Role: UX Designer
Project Duration: 6 weeks
Tools: Figma, Adobe Suite
RefCycle is an app designed to promote and facilitate recycling processes and waste management. It serves as a comprehensive tool to educate users about recycling, provide convenient recycling options, and track their eco-friendly efforts. Extensive market research and user surveys revealed that the key design goals should focus on education, accessibility, and providing resources, which are crucial to the app's success.
Why a recycling app?
There are two main reasons users need a recycling app that provides solutions:
How to recycle correctly and to educate them on new or challenging items to
recycle materials.
01
Lack of accessible, comprehensive information, for items that are difficult to recycle.
02
The scarcity of accessible resources creates roadblocks to promoting waste management and proper recycling.
Goals
The main goal of the RefCycle app is to be a tool for users to facilitate the process of recycling items in their homes, solve the complex problems people face when recycling, and educate the users on recycling more oversized items or out-of-the-norm items. The app's primary goal is to inform users of recycling options and the items that can be upcycled into fun crafts.
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Educate Users
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Local Resources [Provide Information]
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Upcycling [Provide Ideas for additional ways to recycle]
RefCycle App
App main Functions
Upcycling / Camera to identify difficult items / Finding Information about materials / Local City Regulations
Providing Options: Finding alternative ways to recycle items
Facilitating the Process: Camera tool to speed up process for finding information and near by locations.
Providing Resources: Local Recycling Guidelines.
Educating the User: Finding Information about materials
Research Process
SURVEY l USER RESEARCH l CARD SORTING
Problem
The lack of accessible, comprehensive recycling information for hard-to-recycle items hinders efforts to promote effective waste management and sustainability.
Initial Wireframe
The App was initially going to be named Recyclopedia; it was meticulously designed with the user's journey at its core. Key features include a robust scanning function allowing users to identify products effortlessly. Utilizing an integrated search engine, the App provides comprehensive, step-by-step instructions on recycling or upcycling items. This seamless experience ensures users can make environmentally conscious decisions quickly and confidently, reinforcing the App's commitment to sustainability through intuitive design.
App intro
Design Obstacle
App's Name / User Journey
As a team, we initially worked on an app called Recyclopedia. However, we identified significant issues with the name, user journey, and overall functionality. The existing concept didn't meet our goals for intuitive and efficient user interaction. This realization led us to change the App's name and concept, starting from scratch to brainstorm a new app name and concept that would better serve our users and enhance their experience.
INITIAL USER FLOW
Back to the Drawing Board
We faced a significant challenge when we discovered that our original app name, Recyclopedia, was already being used by another app. This prompted us to return to the basics and engage in a collaborative brainstorming session. We aimed to develop a new name that perfectly aligns with our App's vision and user experience. This process allowed us to explore fresh ideas and ensure that the new name would resonate with our users and reflect the App's core functionality and purpose.
Process
RefCycle Research Process
APP FLOW/NAVIGATION
INFORMATION
USER INTERFACE
LANGUAGE/UX WRITING
With the app's name issue resolved, our team proactively re-immersed ourselves in research and user feedback analysis. Our role in this process was instrumental in gaining insights into our users' primary needs, challenges, and their online and recycling behaviors.
Roadblocks
Ideas
Users recycling habbits
Users online habbits
Solution
USER FLOW
We provide straightforward routes to the required information, specifically for finding nearby facilities and determining an item's recyclability. This approach will reduce unnecessary steps and enhance the overall user experience.​
Strategies for Simplifying User Flow​
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Integrated Location Services:
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Automatic Location Detection: GPS automatically detects the user's location and presents nearby facilities without manual input.
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Manual Location Entry: Allow users to manually enter their location as an alternative.
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Improve Identification of Recyclable Items
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Categorized Information:
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Clear Categories: Organize items into easily understandable categories such as plastics, metals, and paper.
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Visual Aids: Use icons and images to help users quickly recognize categories.
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FINAL WIREFRAME
Home Screen
Camera Feature
Splash Screens
Upcycling, Sharing with Friends
Final Wireframe: Simplified User Flow for a User-Friendly Recycling App
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The final wireframe embodies a streamlined and intuitive user flow, providing an educative and user-friendly experience for users seeking to find nearby facilities and determine an item's recyclability.
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Key Features of the Wireframe
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Homepage: Central Hub
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Find Nearby Facilities
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Is It Recyclable?
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User Education Section
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User Feedback and Support
Finding near by Locations & Resources
Educating Users on Materials
PROJECT OVERVIEW
My role in this project
The project was initiated to address the need for a new app to help people in the United States find nearby recycling facilities and understand proper recycling methods. I helped shape the user experience by mapping core user flows and conducting data analysis. This allowed the team to clearly define and understand the users' main roadblocks, needs, and online habits, ensuring we could deliver a successful product to the public.
