How a one-paragraph brief for a photovoltaic tree became a focused, testable MVP—a story about designing when almost nothing is known.
Case study layer
Arbora cools urban spaces by up to 10°C, removes pollutants, and generates clean energy. The users, installation context, sensor model, and interface were undefined.
Make Arbora’s invisible environmental impact visible, understandable, trustworthy, and actionable?
Double Diamond structure · Lean UX mindset
Every gap became a hypothesis to test, not a guess to hide.
Who touches Arbora, and what do they need from it?
Which invisible value matters most, and to whom?
What is the smallest thing that proves the idea?
Will real users understand and trust the evidence?
Four questions · one ecosystem
“I need proof.”
Clear numbers and a simple report to show the pilot was worth it.
“What is this thing?”
A quick, simple answer: what it is, and why it is here.
“Is it healthy?”
Know exactly what needs fixing, and when it needs attention.
“Does it scale?”
Evidence that one tree can become many, without losing impact.
Converging on value
Built for the decision-maker whose name is on the budget. Live fleet metrics, honest source tags, before/after evidence, and exportable reporting.
A QR-accessible page translating output into human terms—“enough to charge 300 phones”—so citizens can see and understand the tree.
Why it supports the MVP
“People see it. People get it.”
Ideas explored, sequenced by validation value
Dashboard, report, measured/estimated source tags.
QR view, “here vs. city,” and the breathing canopy.
Maintenance alerts and an investor portfolio view.
Enter the interactive pilot console to explore live KPIs, fleet intelligence, and the board-ready impact report.
Launch Pilot DashboardA self-contained monitoring product for evidence, operations, and environmental accountability.
248 kWh
Clean energy · today
−7.8°C
Surface cooling · now
1,092 kg
CO₂ removed · pilot
5,410 m³
Air filtered · today
Monitor clean energy, surface cooling, air quality, and asset health across the Northside pilot in real time.
Energy output
248 kWh
Peak at 13:40
Above forecastLive system
Locate assets, inspect live performance, and prioritize operational attention across the pilot site.
Choose an asset on the site map to update its detail card.
Select a tree to inspect its live status
Selected tree
Row C · east gate
Review priority assets, output, efficiency, and overall fleet health.
Current output, efficiency, and operational status
| Asset | Status | Energy | Efficiency | Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARB-07East gate | Active | 31.2 kWh | 98% | |
| ARB-03Row A | Active | 29.8 kWh | 95% | |
| ARB-04Row B | Warning | 27.1 kWh | 82% | |
| ARB-11South edge | Service | 12.4 kWh | 41% |
Across 12 trees
Board-ready evidence
From “asphalt in August” to the shade of a real tree.
3,842 kWh
Enough to charge approximately 96,000 phones in six weeks.
WHO “good” band on 29 of 42 days.
1,092 kg
Like taking one petrol car off the road for roughly eight months.
In six weeks, 12 trees made Lot B 7.8°C cooler, its air 31% cleaner, and generated 3,842 kWh free.