Pacific Gas & Electric: Product Design
PG&E Company Overview
Digital Catalyst:
In-House Product Team
Pacific Gas and Electric is one of the largest combined private utility companies in the United States. 24,000 employees serve 16 million customers who live in 70,000 square miles of land ranging from cities, to rural farmlands and to mountains.
Digital Catalyst is transforming the way PG&E field workers use technology. I developed digital products to assist field workers in streamlining workflows while adhering to the company's core values of safety, efficiency and CPUC compliance. I employed agile processes and design thinking methodologies to deliver solutions that met both the business and users’ needs. I also collaborated closely with internal business stakeholders and field workers to continually improve our products.
Product Designer for Maps+
I was the Lead Product Designer on the Maps+ app where PG&E employees can can view all Gas, Electric, Hydroelectricity and Fiber infrastructure on a map. Maps+ is a popular app amongst field workers, because this was the first time they had a truly mobile, fast and offline map experience. By the time I left, there were nearly 10,000 Maps+ users company-wide!
PG&E Field worker using Maps+ in the field
“Unbelievable app! I’ve worked for PG&E for over 16 years and this map app is BY FAR the best tool I’ve seen. Everything about it kicks a**!”
As the dedicated designer for Maps+, I spent a lot of time talking to field workers so that I could understand their needs and get early feedback on designs. I conducted usability tests to uncover pain points, went on field visits to gather feedback directly from fieldworkers, and implemented surveys to get a comprehensive picture of the overall user experience of our products.
Interviewing a field worker on how he uses Maps+ and learning about how we can enhance an existing feature.
I designed features from end to end where I begin with initial discovery and research to prototyping and executed the final designs. I worked closely with the Product Manager to shape the vision of Maps+ as well as the designers on other product teams to maintain alignment with the design system and all workflows. I also had a dynamic relationship with the developers where I engaged in discussions early on in the design phase and worked closely during development to ensure proper implementation of the designs.
Design Workshops for a Deeper Dive
I lead design workshops as part of the discovery phase for new features that would affect departments across the company. I brought people together who don’t usually work next to each to empathize with each other and ideate on what the future could look like in an open and collaborative space.
Sharing Findings from the Field
I communicated research findings from the field and brough the voice of the user to the team. By introducing empathy for the end-users to the team, we built common ground to shape the product in a way that resulted in great user experience and a successful product.
“Wow! This is what we at PG&E gas service has been waiting for. This app keeps me safe, allows me to make the most important decisions I make on the job and gets me home to my family. Thank you!”
Please contact me if you’d like to learn more about my projects at PG&E. You may also request the password to view my case studies here and here which are protected due to the sensitive content of the work.