MoneyTree
Designing a clean energy platform from concept to MVP, translating solar energy, utility billing, savings, and payment rules into clear customer experiences.
Product Designer
Clean Energy Platform
Web · Mobile
0→1 · Concept to MVP
01
The Challenge
MoneyTree needed to turn an early-stage clean energy business model into a clear digital experience for customers managing solar energy services and utility payments.
The core challenge was helping customers understand what they were paying, what they had saved, and the environmental impact of using solar energy—while also supporting practical billing and payment tasks.
02
Goal & My Role
The business goal was to create an MVP that real customers in California could use to understand their energy impact, savings, billing, and payments across web and mobile.
I joined the project at an early stage as Product Designer, working directly with the CEO and CTO to understand the business model, customer needs, and technical requirements.
I helped define and prioritize the most important MVP flows, translated the existing brand into a digital product experience, and established the initial design system.
03
From Business Model to Product
The project began with an existing brand and early product flows, but the digital experience still needed structure. I worked with the founders to translate operational rules around solar energy, utility billing, savings, discounts, and payments into clear product flows.
Formal user research was not part of this MVP phase. Product understanding came primarily from collaboration with founders and business stakeholders.
Understand
Business model, billing, solar rules
Prioritize
Core MVP customer flows
Structure
Information architecture and flows
Design
UX, UI, responsive patterns
Deliver
MVP for real customers
04
The Product Experience
The MVP focused on giving customers a simple view of their energy usage, savings, environmental impact, billing, and payment activity.
Home
Combined billing information with solar energy impact, money savings, CO₂ avoided, trees supported, and solar-versus-utility energy comparisons.
Billing & Payments
Supported payment flows, billing summaries, payment information, billing history, and detailed payment scenarios.
Authentication
Included login and logout experiences designed to fit naturally within the wider customer journey.
Account Management
Added settings and contact experiences so customers could manage their relationship with the service.
05
Making Energy Data Understandable
One of the most important design problems was translating unfamiliar relationships between solar energy, utility usage, discounts, savings, and payments into information customers could quickly understand.
I focused on making these relationships visible through clear summaries, comparisons, and customer-facing language rather than exposing the underlying business complexity.
Billing Clarity
Helped customers understand what they owed, what had been paid, and how billing information related to their energy service.
Savings
Made the financial benefit of the service visible through clear savings and discount information.
Energy Comparison
Structured solar and utility information so customers could better understand how their energy was being sourced.
Environmental Impact
Translated energy usage into more tangible signals such as CO₂ emissions avoided and trees supported.
06
Building the Product System
I established the initial design system by translating MoneyTree's existing brand into reusable digital components and interaction patterns for web and mobile.
As the team refined business rules around billing, discounts, savings, and solar-versus-utility information, I iterated on flows and information presentation to keep the experience understandable and consistent.
07
Launch & Outcome
The MVP was delivered and launched with real customers in California.
It provided customers with a functional way to understand energy impact, savings, billing, and payments across web and mobile experiences.
The product was also used as part of the company's investment efforts and later evolved under a new name.
08
What I Learned
Learn the Domain Fast
Strengthened my ability to quickly understand unfamiliar business models and domain-specific operational rules.
Translate Complexity
Learned how to turn complex energy and billing information into clear, actionable customer experiences.
Work Directly with Founders
Developed deeper experience collaborating with business and technical leadership in an early-stage product environment.
Brand to Product System
Strengthened my ability to extend an existing brand into a scalable digital product and design system.