EV Network @ Applied Medical
EV Charging
A User-Centric Platform for
To better manage on-site EV chargers at Applied Medical, I designed a portal that tracks both the network of charging ports and user activity. This platform not only allows users to request charging access and monitor port availability but also enables administrators with comprehensive control over charging durations and port visibility.
View PrototypeContents
Approach
Waterfall, Desktop Interface Design
Team
Product Manager, Full Stack Engineers, Business and Quality Analysts, Application Architect
40%
electric by 2030*
As EV sales rise nationwide, a strong and accessible charging network is crucial. To support this transition to more sustainable energy, Applied Medical offers on-site charging to encourage EV adoption. How might we design a scalable, user-friendly network that is both easy to maintain for administrators and convenient for users?
*according to the U.S. Bureau of Statistics
PROBLEM
Port management limited by Formstack, Twilio, and Raspberry Pi
Currently, users provide their vehicle registration details via a form hosted on Formstack. As vehicles reach the charging duration limit, a text message notification is sent to the user using Twilio as a service; while the charging ports are controlled by admins through Raspberry Pi. In order to maximize efficiency, admins would like to have a centralized platform to approve user registrations and manage ports more conveniently.
SOLUTION
1. Manage Charger Ports
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2. Manage Users + Vehicles
PRODUCT
The EV network in a nutshell
Manage Charger Ports
Add new ports, control port visibility & status, and designate ports
Manage Users
Review registration requests, adjust charging quota, and track user status
HYPOTHESIS
User and port management should be centralized
The Facilities team’s current process for managing users and ports is time-consuming. User registrations are reviewed individually via email, and tracking users is handled separately from managing ports. Centralizing the management of both users and ports would streamline the process to make it more efficient.
EMPATHIZE & DISCOVER
Admins would find the EV management system more convenient if:
- They can add or remove charger ports
- User registration approval process is simplified
Before starting the design process, I formulated some questions for the stakeholders and business analysts to thoroughly grasp their pain points and the issue I was addressing:
Interview Questions
- How do users currently get registered?
- How do users get notified of a full charge?
- What features would be useful to help manage ports and users?
- Is there a potential for additional controllers to be added in the future?
- Is moving away from Twilio within the project scope?
DEFINE
Defining the scope and design timeline
From the discovery phase, I was able to understand the current EV charging workflow and its associated challenges:
Main Challenges
Users can only access registration form via QR code posted at the chargers
Admins struggle to approve new registrations and maintain the user database
Admins have difficulty tracking and managing users’ daily charging quota
No convenient way to add more charging ports to Pi controllers
Relying on Twilio’s automated text messaging system for charging notifications
Since this project follows a Waterfall approach, the design phase is completed in a single stage before handing off to developers. Clearly defined requirements from the start save time for the design, development, and testing teams. This structured workflow and clear requirements allowed me to finalize the design within a few weeks while managing other projects.
IDEATE & DESIGN
Designing new features
Based on the information gathered during the discovery phase and considering the estimated timeframe, I brainstormed several ideas for how the new product might be designed.
The MVP will include:
A registration form where users can:
- Submit car and contact info
- Access anytime
- Set expiration & email reminders
A user management platform where admins can:
- Approve or deny registration requests
- Assign charging quota
- Deactivate or suspend users
A ports management platform where admins can:
- Add or remove ports
- Show or hide chargers
- Assign chargers based on designation
High-Fidelity Screens
Keeping the style guide in mind, I created a high-fidelity prototype on Figma for user testing and feedback.
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The Prototype
Link to interactive prototype
REFLECTIONS ON THE PROCESS
Learnings & what I’d do differently next time
1. Designing an EV Charger app for end users
Instead of depending on automated texts from Twilio to inform users about port availability and charge cycles/durations, an app can be developed to deliver this information directly. This app will ideally include Applied Medical’s campus map with their buildings and associated chargers. Building and maintaining a fully customizable app can reduce costs by allowing us to transition away from Twilio’s messaging system and avoid its limitations.
2. Ability to add Pi controllers
The MVP requires only the addition of ports to Pi controllers, as adding Pi controllers introduces back-end complexity and is therefore out of scope. In the future, a valuable feature could be the ability to add Pi controllers to buildings in the case where the charger network is expanded.
Thank you for reading!
