Recycle it! Project for social good
In this 4 week long project, I created “Recycle it!”, a user-friendly app and website, tailored for environmentally-conscious individuals. Whether you’re new to an area or simply looking to reduce your carbon footprint, Recycle it! provides a convenient solution by instantly locating the nearest recycling points. Seamlessly integrating into users' daily lives, this platform aims to promote sustainability by making recycling more accessible and effortless.
Challenge:
Available online platforms are hard to use, as they are either tailored for European users, or fail to identify recycling facilities within a given locality.
Solution:
Design the Recycle it! app and website with a focus on user-friendliness, ensuring straightforward navigation for users. Enable fast search and location of recycling facilities to meet their needs.
research
I engaged in online interviews with potential platform users to gain insights, which were then turned into empathy maps to deepen understanding of the target users and their needs. Through this process, I found that numerous target users wonder about the nearest recycling facilities and the range of services they provide. However, existing apps and websites are largely inadequate in fulfilling this need. They are either tailored for European audiences, or struggle to pinpoint obvious locations. Recycle it! has the opportunity to enhance the overall customer experience and foster customer loyalty.
USER RESEARCH: PAIN POINTS
1
Recently moved to an area
After moving, people begin to establish their daily routines anew and often struggle to locate the nearest recycling facilities.
2
Local stores offer limited recycling services
Local stores such as Target, Harris Teeter, Publix, Kroger etc, do not accept large volumes of recycled waste, nor do they accept the variety of materials accepted in recycling facilities.
3
Unable to find a one-stop online platform to locate recycling facilities
After checking, they couldn’t find any website or app, except of Google maps, that could help with all of their needs.
USER PERSONA
“My family sorts waste, and we’re looking for a facility that helps to recycle them. Let’s make a difference in reducing our impact on the environment!”
Problem statement: Andrew recently moved to a rapidly developing city and is looking for a recycling facility for his family’s needs.
Andrew is a 37-old insurance agent who recently moved to a rapidly developing city. As the head of the household, he has a lot of things to set up anew after moving. He wants a platform, that helps him find the nearest locations for his family’s recycling needs.
USER JOURNEY MAP
I created a user journey map of Andrew’s experience to help identify possible pain points and improvement opportunities.
Persona: Andrew
Goal: Find a resource to locate a convenient recycling facility for all his family's needs
ideation
3
During the ideation process, I aimed to design the screens as simple as possible to facilitate the search process for users. The primary user flow consists of 16 screens and delineates the following steps:
Enter the zipcode.
Select items users wish to dispose
of from six suggested options.
The following screen variations showcase the steps one and three.
1
2
Choose the nearest recycling facility.
Review the facility's details, including its map and website.
4
design, test, iterate
DIGITAL WIREFRAMES
LO-FI PROTOTYPE
USABILITY STUDY
Following this, I conducted three moderated and two unmoderated interviews with participants of varying ages, marital statuses, nationalities, and abilities, including one participant with a visual impairment. Subsequently, upon completing the usability study, I identified several key areas for improvement.
1
Users want a more intuitive way to access the recycling facilities details
2
The ability to select several types of waste can confuse users
ITERATE
before usability study
after usability study
As the cursor approaches, the selected frame becomes highlighted. The name of the waste appears inside the frame.
before usability study
after usability study
By clicking the expand button user gets the detailed information about the recycling facility
ADDING INTERACTIVE ELEMENTS
HI-FI PROTOTYPE
I created hi-fi prototypes for various devices such as mobile phones, tablets, and PCs. The following prototype showcases the tablet version.
final solution
The Recycle it! website is a fully responsive, accommodating users across different devices. I've meticulously crafted interfaces tailored to three distinct sizes: mobile phones, tablets and desktops. Below, I outline the primary user flow specifically for the tablet version as an illustrative example.
