Marine Tablet App

Overview

VoltSafe is a technology company that specializes in the development of safe and efficient power connectors for marine environments and more. To showcase the capabilities of their power connectors, VoltSafe decided to create a demo app that would highlight the key features of their product and demonstrate its functionality in a clear and concise manner.

The demo app was not designed for commercial use, but rather to serve as a platform for showcasing refining our technology. Based on the findings from this project, VoltSafe Marine is currently working on the production version of the VoltSafe Marine Enterprise Dashboard, which is expected to be released in Q2 of 2024.

Design Considerations

When designing the VoltSafe Marine Showcase Demo app, there were several considerations to keep in mind.

The app needed to focus on the main features of the power connector and demonstrate its capabilities in a visually appealing and easy-to-use way.

It also needed to provide context and background information on the product, while showcasing its potential use cases. Testing and refining the app based on user feedback was essential to ensure that it effectively communicated the vision of the technology to investors and convention attendees.

Empathy Map

Even though there is no actual user for this specific version of the product, I did have a demographic in mind I designed this experience for. In this case I created a persona named "Investor Ivan."

Persona: Investor Ivan

Ivan is interested in VoltSafe Marine, an innovative technology that improves safety and reduces energy usage in marinas and on boats, and wants to use the app to learn more about its potential use cases before making an investment decision.

Says: Asks questions about the technology and its potential market.

Thinks: Excited about the potential for the VoltSafe Marine power connector to improve safety and reduce energy usage and interested in learning more about the technology and its potential use cases.

Does: Reviews financial and performance data to inform investment decisions and attends presentations and meetings to learn more about the technology and the team behind it.

Feels: Feels pressure to make informed investment decisions and is excited about the potential of the technology.

Description of the App

The VoltSafe Marine Showcase Demo app for tablet use at conventions and other public events consisted of two views: the dashboard and the device spotlight.

Dashboard view:

• Users could view a list of all devices in the marina, including details such as serial number, slip number, status, billing, and firmware version.
• Users could select a specific device and view its details such as input voltage, input current, temperature, and power leakage.
• From this tile, users could also control the device, turning it on or off as needed.
• The app provided granular marina-wide power metering data that could be displayed week to week, month to month, or year to year.
• An interactive slip map provided a graphical representation of the marina, allowing users to drag and zoom to view the state of each slip and device, which was updated automatically.

Device Spotlight view:

• Users could view and control the power connector in real-time.
• The view included a photorealistic representation of the VoltSafe Marine power connector that reflected its real state, allowing users to quickly and easily see whether it was connected or disconnected.
• Users could control the device using an animated switch, which displayed the on-time for the given session.
• The system status provided live input voltage, input current, temperature, and power leakage data, while the live power metering graph showed real-time power usage in kilowatts, updating every 5 seconds.

These features would allow users to control and monitor their power usage in a visually appealing and easy-to-use way.

Here is a quick video of VoltSafe's CEO, Trevor Burgess, demo-ing some features of the app:

Results

The VoltSafe Marine Showcase Demo app was instrumental in testing and refining the technology, which ultimately led to the development of the VoltSafe Marine Enterprise Dashboard. The demo app allowed VoltSafe Marine to showcase the capabilities of the power connector in a clear and concise manner, which helped them secure partnerships with marinas and yacht clubs.

The app also helped VoltSafe Marine receive funding from the National Research Council of Canada and partner with ABB Marine & Ports to develop a smart charging solution for electric boats.

The VoltSafe Marine Showcase Demo app was named a CES 2023 Innovation Awards Honoree in the Smart Cities category for their marine power connector technology.

This recognition helped raise the profile of the technology and attract investors, which ultimately led to the development of the VoltSafe Marine Enterprise Dashboard.

Conclusion

The VoltSafe Marine Showcase Demo app was an essential tool in testing and refining the technology, which led to the development of the VoltSafe Marine Enterprise Dashboard.

The app allowed VoltSafe Marine to showcase the capabilities of the power connector in a clear and concise manner, which helped them secure partnerships and funding.

The app was not designed for commercial use, but rather to serve as a platform for testing and refining the technology. Based on the findings from this project, VoltSafe Marine is currently working on the production version of the VoltSafe Marine Enterprise Dashboard, which is expected to be released in Q2 of 2024.

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