Bc. Nikita Carulkov/Defining the value proposition for the first energy cooperative in Czechia

Defining the value proposition for the first energy cooperative in Czechia

Friends of the Earth Czech Republic (Hnutí DUHA)
Defining the value proposition for the first energy cooperative in Czechia

1. Introduction

Hnutí DUHA (hnutiduha.cz), one of the largest Czech NGOs specialising on advocacy for renewable energy sources, asked us for help with the positioning of their new product. It was an energy cooperative, the first one in Czechia. It was an interesting challenge for me because I've worked on building a Community Solar start-up with a similar business model in the past.
My role was Design Lead and I had a researcher that helped me with testing of the desirability of the product.

2. Background and Context

Problem Statement

Hnutí DUHA aimed to create the first Czech large scale community with shared means of energy production. The long-term aim was to build a proof of concept and by doing that to inspire people in creating more community-led coopratives on their own.
From the point of Human-Centered design, the product had 3 components — desirability, feasibility, and viability. Our job was to create a desirable positioning for the product.
How might we design an interesting and clear energy cooperative proposition so that we can actively and sustainably develop the topic of community energy in Czechia?

Challenges

We've identified some challenges right from the start.
→ This was a completely new investment product in the Czech market.
→ We've had only 3 weeks to come up with the positioning of the product, test it, and iterate it.

3. Strategy and Design Process

How could we achieve the largest possible impact in just 3 weeks?
After learning the context of the project and stakeholder expectations, we've decided we'll create a prototype, test it, and do multiple iterations. This prototype together with insights from customer testing would bring the best possible impact in the given timeframe.
For a prototype, we've decided that a black and white low-fidelity web page was the perfect tool to get our insights without distracting the testing participants.

4. Solution

A proposition should answer

→ What is the product you are offering?

→ How does the product solve customer pain?

→ Why should the customer believe you can solve their pain?

We've answered these questions and found the customer pain that couldn't be solved by conventional investment opportunities.

5. Results and Impact

From potential customer interviews, we've learned that customer pains with the biggest potential are
→ I'd like to invest my funds
→ I need to know what will my funds be used for
→ I'd like my investment to have a positive impact
According to tests, the prototype we've created communicated how is the energy cooperative going to solve customer pains.
What made us especially happy was when users began asking When are you going to launch this thing? Will you let me know?