Informative, Rewarding, and Supportive Shopping to Promote Environmental Conservation
A UX Case Study on Reducing Plastic Usage
Hello! In this article, I’d like to share my team’s findings and insights on the challenge of “Environmental Conservation,” which we tackled during my first week at Ironhack’s UX/UI Bootcamp.
The Problem
How might we use technology and design to encourage sustainable practices, reduce waste, and raise awareness about the environment?
The Approach
Through interpretation of the lean design process and the Design Thinking Double Diamond process, we explored innovation. This process has two major phases: Problem Discovery and Definition, followed by Solution Discovery and Definition, involving divergence and convergence. We utilized various methods like Secondary Research, User Interviews, Affinity Diagrams, User Personas, User Journeys, Problem Statements, How Might We questions, the Moscow Method, Round Robin, Ideation, Prototyping, and Concept Testing.
1. Secondary Research
Our secondary research revealed two key insights:
- Middle-income Asian countries are significant contributors to ocean plastics, while high-income nations generate more plastic waste per capita.
- Half of the annual 380 million tons of plastic produced is single-use, causing lasting environmental harm.
2. User Interviews
The secondary research led us to explore people’s behaviors towards plastic use, their awareness of the issue, willingness to reduce plastic waste, and the obstacles they face.
Quotes:
“We are all responsible for the planet’s future. Making sustainable choices daily is key.”, “There’s more pressure on consumers than producers to participate in sustainability.”, “Sustainable products are often too expensive. They should be accessible to everyone.”
It was surprising to discover the variety in people’s needs, hurdles, motivations, and knowledge regarding this issue, which differed from my initial perception. Yet, the similarities in problems became apparent once we began clustering insights in the affinity diagram.
3. The Affinity Diagram
We used dot voting to focus on the four main issues identified through our research:
- Emotional Pressure: Feeling pressured into sustainable choices, with the onus often on individuals rather than producers.
- Accessibility Issues: Sustainable products are perceived as expensive, raising questions about equitable access.
- Plastic Usage: the convenience but overuse of plastic, with a focus on minimizing usage.
- Knowledge Gaps: A need for education on recyclability and sustainable alternatives.
4. User Persona
Instead of using a specific image, name, age, or location, we created the “Conscious Shopper” persona, defined by psychographics such as goals, needs, frustrations, and motivations. We also used an Archetype to easily share insights gained about this persona.
5. User Journey Map
With our Persona defined, we sketched a User Journey Map, illustrating the emotions experienced while shopping and striving for environmental consciousness, integrating insights from both the persona and the affinity diagram.
6. The Problem Statement
From our insights, we formulated a Problem Statement: “The Consumer needs a way to easily identify and choose plastic-free alternatives because plastic packaging is prevalent, making it challenging to reduce plastic usage.”
7. Ideation
We used various ideation methods, including Worst Idea, Moscow Method, and Round Robin. I found the combination of Worst Idea and Moscow Method particularly effective, as it sparked creativity and helped us prioritize features.
The direction was to develop an app for grocery shoppers that:
- Informs them about the sustainability of their purchases.
- Allows them to earn points, redeemable for rewards or donations to environmental projects.
- Encourages and rewards users instead of blaming them.
8. Concept Sketching and Testing
We created a quick prototype with three screens for user testing. Feedback varied, but critical thinkers provided valuable insights, especially regarding practicality and reach.
Conclusion
This project was an enlightening journey in understanding environmental issues related to plastics. The Double Diamond process broadened our perspectives, challenging our assumptions and contributing to a holistic approach to this complex problem.
