Seed, The Recycling App Prototype

Seed Logo

While I was strolling around the street, I noticed there were few outdoor recycling bins. It was frustrating to see trash bins filled with both waste and recyclables. Even if I wanted to recycle the empty plastic bottles after drinking water, it was difficult to hold them until I found an appropriate recycling bin.

These days, everybody uses mobile apps to relieve stress. We can contact our friends on Facebook Messenger, watch tutorials on YouTube, and post pictures of food on Instagram. At that point, I wondered what if there were a mobile app that could help people sort the materials as well as find the recycling bins?

Before I started making the prototype, I interviewed with the residents in Austin to discuss their recycling habits. Most of them agreed that recycling is important, but they felt it was pointless because they did not feel they got anything from it. It is true that there are no rewards (such as cash, coupons, or treats) right after recycling. In addition, they got confused which materials go to the recycling bins. They could contact the Austin recycling center for assistance, but no one has time to do it while working and taking care of their families. After the interview, I realized they need some product that could quickly identify the recyclables and increase their motivation.

As a UX designer, I looked at the recycling apps such as iRecycle and Recyche. I liked the descriptions of the apps that could show the location of the recycling centers and categorize the materials, however, they had poor interfaces and lacked purpose. Without interaction with other users, it is pointless to use those apps. It is understandable that recycling is neither enjoyable nor rewarding, but I want to help the residents with recycling by offering my own recycling app.

The following storyboard demonstrates how the users would use the app. The RFID tagged-items and RFID reader in recycling bins are fictional.

Recently, I created this prototype called Seed. This app helps the users sorting recyclables by scanning the materials. Then, the users take them to the closest recycling bins to earn reward points. They can redeem the points for items and add them to their profile background. The result of increasing recycling could reduce incineration and protect the environment. And last but not least, they can share their achievements with their friends on social media. That way, it will spread the awareness of recycling all over the world.

High Fidelity

I designed the stage growth of a tree as a user level because I believe a tree is the best representation of the green environment. Depending on how many materials the users recycle, a seed grows as the level increases.

While making Seed, I realized the app has to be user-friendly and fun in order to keep the users engaged and motivated. I believe rewards and social network are the keys to get the residents participating in recycling. This could be exciting as Pokemon Go and Geocaching, which makes the users actively find the items outside. While the purpose of the mobile app is to solve my personal problem, I believe it could be a reminder that we have the power to build a better future by simply tossing recyclables into the recycling bin.

You can test the prototype on the following link:

https://xd.adobe.com/view/0bfb832a-d0cc-4f39-40de-4a3c60cc396a-7dca/?fullscreen