Built in under six months from the ground up, when GoSolr launched in November 2022, the project aimed to turn a disruptive subscription model into a trusted, human service that positioned solar not as technical hardware, but as an upgrade to modern living, says GoSolr.

The DBA Design Effectiveness Awards are internationally recognised as a rigorous measure of design's real impact on business performance. Entries are judged on proven commercial results, says GoSolr.

"Design is not decoration for us. It is how we build trust in a category where hesitation is high. When you make information clear and the process simple, people act. That is what this project set out to prove," says Thomas Framnes, Chief Experience Officer of GoSolr.

Reframing Solar in a Changing Market

Power outages have affected South African households and businesses since 2007. GoSolr launched during sustained load shedding; solar was still seen as technical, expensive and hard to trust, despite being the most viable solution to the energy crisis.

The challenge was clear: shift the category from intimidating to accessible, without changing the underlying technology. With less than six months to launch, design was crucial to conversion and differentiation, and Xfacta worked end-to-end with GoSolr with the aim to create the distinctive brand world, intuitive digital tools and communications. Through the work, the brand was built to make solar feel straightforward and credible from the first click.

According to GoSolr, the project included:

  • a distinctive brand platform and visual identity built around warmth, optimism and reliability
  • intuitive digital tools with transparent, upfront pricing
  • a simplified, confident customer journey from quote to installation designed to remove jargon and fear at every step, and
  • a clear, direct tone of voice designed for everyday understanding.

According to GoSolr, the project yielded the following results:

  • revenue growth of 1 013% in the first year
  • customer growth of 570%, and
  • over 100-million media impressions, aiming to help shape how competitors now communicate about solar.

The results aim to demonstrate how strategic design can change both brand perception and commercial performance in a complex, high-hesitation market. In a category where most competition feels technical and impersonal, GoSolr says it aims to feel like a human service that gives South Africans power during national uncertainty.

"This win is proof that keeping things simple and honest works. We removed the jargon, we showed the price and we designed for how South Africans actually make decisions during an energy crisis. Seeing the impact on the business has been the real reward," concludes Nick Schilperoort, CEO of Xfacta.

For more information, visit www.subscribe.gosolr.co.za. You can also follow GoSolr on Facebook, or on Instagram.

*Image courtesy of Facebook