EY Doberman: Designing for Impact

Ritu Chauhan’s ambition and kindness brought her to EY Doberman, and her commitment to making a difference keeps her here.

Joining EY Doberman

As a designer, Ritu Chauhan draws inspiration for her work from the blend of creativity and functionality found in design. Her path started at a branding studio in Copenhagen, followed by a specialization in digital product design. Her decision to dive into digital product design was spurred on by a deep appreciation for the way it touches lives:

“I love the intricate balance of complexity and emotionality found in the digital product landscape. We’re creating the products that people access every day and hopefully shaping their experiences for the better.”

Around 2018, Chauhan became aware of the reputation for groundbreaking projects and rigorous design culture that EY Doberman had become synonymous with. When a position at their new Oslo studio presented itself, she hopped on the opportunity to join the team.

The project that changed everything 

Amplifier, a pro-bono program created by EY Norway, provides support via work hours for sustainability-focused companies. Through Amplifier, Ritu and her team were introduced to Empower Eco, a start-up focused on a wide range of circular economy efforts. Together, they honed in on the “Product Passport” initiative and the possibility of building an intuitive and easy sustainability reporting product.

Soon to be required by The European Commission, a product passport is a mobile site that has a collection of all the data a product is made of. This includes all of the materials used, and from where these materials were sourced, prepared, manufactured and assembled to make the final product. Textiles are at the top of the list to be regulated by the Digital Product Passport (DPP) regulations, along with industrial batteries and consumer electronics.

The complexity of design

The absence of precedent made designing "Product Passport" a challenge for Ritu and the team. The task was not merely about design aesthetics but constructing a builder concept with any prior products to reference. 

“It mostly felt like being an octopus! That's the exciting part of working with a category of digital product that has not been designed before; very challenging and refreshing.”

Their second problem was two distinct user groups with different needs: manufacturers and consumers. The team needed to deliver a builder for companies where they can upload all their data in order to fulfill the EU regulations, as well as design a mobile website for the consumers, where they can access all the information before buying a product. 

“Let’s just say it’s been very webbed & complicated. We overcame it simply by making ourselves familiar with the needs of both- the more you know about the expectations of these two user groups, the better you can design.”

Collaborating with her EY teammates, Eline Straumfors and Levi Bergqvist, proved instrumental in delivering a top-quality product. The team’s synergy was evident in how they approached product design, management and feature prioritization. Throughout the process, they also extended this collaborative spirit to the client. Working closely with the company’s developer and commercial teams to help them reach their best results.

“Eline and Levi are the best kind of colleagues I could have. We three really complement each other. I get so much inspiration from them. At EY Doberman, we have access to some of the most talented people who are sharing inspirational work and opinions all the time.”

A pivotal final moment for Ritu and the team came when it was time to launch the product and present it to the entrepreneurs who would be required to use the "Product Passport." 

“They came back with awesome feedback, saying that all of the new regulations are so difficult for them to understand, but this builder made it easy for them to make a product passport. That felt so good; the client was happy, the users were happy, all the hard work was worth it!”