UX Strategy

Design principles, stakeholder personas, information architecture, and interaction patterns for the Deep Retrofit Capital CEIP Platform.

Design Principles

Enterprise and government efficacy standards guiding every design decision across the DRC CEIP Platform.

TF

Transparency First

Every status, decision, and cost is visible to stakeholders. No hidden processes, no opaque approvals. Full pipeline visibility from application through to completion and repayment.

PD

Progressive Disclosure

Complex regulatory workflows are broken into digestible steps. Users see only what they need at each stage, with the ability to drill deeper when required.

A11

Accessibility

WCAG 2.1 AA compliant throughout. Supports diverse user technical literacy levels, from first-time homeowners to institutional investors and government administrators.

AUD

Auditability

Complete action history and decision trail for every transaction. Every approval, rejection, modification, and status change is logged with timestamp, actor, and rationale.

PTA

Property-Type Adaptive

Interface adapts based on property classification -- residential, commercial, farm, or industrial. Forms, eligible improvements, cost ranges, and workflows adjust automatically.

MR

Mobile-Responsive

Designed for field use. Contractors submit completions from job sites, inspectors verify on-location, and property owners review agreements on any device.

Stakeholder Personas

Six primary personas interact with the DRC CEIP Platform. Each has distinct goals, pain points, and technical proficiency levels that shape their portal experience.

POC

Property Owner (Commercial)

Commercial

Building manager or REIT representative seeking to reduce energy costs and improve building value through CEIP-eligible improvements.

Goals Reduce energy costs, improve building asset value, access favorable financing through CEIP program.
Pain Points Complex regulatory process, multiple approvals needed across stakeholders, lengthy timelines from application to completion.
Technical Proficiency Moderate
Key Screens Application wizard, agreement review, performance dashboard
POR

Property Owner (Residential)

Residential

Homeowner wanting energy efficiency improvements for their property, often encountering the CEIP program for the first time.

Goals Improve home energy efficiency, reduce utility bills, understand tax implications and repayment structure.
Pain Points Unfamiliar with CEIP process, concerned about property tax implications, overwhelmed by technical terminology.
Technical Proficiency Basic
Key Screens Simplified application, cost calculator, improvement catalog
QC

Qualified Contractor

APEGA / AAA Licensed

Licensed engineer or tradesperson (APEGA/AAA) who performs CEIP-eligible improvements and must meet program qualification standards.

Goals Find CEIP projects, streamline qualification and certification process, submit completion documentation efficiently.
Pain Points Paperwork burden, multiple certification submissions required, unclear project timelines from property owners.
Technical Proficiency Moderate
Key Screens Registration portal, project bidding, completion submission
DRC

DRC Program Administrator

Internal Staff

Internal Deep Retrofit Capital staff managing the full CEIP program lifecycle from intake through monitoring and reporting.

Goals Efficient pipeline management, regulatory compliance, accurate reporting, cross-stakeholder coordination.
Pain Points Cross-stakeholder coordination complexity, regulatory changes, volume management during peak periods.
Technical Proficiency High
Key Screens Application review dashboard, approval workflows, monitoring system
MR

Municipal Representative

Government

City clerk or program coordinator who tracks CEIP programs within their jurisdiction and ensures bylaw compliance.

Goals Track CEIP programs in jurisdiction, ensure bylaw compliance, generate annual reports for council.
Pain Points Multiple program administrators to coordinate with, reporting overhead, bylaw amendment processes.
Technical Proficiency Moderate
Key Screens Program dashboard, annual reports, bylaw management
CI

Capital Investor

Institutional

Institutional lender or fund manager providing capital for CEIP programs, focused on portfolio performance and risk assessment.

Goals Portfolio performance visibility, risk assessment, deal pipeline review, repayment tracking.
Pain Points Deal size visibility, repayment tracking accuracy, lack of standardized performance metrics across municipalities.
Technical Proficiency High
Key Screens Portfolio dashboard, bond performance, project pipeline

Information Architecture

Hierarchical navigation structure for each portal, organized by stakeholder role. Each portal is self-contained with role-based access controls.

Public Portal

  • Public Portal
    • Home
    • Eligible Improvements
    • Qualified Contractors
    • Apply
    • FAQs
    • Annual Reports

Property Owner Portal

  • Property Owner Portal
    • Dashboard
    • My Applications
    • My Agreements
    • My Properties
    • Performance
    • Documents
    • Support

Contractor Portal

  • Contractor Portal
    • Dashboard
    • My Profile
    • Qualifications
    • Active Projects
    • Quotes
    • Completions
    • Training

Admin Portal

  • Admin Portal
    • Pipeline
    • Applications
    • Contractors
    • Properties
    • Agreements
    • Monitoring
    • Reports
    • Settings

Municipality Portal

  • Municipality Portal
    • Dashboard
    • Active Programs
    • Agreements
    • Reports
    • Bylaw Management

Investor Portal

  • Investor Portal
    • Dashboard
    • Portfolio
    • Pipeline
    • Performance
    • Reports

Screen Inventory by Phase

Key screens and interactions for each stakeholder across the five CEIP program phases.

Phase Property Owner (Commercial) Property Owner (Residential) Qualified Contractor DRC Administrator Municipal Rep Capital Investor
Phase 1: Intake Application wizard, property details form, improvement selection, document upload Simplified application, cost calculator, improvement catalog, eligibility checker Registration portal, qualification submission, certification upload, profile setup Application review dashboard, eligibility validation, document verification queue Program setup, bylaw configuration, jurisdiction boundary definition Pipeline overview, incoming application volume metrics
Phase 2: Underwriting Application status tracker, additional info requests, quote comparison view Status notifications, plain-language updates, cost breakdown review Project bidding interface, quote submission, scope-of-work builder Underwriting workspace, risk scoring, property valuation review, approval workflow Application summary review, tax roll verification Deal pipeline, risk assessment dashboard, projected returns
Phase 3: Agreement Agreement review, digital signature workflow, clause-by-clause review, 10-day cure period tracker Simplified agreement summary, key terms highlight, digital signature, cure period countdown Project assignment confirmation, work order review, timeline acknowledgement Agreement generation, signature tracking, lien registration initiation, cure period monitor Agreement notification, tax roll update, lien registration confirmation Committed capital view, agreement terms review, funding schedule
Phase 4: Installation Project progress tracker, milestone updates, inspection scheduling, photo gallery Progress notifications, milestone timeline, inspection booking, completion preview Work management dashboard, milestone submission, photo upload, completion certificate Installation monitoring, inspection scheduling, milestone verification, payment authorization Active installation map, permit tracking, inspection coordination Deployment tracker, milestone completion rates, funding drawdown status
Phase 5: Monitoring Performance dashboard, energy savings tracker, payment history, annual statements Savings summary, payment schedule, tax bill impact view, support chat Warranty management, follow-up scheduling, performance verification Portfolio monitoring, repayment tracking, compliance reporting, annual report generation Annual reporting dashboard, program performance metrics, tax collection reconciliation Portfolio dashboard, bond performance, repayment analytics, return reporting

Interaction Patterns

Core UX patterns used consistently across all portals to ensure a coherent and efficient user experience.

Multi-Step Wizards

Guided step-by-step flows for complex processes like applications and registrations.

  • Step indicator with progress percentage
  • Save and resume capability at any step
  • Per-field and per-step validation with inline error messaging
  • Contextual help tooltips at each stage

Real-Time Status Tracking

Timeline-based views showing the full lifecycle of applications, agreements, and projects.

  • Vertical timeline with phase indicators
  • Current step highlighted with animation
  • Estimated time remaining calculations
  • Historical event log with timestamps

Document Upload & Management

Structured document handling with validation and preview for all required submissions.

  • File type validation (PDF, images, CAD files)
  • In-browser preview for uploaded documents
  • Version control with document history
  • Batch upload for multiple documents

Digital Signature Workflow

Legally compliant e-signature process for CEIP agreements and contractor certifications.

  • Clause-by-clause review and acknowledgement
  • Mandatory scroll-through before signing
  • Identity verification step
  • Signed copy emailed to all parties

Notification System

Multi-channel alerts ensuring stakeholders never miss critical milestones or deadlines.

  • In-app notification center with read/unread states
  • Email notifications for status changes
  • SMS alerts for critical milestones and deadlines
  • Configurable notification preferences per user

Dashboard Patterns

Role-specific dashboards combining KPIs, charts, and actionable data tables.

  • KPI cards with trend indicators
  • Interactive charts (bar, line, pie)
  • Data tables with column sorting, filtering, and export
  • Quick-action buttons for common workflows

10-Day Cure Period Countdown

Prominent countdown timer for the statutory cure period required after agreement execution.

  • Visual countdown with days remaining
  • Color-coded urgency (green, yellow, red)
  • Automated notifications at key thresholds
  • Lock/unlock of next steps based on timer

Property-Type Adaptive Forms

Dynamic forms that adjust fields, options, and workflows based on property classification.

  • Show/hide fields based on property type selection
  • Eligible improvement lists filtered by classification
  • Cost ranges and financing limits adjusted dynamically
  • Regulatory requirements adapted per property type

Accessibility & Compliance

The DRC CEIP Platform adheres to rigorous accessibility and data handling standards to serve all users and meet regulatory obligations.

AA

WCAG 2.1 AA Compliance

Full conformance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 at the AA level.

  • Minimum 4.5:1 contrast ratio for text
  • Focus indicators on all interactive elements
  • Logical heading hierarchy throughout
  • Alternative text for all non-decorative images
  • Automated and manual accessibility testing in CI/CD
FIP

FOIP-Compliant Data Handling

Adherence to Alberta's Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act requirements.

  • Explicit consent banners before data collection
  • Data minimization -- collect only what is required
  • Secure data storage with encryption at rest and in transit
  • Data retention and disposal policies enforced programmatically
i18

Bilingual Readiness

Architecture supports multi-language content delivery with English as primary and French as secondary.

  • i18n framework for all user-facing strings
  • Language toggle accessible from any page
  • RTL layout support ready for future expansion
  • Content management system supports translated content
SR

Screen Reader & Keyboard Support

Full support for assistive technologies and keyboard-only navigation throughout the platform.

  • ARIA landmarks, roles, and live regions
  • Skip navigation links on every page
  • Complete keyboard navigation without mouse dependency
  • High contrast mode toggle for low-vision users
AT

Audit Trail

Immutable record of all user actions across the platform for regulatory and operational accountability.

  • Who: Authenticated user identity
  • What: Action performed and affected entity
  • When: UTC timestamp with timezone context
  • Tamper-proof logging with integrity verification
  • Exportable audit reports for compliance review
Compliance Summary

The DRC CEIP Platform is designed to meet or exceed all applicable accessibility, privacy, and auditability requirements for government-administered clean energy improvement programs in Alberta. Continuous compliance monitoring is integrated into the development lifecycle through automated testing, regular third-party audits, and user feedback mechanisms.