NextEra Energy is the world's largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun and a world leader in battery storage. NextEra is the parent company of Florida Power & Light Company, America's largest electric utility, and NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, a competitive clean energy business.

*Although many project details are confidential, I’m happy to discuss my experience in more detail during a conversation upon request.

Overview

Redesigned a GIS-based exclusion tool used by Development, Engineering, and Environmental teams to replace fragmented workflows across 4–5 systems. I led research, usability testing (5 sessions), and design improvements that removed key adoption barriers, reduced reliance on GIS support (previously up to 2-week turnaround), and positioned the tool to save thousands of hours annually through self-service workflows.

The Problem

Development teams needed to create project exclusions to define buildable land, but the process relied on disconnected tools (Google Earth, Omni, Jira, GIS systems) and manual coordination. The business developed a tool that ideally would empower development teams in creating exclusions, however the initial interface and the overall experience did not effectively support intuitive user workflows. Onboarding was challenging, the experience relied heavily on user recall, and users lacked sufficient guidance and orientation throughout the product.

Research Insights:

  • GIS support tickets could take up to 2 weeks for completion

  • Users had to manually create, export, and re-upload files across systems

  • Workflow complexity created bottlenecks, delays, and inefficiencies

  • Poor usability risked low adoption and failure to realize ROI

My Role

  • Restructured workflows into guided, step-by-step flows

  • Simplified interaction patterns to reduce cognitive load

  • Improved labeling, hierarchy, and system feedback

  • Implemented WCAG-aligned accessibility improvements

  • Added validation and review steps for high-risk actions

  • Introduced contextual guidance and tooltips to reduce training dependency

These changes directly addressed 7 critical usability issues blocking adoption

The Solution

Delivered a streamlined, self-service GIS exclusion workflow that:

  • Consolidates exclusion creation into a single tool

  • Guides users through project selection → creation → buffering → publishing

  • Eliminates manual file handling and cross-system friction

  • Provides clear validation and feedback for confidence in decisions

  • Supports scalable use across multiple business units

  • Users strongly valued the tool concept but struggled with usability barriers

  • Core workflows were fragmented across 4–5 systems, increasing time and error risk

  • Lack of guidance and feedback created hesitation in high-stakes actions

  • Users mentally model workflows as one continuous task, not multi-step flows

  • Confidence and clarity were critical for adoption

Efficiency & Time Savings

Key Insights

The Impact

Usability & Adoption

  • Conducted 5 usability sessions across cross-functional users

  • Users successfully completed core workflows end-to-end with minimal guidance

  • Identified and resolved 7+ recurring usability issues

  • Strong adoption signals:

    • “Very intuitive”, “Easy to use”, “Better than current tools”

Business Impact

User Behavior Improvements

  • Reduced cognitive load through guided workflows

  • Increased confidence in high-stakes publishing actions

  • Enabled self-sufficient workflows with minimal training

  • Reduced hesitation and task errors

Reflection

This project reinforced that usability is directly tied to business outcomes. Even high-value tools fail without a strong experience foundation. By identifying and resolving usability barriers early, I helped transform a fragmented, high-friction workflow into a scalable, high-impact solution that improves efficiency, reduces support burden, and drives adoption.

  • Replaced workflows spanning 4–5 tools (Google Earth, Omni, Jira, GIS systems)

  • Reduced reliance on GIS support tickets (up to 2-week turnaround eliminated)

  • Users estimated “thousands of hours saved annually” through workflow consolidation

  • Enabled faster, self-service exclusion creation

I led UX evaluation and design improvements by:

  • Conducting 6 user interviews + 5 moderated usability sessions (~30 min each)

  • Performing heuristic evaluation using Nielsen’s usability principles

  • Analyzing UAT feedback and cross-functional workflows

  • Identifying usability and accessibility issues blocking adoption

  • Designing and prioritizing 11 UX improvements (7 high priority)

  • Creating prototypes to validate improved workflows

Design / Strategy Actions

  • Protected investment by addressing adoption risks pre-launch

  • Positioned tool for enterprise rollout across multiple departments

  • Reduced risk of:

    • Low adoption

    • Support ticket overload

    • Workflow inefficiencies

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