Rather than offering discounts to attract new customers and maintain current ones, Reliant Energy prefers to add value. They look for new ways to distinguish their services from what other energy providers offer. The challenge for T3 was finding unique ways to add value in a mobile app experience. We conducted consumer research in order to gather insights that would direct our development. Two mandates were clear – it needed to do the basics flawlessly, like bill pay, and also needed to help users track energy usage. Starting from there, we made certain to nail the fundamentals. We made it easier for customers to pay their bill faster than they can with any of Reliant's competitors. From saved login credentials to saved payment information, the entire process became quick and effortless. Additionally, we made it easier and more intuitive to manage usage with easy-to-understand interactive charts. Users can track usage by time, compare usage to nearby homes and view their projected bill for the month. We also found ways to incorporate existing services that were being under-utilized. By integrating these services into the app, we made them more accessible and useful for customers. For instance, we enabled users to manage their account alert settings so they can receive text alerts on their phone when their energy exceeds a set monthly target. T3 set a new bar for energy provider apps, giving Reliant a competitive advantage and giving customers the power to take control of their energy usage.
Contributors:
Chief Creative Officer: | Jay Suhr |
Creative Director: | Denny Phillips |
Sr. Art Director: | Sarah Slate |
Sr. Copywriter: | Scott Youngblood |
Sr. Interactive Designer: | Ty Getterman |
Sr. Producer: | Anjanette Houser |
Group Account Director: | John Ridgway |
Technical Artist: | Daniel Kim |
Senior Developer: | Bryan Rehbein |
Director of Engineering: | Ryan Ploetz |