SolarBuddy, an Australian charity, helps children in energy poverty. They educate students and employees about energy poverty while having them build solar-powered lights. These lights are given to children globally to help them study at night.

To understand both the user journey and logistical challenges at SolarBuddy, I began attending corporate events. I focused on observing not only the event logistics but also analyzing how participants experienced the program. Through participant interviews, a clear pattern emerged. While everyone enjoyed the program and felt inspired to contribute more, they were uncertain about next steps or additional ways to help. This revealed a significant gap in our program—participants were eager to continue their involvement but lacked clear pathways to do so.

After sharing findings with the team, we mapped out the program journey to identify pain points. We also gathered feedback from our partners. This analysis, combined with user feedback, revealed several critical issues that concerned the business, operations department, and most importantly, our users.

Our goals are to reduce waste and quality control time, retain and re-engage with participants, improve the user journey, contribute to sustainability goals, and increase donations.

The solution was straightforward: users would access a portal by entering a unique code tied to their specific event and lights. This system would allow SolarBuddy to track and engage with participants by monitoring their assembled lights' locations. After completing the sign-up process, users could browse through instructions, write a letter to their buddy, and make an optional donation.

After creating the initial wireframes, the design team conducted walk-through workshops with logistics and program managers to ensure the app aligned with each department's needs and workflows.

After designing the detailed screens, we prioritised features and removed some from the initial build to manage costs. The team then tested the high-fidelity prototype with external partners before preparing handover documentation and developer specifications.

After testing and refining the application, the team consulted with developers and scoped the project with various agencies. However, the high development costs delayed the app's progress for several months. The COVID-19 pandemic later affected SolarBuddy's financial resources and ability to conduct in-person events.