| Design for Social Good
| UX
RECYCLE NOW Mobile App and Responsive Website
Mary Degnan Designer
The product: A responsive website and mobile application to help find recycling resources and information easily. Project overview Project duration: August – September 20221
Learn what is acceptable recycling material to put out for curbside pickup, and what is not acceptable
Sign up for their local recycling service
The problem: Frustration about recycling being taken to landfills because non-recyclable materials were included in recycling pickups led me to try to find a way to make recycling information more accessible and easily available.
Project overview
The goals: Educate users about how to:
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Where to bring materials not accepted at curbside pickup.
My role: Mary Degnan, UX Designer Project overview Responsibilities: • User interviews • Paper and digital wireframing • Usability studies • Ensuring accessibility • Low-fidelity and high-fidelity mockups • Multiple iterations of design for website and mobile versions
Understandingtheuser ● User research ● Personas ● Problem statements ● User journey maps
User research: summary
I found myself frustrated that friends and neighbors were causing our recycling to be taken to a landfill instead of a recycling plant, largely because of plastic bags, which were not accepted by our curbside pickup service. Further research was shocking, in that I learned about additional materials I had thought were acceptable for curbside pickup were not and required extra steps of taking them to a specialized recycling location. Initial user research revealed a need, often as a user was discarding an item, to determine whether it was accepted by the recycling service. A simple mobile app or website was needed.
User research: pain points Pain point Pain point Pain point 1 2 3
Users want to know where to bring recycling items that are not accepted at curbside pickup.
Users in a hurry need a quick way to determine if a material is accepted by curbside pickup services.
Users wanted to find out about the curbside pickup schedule, and maybe sign up for it.
Johnette is a busy and struggling actor and waitress who needs a mobile app about recycling because she wants to remember which items are accepted for curbside recycling.
Persona: Johnette Problem statement:
User journey map ACTION Open Go websiteGreen Find out what can be recycled Enter zip code Sign up notificationsfor Save information TASK LIST Navigate to website Click on WHAT CAN I RECYCYLE? Enter zip code to find out local options Opt in informationEnternotificationsforcontact Save informationcontact FEELING ADJECTIVE Focused Easy options to understand; quick selection Annoyance at nonrecyclable items listed Hesitation; does not want to opt in Navs back to home page OPPORTUNITIESIMPROVEMENT Make other clear options, such as WHERE CAN I BRING MY RECYCLING? And HOW DOES IT WORK? For items that are not accepted by pickup trucks, offer drop off locations batteries,forglass, etc. Show locations on a map Reassure informationthatis not shared Nav back to home page options Persona: Johnette Goal: Use Go Green dedicated app to find out when her recycling will be picked up
● Sitemap ● Paper wireframes ● Digital wireframes ● Low-fidelity prototype ● Usability studies theStartingdesign
SitemapUsers are busy and need information quickly, so the app and site should be clear, and simple, and make it easy to find necessary information.
Paper wireframe mobile variations
Paper websitewireframevariations
Digital wireframes My intention was to keep the website very clean and basic, but I realized it still needed a general mission statement on the home page. 6 categoriesbasic informationof General mission statement added
Digital wireframe screen size variation initially considered the mission statement to be unnecessary in the mobile version, but later added it back in for consistency.
I
Lowhttps://xd.adobe.com/view/6e594228-8f95-4082-9b35-3352135c8a8b-3b0a/-fidelityprototype
Usability study: parameters Study type: Moderated usability study Location: New Orleans, Louisiana Participants: Five eco-conscious adults who are concerned about climate change and how to avoid increasing their contributions to landfills and pollution Length: Less than 20 minutes
Moe informationeducationalandvideoswasrequested.
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Users were surprised to find out that materials they wereconsideredpreviouslyrecyclablenotacceptedforcurbsiderecycling.
Insert a one to two sentence introduction to the findings shared below.
A clearer and streamlined navigation was needed.
Usability study: findings
Finding Finding Finding
● Mockups ● High-fidelity prototype ● AccessibilitytheRefiningdesign
was included on all pages except the home page to accommodate requested for more purposeHeadlinesnavigation.streamlinedclarifyingpagewereadded. usabilityBeforestudyAfterusabilitystudy
AMockupsbottomnavbar
Mockups: Original screen size
Mockups: Screen size variations
High-fidelity prototype
Accessibility considerations
The information is structured in a simply hierarchical format for text readers.
The goal of this app and website was to provide simple and clear information about recycling to those who cannot remember the correct materials to recycle, including those who might be technologically challenged or easily frustrated.
A background image was darkened in order to give the white type more contrast, and be more legible.
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● Takeaways ● Next stepsGoing forward
Impact: By increasing access to information on how to effectively recycle, this app and website will hopefully lessen the amount of recyclable material that ends up in landfills. Education and awareness of our effect on our environment is critical!
What I learned: Of the 40 million tons of plastic waste generated in the United States last year, only five to six percent—or about two million tons—was recycled, according to a new report, conducted by the environmental groups Beyond Plastics and The Last Beach Cleanup.May 9, 2022. This has to change!
Takeaways
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Add educational learning tools that teachers can use in their classroom.
Next steps
Work with the UX engineers to determine how best to incorporate an up-to-date database of recycling services searchable via zip code.
Produce a decal that can be ordered via the app or website that users can put on their bins as a reminder of what is recyclable.
Let’s connect!
I am a graphic designer looking to improve my skill set! My portfolio can be viewed here. I can be reached at mary@chico-designs.com. Thank you for checking out my case study!
