Alvia Systems
Advanced climate risk assessment services using cutting-edge drone technology
My role with Alvia systems
Meet Alvia Systems, a groundbreaking startup based in Canada at the forefront of wildfire preparedness. Tasked with redesigning their website, I had the privilege of collaborating with this visionary company as they prepared to present their innovative subscription service to potential investors. Their commitment to transforming wildfire vulnerability is reshaping the landscape of property protection. With an eye on securing funding, Alivia Systems’ redesigned platform not only showcases their commitment to resilience but also underscores the immense potential for impactful change in the field of wildfire preparedness.
I was the only UX designer working for Alvia Systems, so the work displayed is entirely my own.
THE CHALLENGE
To create community resilience towards wildfires by generating property risk reports based on satellite and drone imagery
THE END GOAL
A subscription service to offer live alerts on active wildfires, real-time weather updates, personalised evacuation routes, and other crucial information and resources.
THE CHALLENGE
Setting the scene
The sun sets on the horizon, casting an amber glow over your dream home nestled amidst nature's beauty. Yet, the tranquil scene takes a grim turn as the threat of wildfires looms large. The risk of your cherished property going up in flames becomes an unsettling reality, leaving you with a profound sense of vulnerability.
Alvia Systems generate personalised property reports that identify your risk score in the face of potential wildfire damage. This score can lower insurance premiums and the reports provide mitigation strategies for your property.
The subscription extends beyond reports; offering live alerts for active wildfires, real-time weather updates, personalised evacuation routes, and crucial information on nearby resource centers.
In the face of nature's uncertainties, this subscription isn't just a service – it's your shield against the looming threat of wildfire devastation.
DISCOVERY
Over 8,000 wildfires burn in Canada every year
2.5 million hectares of land scorched per year
$6.9 billion in damages per year
Insurance refuses to underwrite climate risk for 10% of the housing market
THE APPROACH
Taking a new approach
Since Alvia Systems is a startup, I was faced with a few new obstacles. With few competitors out there it was hard to identify who the target user would be without making assumptions. This also meant I didn’t have a pool of target users to interview. Given this fact, and a short deadline, I decided adapt and prepare a new strategy.
THE PLAN
Expand my research
By expanding research from province to country to international, I began to identify some key direct competitors.
Assess the information
Although they were yet to launch, Alvia systems already had a beta-version website and branding established.
Test for the future
I didn’t have access to a pool of homeowners who live in wildfire prone areas, but I could test the current site with anyone to see what their responses were and figure out what needed to be improved.
Adapt to a build, measure and learn approach
Instead of tackling this project with a research -> design -> develop system, I embraced the build, measure, learn cycle that the startup deployed.
Competitor analysis
Persona
User testing
I asked random users to navigate Alvia’s beta website and tell me their thoughts and feelings about the company, what they do, their navigation experience and anything else that came to mind.
BETA SITE
User Feedback
-
“The layout is good and straightforward.”
“The site looks nice, it looks genuine.”
“I like the image on the home screen, it’s impactful.”
-
“It gives me a risk score, but what does that do? Do I just show people my score?”
“I don’t see a need to sign up for anything.”
“It’s not clear who the site is for.”
“What are they offering that is different to the equivalent of Google Earth, which is free?”
“What do they actually do on a site visit?”
THE VISION
Helping homeowners understand their risk and protect their property
Understanding the brand
Identifying the brands voice and vision, creating a clear goal for the tone and mood.
Brand voice
-
Personality
-
Tone
-
Look
Fonts
DESIGN
GOALS
Be impactful, be memorable
Create a sense of community
Educate users
Inspire users to be better
Easy to navigate
Become a necessity
Be reliable
Create the need to return
Designs
Designs
Right from the get go, I wanted the home page to represent the darkness and destruction that wildfires cause. I wanted the user to be impacted by the dark tones and feel the representation of fear.
I wanted the rest of the website to be light, to represent safety, security and the solution.
Wireframes
Dashboard
Live website launching soon, check back for more details.
Reflection
I was initially afraid to jump on the project as the only designer, thinking I didn’t have enough experience and that I needed a mentor before I was able to work independently. I didn’t want to produce amateur-looking designs. I decided to dive in the deep end anyway because if I never try, I’ll never know.
Navigating the challenges of collaborating with a startup introduced a fresh set of hurdles and a steep learning curve. Issues such as time zone differences, communication barriers, and sudden alterations or unclear directives added complexity.
Despite these challenges, I found myself immersed in a dynamic environment surrounded by passionate professionals, with a contagious atmosphere of enthusiasm. The team allowed and encouraged my creative freedom to flourish and it felt amazing to be a part of such an inspiring project.
Next steps…
-
I would like to conduct the first stage interviews. We didn’t have time in the research stage, so we missed the vital part of really understanding our users.
I would then conduct usability tests with those same users on the finalised prototype so that we can begin to make improvements.
-
In a last minute decision, Alvia Systems decided to change to a subscription model over a ‘pay-per-report’ model.
I would like to conduct a set of user interviews to understand which features have monetary value to customers, and which model they would opt for, to keep the user at the forefront of the decision making process.
Insights from user interviews will help the product team determine premium features and help stakeholders make a decision on the pricing model.
I would like to roll out a news or resources page with links to articles and interviews that support Alvia Systems solidifying their credibility while educating people on the technology they use and the climate crisis conditions.
-
Once the website has launched, I would begin designing an app, focusing on integrating the live alerts with notifications to create a continuous need for the user to return to the app or subscribe month-to-month.
I would also implement a monthly newsletter to update customers on current climate facts, conditions and related resources.
-
As the company expands, we have the opportunity to grow and adapt as technology changes and advances.
In the future, Alvia could implement additional weather features such as floods or hail, and introduce further climate mitigation strategies.
Alvia could also partner up with wildfire defense products to help people safeguard their homes or work with the government on alerting whole areas on when and how to evacuate homeowners safely and efficiently.