Case Study · 2025 · 13 weeks
Frazer-Nash Energy Visualiser
Complex systems, made navigable.
Role
Lead UX & Systems Designer
Timeline
2025 · 13 weeks
Tools
Figma, FigJam, ProtoPie
Platform
Web Application
Energy transition decisions are shaped by simplified narratives that hide the system beneath.
Energy transition discussions are frequently shaped by simplified narratives that isolate individual technologies rather than considering the system as a whole. Existing tools often present static data or dense dashboards, making it difficult to explore 'what-if' scenarios or understand the consequences of different decisions.
As a result, stakeholders struggled to interpret fragmented and technical data, compare trade-offs across cost, emissions, and reliability, and understand how changes in one area affected the wider system. Frazer-Nash needed a way to make these interdependencies visible, navigable, and open to exploration.
Problem Framing with Domain Experts
Worked closely with engineers and mentors at Frazer-Nash to understand the real-world constraints of Australia's energy system. This collaboration ensured the design reflected domain knowledge, not just UX assumptions.
System Mapping
Early work focused on mapping the energy transition as a connected system rather than a linear flow. Relationships between generation sources, storage, emissions, cost, and reliability were explored through iterative system maps. These mappings surfaced key dependencies and informed the visual model's underlying structure.
Interaction Model Design
Designed interactive controls that allowed users to adjust energy inputs and explore different scenarios dynamically. The goal was to shift the experience from passive viewing to active exploration, enabling stakeholders to test assumptions and compare outcomes in real time.
Trade-Off Visibility
Designed the interface to surface trade-offs across cost, emissions, and system reliability simultaneously, without prioritising any single metric. This supported more nuanced discussions and avoided overly simplified conclusions.
Node-based energy system map
Energy sources and their relationships are represented as connected nodes. The spatial structure makes interdependencies immediately visible. Users can see at a glance how generation sources, storage, cost, and emissions are connected, and how changes propagate through the system.
Outcomes
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Delivered an interactive prototype enabling real-time energy scenario exploration for Frazer-Nash stakeholders
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Node-based system map made interdependencies visible and navigable without requiring technical literacy
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Real-time interaction model supported causal understanding of trade-offs across cost, emissions, and reliability
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Prototype live at energy-comparison-viz.vercel.app
Reflection
“This project reinforced the importance of designing for systems rather than isolated interfaces. The most valuable design decisions weren't visual. They were structural. How information is connected matters more than how it looks. If I were to continue, I'd invest more time in the onboarding experience for stakeholders unfamiliar with the energy domain, and explore how the tool could support collaborative scenario-building across teams.”