Hey, we're the user experience team at Opower.
Our design challenge: to motivate everyone, everywhere, to use less energy. In other words, we design like the world depends on it.
How?
Most people don’t think much about their energy consumption.
We apply user-centered design to energy data to transform it into products that are clear, intuitive, and compelling.
Does it work?
We’re fundamentally changing people’s relationship with energy.
In fact, our users have saved enough energy to replace the Hoover Dam.
Meet the team

Team

We may come from different places and ride different bikes, but we're joined by our love of good design.

  • Beth
    Beth
    Curator of Chocolate
    Beth
    Copywriter
    Why are you here?Creating change while drinking perfect coffee
  • Bill
    Bill
    Man in Black
    Bill
    Product Architect
    Why are you here?To be a contrarian (everyone else is too nice)
  • Colin
    Colin
    Pantone Princess
    Colin
    Graphic Designer
    Why are you here?For the cereal
  • David G.
    David G.
    Tee K.O. Aficionado
    David G.
    Senior Designer Developer
    Why are you here?To make things simpler
  • David S.
    David S.
    Clandestine Chemist
    David S.
    Senior Director, Product Architecture
    Why are you here?To change enterprise software
  • Jennifer
    Jennifer
    Resident Cat Lady
    Jennifer
    Principal Designer
    Why are you here?To work on interesting problems with some very cool people
  • Jod
    Jod
    The Salty Bard
    Jod
    Senior Director, UX Design & Research
    Why are you here?To create a viable future we can thrive in
  • Joy
    Joy
    Pixel Wrangler
    Joy
    UX Designer
    Why are you here?To work on projects that matter
  • Justin
    Justin
    Chronomancer
    Justin
    UX Project Manager
    Why are you here?To unravel the mystery of “Free Time”
  • Karina
    Karina
    Energy Therapist
    Karina
    Principal User Experience Researcher
    Why are you here?To learn about your electric vehicle
  • Kate
    Kate
    Curiosity Queen
    Kate
    User Experience Researcher
    Why are you here?To observe behavioral science in action
  • Lauren
    Lauren
    EE Wizard
    Lauren
    Energy Efficiency Program Manager
    Why are you here?To help people save energy
  • Liza
    Liza
    Sustainability Sleuth
    Liza
    User Experience Designer
    Why are you here?To crack the case of the changing climate
  • ML
    ML
    Brand Ninja
    ML
    Director, Design & Content
    Why are you here?To make things that matter
  • Reiko
    Reiko
    CX Tightrope Walker
    Reiko
    Senior User Experience Designer
    Why are you here?To strike the balance between a wide range of stakeholders
  • Jaxson
    Jaxson
    The Wonder-pup
    Jaxson
    Branch Manager, Virginia
    Why are you here?To get belly rubs and give out puppy hugs
  • You?
    You?
    Yeah, you.
    You?
    We’re always on the lookout for talented designers with a passion for behavior change. We have internship opportunities too! Check out our open jobs.

Our Thoughts and Contributions

Here’s what some past team members have said about design, code, and behavior change.

Deena at TEDx

Don't change the products, change the people Watch the video

The Behavioral Science of Limiting User Behavior

Dave and Ryan write for UX Magazine Read the article

The Web is inefficient, but we can fix it

Justin on energy, design, and the Internet Read the article

Design principles

Opower is not like other software companies. Our goal is to drive measurable energy savings, so we stick to 5 behavioral design principles for delighting and informing energy consumers.

  • 1
    Design for how people actually behave
    At Opower, our focus is different than most product companies: we strive to influence people's daily actions outside of our product. To do this, we’ve become experts in the science of behavior change. We incorporate behavioral science techniques such as normative comparison, social proof, loss language, defaults, and user commitment into our product designs.
  • 2
    Assume people don't care
    We must accept the burden of relevance — “boring until proven otherwise.” Studies show that people only spend 9 minutes per year thinking about their energy use, so we're starting at a disadvantage. We respect people's limited time, so we use familiar mental models, clear language, and visual cues to help people quickly process our messages.
  • 3
    Always lead to action
    To achieve measurable energy savings, people must change their behavior. We take the time to understand our users so that our savings tips are actionable and can integrate into their lives. Users should always have a clear next step to take.
  • 4
    Aim for lasting relationships, not one-night stands
    People receive Opower reports and products from their utility company. It is important to respect that relationship, and help improve it over time. As we learn more about people while they use our products, we adapt to their circumstances by providing appropriate encouragement and rewards.
  • 5
    Build for everyone... who receives a utility bill
    At Opower, we strive to find the right message and deliver it through the appropriate channel to make sure everyone, everywhere, has the information they need to be energy efficient regardless of their age, income, language, energy knowledge, or access to technology.

Of course we have fun

And we have the pictures to prove it.

We love colors and coordinated outfits!
(maybe a little too much)