End user centred interactive software architecture and design: the creation of communities for a smart energy use

CoSSMic (Collaborating Smart Solar powered Micro-grids) is an EU funded project. It aims to develop both hardware and software which will include an ICT system for smart management and control of generated/consumed solar energy in neighbourhood communities. The creation process of energy monitoring and controlling of Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) is described here. User Centred Design Workshops and face to face interviews were conducted with targeted neighbourhood communities in the Province of Caserta, Italy and the City of Konstanz, Germany. These workshops initiated the first part of the creation process and resulted in paper prototypes leading to functional and partially interactive hardware and software implementations. Thus linking the user to the technical development of the system. Furthermore a dedicated focus was set on the formation and sustainability of smart energy deploying user communities.