Discovery Research For Dominion Energy
The Client and the Challenge
Innovation Team Under Constraints
Dominion Energy was exploring a new energy technology and asked us to build a pilot around a specific user segment. Our research showed that segment wouldn’t work. The real challenge was proving it, pivoting fast, and pitching a plan that could survive real-world constraints and stakeholder scrutiny.
Goal
Create A Workflow That Guides User Research
Identify and validate a feasible pilot segment through wide-angle discovery. Uncover needs and pain points through interview cycles, the regroup to connect insights into user flows and wireframes.
More specifically...
Validate the desirability and feasibility of a pilot by identifying a segment that could reliably plug in during peak demand, then translate research into a clear recommendation and supporting artifacts.
Timeline
4 months
Team
4-person team
Deliverables
Summary Report
Skills
UX Research · Figma · Photoshop
My Process
Super Brief Description
1
Test the original hypothesis
Planned and ran interviews across multiple potential segments, then pulled patterns from what we heard. We paired qualitative input with survey data to stress-test assumptions.
Synthesize quickly and framing
Organized findings to surface themes, constraints, and dealbreakers.
2
Pivot with criteria
Define "what must be true," for a viable pilot segment.
3
Validate new segments
Optimized second round of user research focused on critical assumptions. Focus on qualitative insights to round out personas and journey maps.
4
Translate insights into artifacts
Provide recommendations in the form of user personas, journey maps, early concepts.
5
What Worked Best
Super Brief Description
We stayed neutral, tested the assumptions, and followed the evidence.
Letting research invalidate the plan early
Criteria for success made the pivot rational, not reactive. Also a time saver since it ruled out segments as they came up.
Defining constraints clearly
Artifacts as alignment tools
Artifacts are the paper trail. They capture what we believed, what we decided and why, so the work stays accountable as it evolves.
Results
Framing Results in Stakeholder Terms
Identified why the gig-driver fleet concept was structurally misaligned with peak energy demand needs.
Pivoted to a more viable segment with predictable schedules and consistent plug-in behavior.
Uncovered a concrete value exchange for healthcare workers (parking reliability and charging), strengthening desirability.
Produced strategic documentation (personas, journeys, service blueprints) and early concepts to support our findings.
How My Process Changed
Uncovering One Non-Negotiable
This project made one thing non-negotiable: research has to end in a decision. Going forward, I keep the story tight: what we learned, what changed, and what we can recommend given what we know. I build artifacts that make the pivot clear. I say yes to the core idea, not the first path. I use constraints and evidence to keep the team focused on solving the right problem.
