Company:
VOOL
Year:
2023
Duration:
6 months+
Overview
The VOOL Admin Portal is a scalable management tool built for Charge Point Operators who need precise control over their charging infrastructure—without drowning in complexity. Designed to handle everything from firmware updates and smart charging rules to public pricing and user permissions, it puts powerful capabilities behind a clean, intuitive interface.
The Challenge
Designing the Admin Portal meant diving deep into:
OCPP 1.6 and 2.0 protocols and the event data they generate
Hardware limitations and edge cases (e.g. preventing firmware updates that could disconnect a charger)
Real-world site logistics and technical constraints
Keeping parity with a parallel mobile app in development
We also had to deliver:
User and permissions management with RFID support
Device control, remote commands, and firmware updates with built-in guardrails
Tools to enable public access and monetization, allowing CPOs to set fixed or dynamic pricing
Charging rules that optimized energy usage based on time-of-day pricing and smart load balancing
Fleet management with visibility of state of charge, estimated range and consumption information
All of this had to be wrapped in a minimal, intuitive UI that empowered users without overwhelming them.
Process
We started with customer interviews and lead calls, surfacing real pain points and unmet needs in existing tools.
I spent significant time learning from VOOL’s engineers—understanding how the hardware communicated, what was realistically controllable, and what edge cases we needed to defend against.
We used prototypes and feedback loops to ship and iterate quickly, releasing new features every few weeks during beta.
The portal was built in tandem with the mobile app, requiring close collaboration to maintain a consistent mental model across both platforms.
Being a startup of ~50 people, balancing scope and ambition was crucial—we had to stay focused while still reacting smartly to new lead opportunities.
Solution
The VOOL Admin Portal provided CPOs with:
A site-level view of all chargers and energy controllers
Detailed device status and control, including safe firmware updates
Smart charging features with customisable rules
Public availability toggles and monetisation tools (fixed price or margin over market rates)
EV fleet management
Role-based access and user permissions
A clean UI that hid the complex OCPP and network logic behind clear, actionable interfaces
A visual style that felt cohesive with the hardware itself
Impact
Released in beta after 3 months, with v1 following 3 months later
Rapid iteration cycle with new features every 2–3 weeks
Still in active use today, supporting VOOL’s scaling CPO customer base
Helped position VOOL as a product-driven player in the EV charging space
Reflection
This project sat at the intersection of hardware, software, energy infrastructure, and user behavior. It challenged me to think holistically about systems design—balancing protocol-level details with product-level decisions. It was a rewarding lesson in clarity under constraint, and a great example of what can be accomplished when design is deeply embedded in the product and engineering conversation.
