Visit Umeå · Project story
Translating event emissions into a constructive eco-receipt while taking the work from an undefined brief to a functional MVP.
- UX/UI design
- Accessibility
- Prototyping
- Vibe coding
- User research
At a glance
- Three signatures
- Nature, Climate, and Resources from fixed Excel data
- Three modes
- Planning, outcome, and planned-versus-actual comparison
- Roughly 40 hours
- About half design and research, half building the MVP
- Built to scale
- A repeatable workflow for municipal events
01 · Context
Background and challenge
Visit Umeå promotes and develops the city as a destination for conferences and events. I was brought in to address a gap they could describe but had not yet solved: their environmental data existed, but it was not helping anyone make decisions.
Event & Klimat calculated emissions and exported raw CO₂ figures into a fixed Excel structure. The process stopped there. Event organisers needed plain-language guidance before and after an event, while municipal staff needed dependable reporting they could export and share.
There was no product to redesign, only a disconnect between a technical calculator and the people expected to act on its output.
02 · Contribution
Highlights
My role crossed framing, research, interaction design, data translation, prototyping, and implementation.
- Designed and built a working MVP solo, taking the project from an undefined brief to functional code.
- Translated fixed Excel emissions data into three ecological signatures: Nature, Climate, and Resources.
- Delivered the full workflow from file import and CO₂ conversion to interactive receipt and PDF export.
- Designed distinct planning, outcome, and comparison modes around the event lifecycle.
- Used workshops and research to make difficult results constructive rather than discouraging.
- Created a mobile-ready tool intended to scale across conferences and events in Umeå municipality.
03 · Research
Approach and user research
With an undefined brief and a tight timeline, I first worked with Drakryggen to establish where a new tool could add practical value. Aligning on scope early made the rest of the project movable.
I collaborated closely with a sustainability consultant from ESAM AB. I kept the process grounded in plain language: I brought ideas and rough directions, we checked them against her subject knowledge, and I translated the result into design decisions.
Workshops and research with real users shaped the tone as much as the interface. Presenting results constructively, even when the impact was high, was a finding, not a cosmetic choice.
04 · Design direction
Finding the visual language
The central design problem was tonal: how could the product communicate poor results without discouraging action, and make planning feel distinct from reflecting on a completed event?
We explored dark dashboards, letter grades, text-heavy summaries, and several levels of visualisation. Iteration and testing led to readable indicators, constructive language, and a clear separation between forecast and outcome.
The final model translated emissions into three signatures people could understand without interpreting raw figures: Nature, Climate, and Resources.
05 · Delivery
From prototype to working MVP
Midway through the project, the client decided they wanted a working product rather than a Figma prototype. Instead of a traditional handoff, I used Figma Make to build the MVP myself.
The project split roughly in half: around 20 hours on research, concepts, and design, followed by about 20 hours building the product. Designing first and building second made the compressed delivery possible.
Figma Make generated separate pages for each view, so design changes had to be repeated. PDF export also needed significant workarounds because the generated output was not structured for print. Those constraints reinforced the value of settling the core concept before production.
06 · Product
The eco-receipt experience
The core output is structured more like a confirmation than a report. It begins with the event, dates, participants, and total CO₂e, then translates impact into a radar chart and scored bars for the three ecological signatures.
Each signature explains what drove the result in plain language. Category breakdowns and insight cards surface positives and areas of concern while keeping the tone constructive.
Planning and outcome views share a consistent structure. Comparison mode adds directional indicators showing whether actual emissions landed above or below the plan. The mobile-first receipt and its PDF export support both immediate decisions and formal reporting.
07 · Outcome
Impact and reflections
The client received a real, usable product from a project that began without a defined solution. The MVP bridged the gap between a technical emissions calculator and the organisers and municipal staff who needed to understand its output.
It provided a repeatable way to import, interpret, compare, and communicate event impact across the municipality. It supported better environmental decisions, but the project did not measure or claim a specific reduction in emissions.
The late pivot compressed design iteration, and Figma Make required visual and technical compromises. Given more time and a clearer starting brief, the result could have been more polished. Still, delivering the complete workflow solo in roughly 40 hours demonstrated what a design-first, AI-assisted build could achieve.