Brighter Planet
Helping people become more eco-conscious without making them feel guilty. That’s the goal of the new Happy Cog-designed social network for Brighter Planet that went into public beta on 16 July 2009.
Defining the user experience
Like all social networks, it’s about about community-building, sharing, and fun. And like all social networks, it serves all kinds of people. In this case, it serves anyone on planet earth with an internet connection.
How do you design a user experience for everybody? The answer is, you don’t. You design for key types of users, and let their energy and activity evangelize and build the network. Flickr, for example, appeals to everybody, but was initially designed for casual amateur photographers and passionate hobbyists.
Working collaboratively with Brighter Planet’s insightful marketing and development leads, we identified two key user groups: passionately committed environmentalists, and “ordinary” folks who care about the environment but aren’t going to get rid of their cars and air conditioners.
The social network had to work for both groups. It had to be deep enough to satisfy the “deep greens,” and fun and light enough (not to mention customizable and respectful of privacy) to appeal to the casual environmentalist. A typically complete Happy Cog user experience process, beginning with detailed stakeholder and user interviews, led to the conclusion that casual environmentalists (moms, professionals, small business owners) were our primary target. A site that worked for them would work for “everyone”—including deep greens.
Heart and soul
At the core of the new social media network is a tool that lets users calculate an accurate carbon footprint for their family or business. They can then offset this footprint by following conservation tips or purchasing carbon offsets. We simplified the experience of choosing carbon footprint components and entering data, and integrated the carbon profiler into the entire site experience. This enables a casual environmentalist to add to her profile as the opportunity arises, while giving a deep green the ability to spend hours fine-tuning his footprint.
If a deep, accurate carbon profiler is the heart of the network, conservation tips are its social soul. We designed them to be easy to write, easy to browse, easy to rate, and share. Users can follow other users, give them a “thumbs up” for completing a conservation tip (such as installing a low-flow shower head in one bathroom), and, of course, obsessively edit their Profile.
In parallel with the user experience exploration, Happy Cog developed a light content strategy that supported the site’s tone and goals. After the network was envisioned and refined in exquisite wireframe detail, we crafted a low-key look and feel designed to subtly convey ecological themes, add an element of playfulness, and wear well over the long haul. It’s not a “knock-you-in-the-face” look and feel, but a design to be lived in, for years to come.
Climate change you can believe in
Brighter Planet helps people take control of their environmental footprint: measure their climate impact, discover simple ways to reduce it, track their progress, and share their experiences with other people who who want to make a difference. We are proud to have played a role in bringing Brighter Planet’s social network to life.
Read more
Brighter Planet Blog: Web App Update: Another Release Out
Jeffrey Zeldman: Brighter Planet Beta
Whitney Hess: I Did the UX Design for Brighter Planet
Responsibilities
Research and consulting, user experience, information architecture, graphic design, content strategy, user interface design, CSS/XHTML template development. Beta site launched 16 July 2009.