EcoLiving
Application that helps users master the art of recycling and waste management
In India, only 30% of all recyclable material is successfully recycled. Following the design sprint method, I designed Ecoliving, a phone app that helps users master the art of recycling and waste management.
Role
Solo student project for NASSCOM + Adobe’s national design challenge
Timeline
December 2020 - January 2021
The growing Issue...
Visualise the amount of “disposable” items you use in your lifetime- plastic,paper,styrofoam. Now Imagine the garbage produced by organisations, entertainment centres and industries. Since forever waste in our country is dumped without segregation and since then every single item that wasn't disposed of properly is probably existing somewhere.
In India 960 million tonnes of garbage is produced annually out of which 75% can be recycled or reused.Only 30% of our garbage is recycled and the rest mostly end up in landfill.
The current recycling process:
How often have you held an empty bottle in your hand and wondered which bin it should go into? Most people also face this issue and many often choose a bin and just hope for the best.
Due to the size of India, recycling standards are not consistent and vary by city or county. While products in stores may tout recycling symbols, certain regions may not have the facilities or resources available to process or recycle certain types of plastic and, therefore, incorrectly recycled materials may end up in landfills regardless.
The Problem
After conducting some user interviews (friends and family), I came to the conclusion that many users are confused by recycling labels as many products have them, regardless of their recyclability (this results in users throwing any items they think are recyclable into the bin). If users had a simpler way of identifying which products were recyclable or how products should be recycled they would gain on how to recycle more efficiently
Thus the main problems users are facing are:
1. Recycling labels might vary by product or place of origin and are frequently inconsistent. In addition, objects may bear recycling labels even if they cannot be recycled, which causes even more confusion.
2. Different local recycling systems exist, with some having stricter rules than others. Certain materials may be accepted in some areas, but not others.
3. As with forming any habit, creating a lasting one is challenging, and beginners often don't know where to begin.
The goals
1.Help users make informed decisions while throwing their garbage
2.Inform users on eco friendly living
The Design Process
Using demographic data found on the internet and the interviews conducted I created a proto persona for an ideal user. An Ideal user for EcoLiving is someone who is motivated to recycle and who wants to give back to the earth as much as they are taking.
Based on the pain points I considered a main user flow.
The user flow acted as a guideline for the initial sketches and wireframes. As the goals were defined the wireframes were designed to be quite simple and user friendly
The Solution
Is to provide a platform for accessible and accurate information to increase eco-friendliness in everyday life.
Hence,EcoLiving allows users to easily learn how to sort and recycle waste by scanning the items in their hands or searching for them.
Splash and Home screens
It helps users,
Scan item
Scanning item in hand can be used to identify the correct material and a guide to recycle the same
Search
Search for disposal methods or items at hand to figure out which kind of waste goes into what bin.
Categories, Find bin and recycle
Allows users to select bins based on location material and available space and follow the guide to reach the bins. It will also let you know if there are any fees that apply
Results
Won the 2nd runner up position in the National Design Challenge
What I learnt
Through the design sprint I learnt the gravity of the situation and the threat that incorrect disposal poses to our country.Ecoliving showed that the current state of recycling in India is very complicated and multifaceted, but users agree that this is an area of concern and are willing to invest the time needed to build eco friendly habits if they know where to begin.