On December 11, nine participants had the opportunity to go through two test stations and evaluate an initial click prototype of the app. The focus was on two central functions: creating measuring points and entering measured values. The design of the dashboard and the individual app screens were also reviewed in order to further improve user-friendliness.

The organizers had come up with something special for this. A usability test, combined with a meal, was an ideal opportunity to gather user feedback in a relaxed and sociable atmosphere. This combination not only encouraged discussion about the app, but also created a pleasant and relaxed environment for constructive feedback. This provided valuable insights that flowed directly into the further development of the app. The tests identified potential for improvement, which is now being fleshed out in the form of additional requirements for the app. The goal is clear: to create an intuitive, easy-to-understand and visually appealing user interface that actively supports tenants in analyzing their energy consumption and changing their behavior to save energy.

Exchange in a relaxed atmosphere

The event not only provided an opportunity to optimize the app, but also a space for creative exchange. In an informal atmosphere, accompanied by snacks, pizza and drinks, the participants got talking and were able to share their impressions of the tests. Among other things, the focus was on the name of the app, for which an alternative to “SmartLivingNEXT” was discussed.

This relaxed environment proved to be ideal for gathering honest and constructive feedback. The open design of the event encouraged participants to actively contribute their ideas and suggestions – a key success factor for the further development of the app.

The SmartLivingNEXT app is designed to give tenants easy access to relevant information. It is not only used to display energy consumption and costs, but also offers tools to analyse individual user behaviour and uncover optimization potential. The aim is to save energy, reduce costs and thus make a contribution to sustainability.

Consortium partner Materna is developing the app on the technological basis of the SmartLivingNEXT flagship project, which was developed in particular with the project partner of the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI)). The flagship project provides the infrastructure, necessary components for sovereign data exchange and AI services in the SmartLivingNEXT ecosystem.

Outlook: Availability in app stores

The next major milestone is the release of the app in the popular app stores in the first quarter of 2025. With functions such as the display of energy consumption and the input of electricity consumption and contracts, the app is designed to help tenants optimize energy costs and actively shape sustainability. Future releases of the app will offer additional functions such as personalized savings tips and further improve the user experience. SmartLivingNEXT shows how digital innovations can revolutionize the future of living – and the app will be a central component of this progress.