Netilion EcoWatch

Embedding human memory into sustainability dashboards

Project type → SaaS Dashboard + Report Automation

Client → Endress + Hauser

Industry → Sustainability, Industrial SaaS

Research partners → Citizens Energy & Carmel Utilities

Role → UX Research & Strategy · Concept Development

Duration → 3 months (Q1 2022)

Overview

BACKGROUND

Endress+Hauser (E+H) had already proven its Netilion Water Network Insights (NWNI) platform could stream millions of sensor points from water systems. For a strategic design challenge, E+H invited cross-functional teams to explore vertical expansions, and my team's brief was to push NWNI beyond flow-rate dashboards into a sustainability-intelligence layer for wastewater utilities.

BUSINESS CONTEXT

Market Gap: Most “smart water” platforms surface leaks and usage, yet none capture the decision rationale or automate ESG reporting.

Opportunity: I envisioned EcoWatch, a sustainability-monitoring add-on that introduces a “Memory Palace” layer (inline annotations + report automation) on top of NWNI’s live sensor backbone.

MY ROLE

Concept Owner & Strategist: Conceived EcoWatch’s pillars (Memory Palace + automated reports) and built the business case.

Researcher: Conducted desk analysis and user interviews with a Citizens Energy plant manager and sustainability executive to map workflows, market gaps, and operational pain points.

Prototype & Validation Driver: Translated insights into a hi-fi Figma proof-of-concept, then ran validation walkthroughs with Citizens Energy and Carmel Utilities

Design Process

Discover & Analyse

Environmental analysis of E+H to map competitors, market forces, regulation trends, and the sustainability-monitoring landscape.

Secondary scan of NWNI: reviewed white-papers, marketing decks, API references(publicly available only) to understand data flows and extension levers.

Stakeholder interviews with a Citizens Energy Plant Manager & Sustainability Executive; thematic analysis surfaced workflow pain points and unmet reporting needs.

Revealed a strategic white-space: NWNI could win by capturing decision context and automating ESG reports

Synthesise & Ideate

Created personas, empathy maps, workflow & role-relation diagrams to align the team on user goals and cross-role dependencies.

Facilitated an ideation workshop; sketched multiple concepts, then scored them on a Value Proposition Canvas.

Outcome: my “Memory Palace” + Automated Reports concept emerged as highest-value

Turned research insights into a crisp vision and secured cross-functional buy-in around one north-star solution.

Prototype & Validate

Authored detailed task flows to lock interaction logic.

Built low-fi wireframes for E+H feedback, iterating on scope and terminology.

Delivered a polished hi-fi Figma prototype and ran validation sessions with Citizens Energy & Carmel Utilities, confirming usability and business fit.

Supplied leadership with hi-fi proof of concept that de-risked development and positioned EcoWatch for pilot implementation.

Define the Problem

CURRENT WORKFLOW

Building a single report currently takes us more than 70hrs of manual effort

Plant Manager

Citizens Energy Group

KEY CHALLENGES

Scattered data across platforms and teams

Manual, tedious analysis that drained time and effort

No reliable view of history to compare past and present actions

Lack of an insight-driven strategy to guide future decisions

PROBLEM STATEMENT

How might we simplify data analysis workflows for executives and analysts in water treatment companies—so they can monitor effectively and drive impactful sustainability strategies?

Solution - EcoWatch

Netilion EcoWatch is a collaborative sustainability dashboard that wraps NWNI’s live data with context, communication, and automation.

MONITOR

Track goals in real time

→ Live KPIs for consumption, production, and leaks.

→ Transparent year-over-year trend lines to set and refine sustainability goals.

COLLABORATE

In-system dialogue

→ Inline annotations, @mentions, and task assignments.

→ Replaces email chains with a single source of truth.

MEMORY PALACE

Centralised decision record

→ Timestamped notes pinned to specific data points.

→ Colour-tag root causes (equipment, weather, process).

KNOWLEDGE REPOSITORY

Institutional memory

→ Curated playlists of past events, fixes, and learnings.

→ Searchable by tag, date, or sensor.

REPORT GENERATION

Templates + variables

→ Drop-in placeholders ({{Flow_Min}}) pull live values.

→ Exports to EPA and corporate ESG formats in minutes.

DATA CENTRALISATION

IoT + Excel friendly

→ Direct feed from E+H sensors and CSV uploads.

→ Real-time device health monitoring.

Litmus Test
Viable product or visionary sketch?

First-look reactions confirmed that EcoWatch’s blend of context capture and sustainability focus landed with the people who will use it every day.

We definitely need something like this, especially to motivate people to be more mindful about water consumption.

Utilities Director

City of Carmel Utilities

I really like the way you’ve called this section Memory Palace; I can completely relate to this.

Director, Environmental Stewardship

Citizens Energy Group

Reflections

This project reframed how I see dashboards, not as static tools, but as living systems for organizational memory. When teams are asked to hit sustainability goals without historical clarity, they don’t just need metrics, they need meaning. Designing for that meant embedding reflection right into the workflow, without adding cognitive load.

vinni

Netilion EcoWatch

Embedding human memory into sustainability dashboards