustainable Energy

While the tasks list received overwhelmingly positive feedback, the overviews prompted some constructive feedback, as follows:

• It is unclear whether the overviews are per user or per team.
• In addition to CO2 emissions saved, it would be helpful to see an approximation of money saved based on the interventions conducted.
• The reports overview needs to be reconsidered to include more actionable information.