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To commemorate Studio PKA turning 25, the studio team came together to create a one of a kind sketchbook to gift our fellow designers and creators in the fraternity who were an integral part of the studios growth and process.
Role
Timeline
Designer
2 weeks
03.
ReRight;
Sustainable Made Easy
ReRight is a recycling company that aims to promote better recycling practices by partnering with local recycling centers to organize the pickup of waste materials for proper waste management.
ReRight also provides information about materials and their proper disposal practices.
In addition to this, they also promote sustainable brands and shed light on environment-related news and events.
Timeline
4 weeks
Platform
Mobile
Context
Every day, tons of garbage is generated that does not make it to the right bin for recycling. We need people to recycle more willingly and provide them with an easier means to do so.
ReRight aims to increase recycling rates by allowing users to do so without interrupting their daily activities through a scheduled pickup service.
The challenge was to increase recycling rates by reaching a wider audience through a digital channel
The Challenge
The challenge here was to create a solution that would motivate people to start recycling while also helping them learn more about the environment, better recycling practices, and sustainable living.
Approach
I started by conducting secondary research on the topic followed by primary research through user interviews.
Crucial Findings of the Research
PAIN POINTS
• Lack of awareness about recycling
process and centers
• No initiative by peers or
organisations for recycling services
• People who do try to recycle don't
do so correctly
• Lack of visibility of
brands promoting sustainable living
GOALS/MOTIVATIONS
• People are motivated and ready
to practice recycling because they
feel a certain responsibility
towards the environment
• To keep up with changing times
and live more sustainable
• To practice recycling without
disrupting daily activities
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
One tap access to recycling information that is easy to understand and implement
Creating an experience that users feel personal responsibility towards; by documenting their own journey, shedding light on sustainable living, etc
Allow users to inculcate it into their daily lives without disrupting their day to day activities
The Problem
Now that the pain points and motivations have been defined, the problem statement can be formulated.
Problem Statement
“To offer a solution that provides users information about sustainable living and allow them to practice better waste management”
As a user story it would translate to
“I want to be able to recycle efficiently without disturbing my daily activities”
Project Goals
The research findings helped define project goals to maintain a balance between the user, business, and technical goals.
USER GOALS
TECHNICAL GOALS
BUSINESS GOALS
The Solution
The ideas generated during the exploration phase were prioritized with a moscow matrix (must have, should have, could have, won't have) to narrow them down to possible solutions.
MUST HAVE
• Location services for
recycling centers
• Sustainable brands
SHOULD HAVE
• Recycling
information about
materials
• Search input
• Recycling pickup service
COULD HAVE
• User journey log
• News articles about
environment related events
• Scan object feature
WON'T HAVE
• Excessive
information about
materials
• Long navigation process
for recycling practices
The main features of the product were determined with this exercise
-
It must be a mobile app due to quick access and intensive use of the device by the users.
-
A quick schedule option with integrated location service for recycling pickup
-
Location service for recycling centers and their details
-
Environment conscious brands to encourage users to live sustainable
-
A news/ articles feature to keep the users updated about environmental happenings.
Implementation
Next we elaborated the user flow and the site map to start creating wireframes. The user flow elaborates the steps taken by the user to accomplish their goal.
User Flow
Site Map
Wireframing
The wireframes were first done as rough sketches to explore various options for the features of the app. These rough ideas were then converted wireframes that focused on the functionality of the app, its various pages, and their layouts.
Designing The Experience
Onboarding & Sign Up
Homepage
• Recycle pickup card with timings
and pickup location
• Top stories in environment
related news
• Popular sustainable brands
User Profile
• The users recycle journey is
recorded and stored on their
respective profiles
• Achievement badges are
unlocked as the user avails
recycling services/information to
help motivate the user in the
form of rewards
Search Location
• Location of recycling
centers present in and
around the users preferred
location are highlighted
• User can search or select
their preferred location
for recycle pickup service
Select Items
Items/ objects selection that are being picked up for recycling to make the process easier on the user as well as business side and to help maintain a record of the pickup service
UI Guide
Timeslot Selection
The user can pick their preferred time slot from the available options
Pickup Confirmation
Confirmation of recycle pickup with details along with an option to set a text reminder
Sustainable Brands
• Brands across various categories
that promote sustainable
living with a brief description of
their story and a link to their
platforms.
• This increases the visibility of
sustainable living and educates
users about the same.
Environment News
Global climate and environment related news stories updated daily
Recycling Information
• Users can look up recycling
information for an object or
pick from the categories
available.
• They can also check how to
dispose of waste based on
the recycling symbol.
App Icon
AaBb
Type
Nexa Bold
Heading 1 40
Heading 2 16
AaBb
AaBb
Roboto Regular
Roboto Medium
Heading 1 24
Paragraph 16
Heading 2 20
Paragraph small 14
Heading 2 16
Colour Palette
#7FACD6
#C0B9DB
#CFCDE6
#636363
Iconography
CTA
Formfield
The Process
UNDERSTAND
• Surveys and
interviews to help
learn from the
users themselves
• Study current
recycling practices
DEFINE
• What is the problem
I'm trying to solve
• Understand our
target user and
their scenarios
IMPLEMENT
• Exploring ideas with
user journeys and
benchmarking
• Designing the
experience
TEST
Testing the product for feedback, further iterations and potential problems
Understand
I started my research by outlining a research plan.
Secondary Research - To Learn About Common Recycling Trends
My secondary research revolved around 2 points. The users and the waste generated around them. Through a survey an online search of articles, statistics, and info-graphics I was able to study the common waste management practices and the comments and awareness surrounding the issue.
The initial hypotheses :
-
Recycling is a discipline and takes practice.
-
People do wish to recycle and do their part for the environment but are unable to due to a lack of awareness and facilities
Primary research - To Learn From From The Users
Based on the secondary research, it was established that there are 3 types of people :
-
Those who do recycle but want to do it better.
-
Those who don't recycle but want to recycle.
-
Those who don’t care about recycling and waste management practices.
I conducted 5 user interviews to understand the user's main goals, needs, and barriers when it came to their everyday waste management practices. The findings of these interviews were compiled into a comparative table.
The affinity mapping done with these findings yielded these common characteristics:
Recycling isn't a common practice majorly due to a lack of awareness
Need for quick information without having to go through articles/posts
Need for recycling services
SUMMARISED FINDINGS FROM SURVEYS AND INTERVIEWS
Are you aware of recycling practices
How do you dispose of waste
Do you want to start recycling?
Define
I identified two primary personas - a person who is living a sustainable lifestyle but wants to do it better and a person who wants to start living a more sustainable lifestyle.
The empathy maps made for these personas helped me identify their pain points and needs.
Implement
User Journeys
User journeys helped get to know our personas better and identify pain points in their daily lives. It also helps us visualize a scenario where the user might face difficulties and engage with the product.
Benchmarking
A benchmarking exercise was carried out to cross reference information between various apps in the same sector to see what features were already in practice and what different feature we were bringing to the market with our product.
RecycleSmart
R4BGM Bins
RecycleNation
Recycle Academy
UZED
Positives
Negatives
Rewards for user
Articles on recycling
Cognitive load is high
Essential Information
Offers recycle pickup
Location service is faulty
No past record of pickup
Information about recycling at home
Location services
Limited to one city
No search results
Daily tips
Categories to assist in search
Too many category options
Limited location results
All recycling symbols covered
No specific information
Search Input
Recycling Centre Location
User Record
Sustainable Brands
Recycle Pickup Service
Ideate
I ran a crazy 8 session along with a mind-mapping session to generate as many ideas as possible, sketching out solutions (worst possible ideas too) to the defined problem.
Testing the Product
The completed prototype was tested with potential users from which the following information were extracted :
-
How they interact with the app
-
How they go about scheduling a recycle pickup
-
How they access the various sustainable brands and subsequently their website
-
What triggers them while using the app
User 1, 18
User 2, 24
User 3, 47
Interaction with app
Schedule recycle pickup
Recycle item/Access other features
Observations
User faced difficulty understanding the location setup
Navigated through the app with ease
Took time navigating between recycle pickup and recycle right
Comments
Better timeslot options for pickup
Location setup was misleading
Simple but effective interface
Late response on some features
Description of the brand in the brand list to get an idea of what its about
Closing Notes
After feedback from the testing, the design and interface were reiterated to improve the overall experience.
In the future, options of voice and visual input can be explored to be integrated into the application.