Designing the Sea City plastic recycling mobile app
Ironhack UI/UX Bootcamp Final Project
For my final project in the Ironhack UI/UX Design Bootcamp, I worked individually to design “Sea City’’, a plastic recycling mobile app that would serve as an innovative solution to the plastic pollution problem that is prevalent in Nigeria.
Sea City is an app that provides Nigerian users with easy access to plastic recycling locations to recycle their plastic waste for financial incentives while creating awareness on the risks of plastic pollution to the environment and how their actions make a difference.
Nigeria produces 2.5 million tons of plastic waste every year and only 30% of this is recycled. The country’s plastic recycling system is very inefficient as 70% of these waste find their way into the environment, putting human health at risk, endangering our wildlife, littering our landfills and polluting our water bodies.
The Sea City mobile app does not only bridge the dangerous gap in Nigeria’s plastic waste management system, it also provides business opportunities that has the potential of eradicating poverty and contributing immensely to the nation’s economy.
User Research
Before designing the app, I developed a research plan to explore the problem and better understand the relationship Nigerians have with plastic recycling. I focused mostly on how often people recycled plastic, how familiar they were with the impact of plastic pollution to humans and the environment and essentially, what would motivate them to develop a habit for recycling their plastic waste. To this end, I conducted a survey through the distribution of Google Forms as well as an online interview with key stakeholders in Nigeria via Zoom.
Key Takeaways
- Most Nigerians don’t recycle their plastic waste.
- Most Nigerians are less likely to recycle if there is no reward.
- Most people are not aware of the dangers of plastic pollution as it is not a popular topic in Nigeria.
- There is no easy access recycling locations.
- The government is not doing enough to address the situation.
- Some users are willing to collect recycle plastic from members of their community and handover to recycling companies.
User Persona
Based on the insights I gathered from my user research, I created two distinct user personas that visualize user needs, desires, and pain points. Throughout the design process, I referenced these frequently as a gut-check to make sure I was creating features for the user and not myself.
How Might We Statement
By visualizing the key needs, desires and pain points of my users, I was able to conceptualize what exactly the problem was and started to formulate ways to solve it. This is exemplified in my how might we statement below:
MOSCOW Method
I utilized the MOSCOW to analyze the ranking of the product’s features as well as to ensure prioritization of these features according to the most relevant.
Wireframe
Wire framing was really where Sea City came to life for me. When I started to wireframe, I was able to gain deeper empathy for the user and walkthrough the application like a storybook.
In order to create the prototype, I used a brainstorm technique called “Crazy 8”, which consists in drafting 8 ideas in 8 minutes (1 minute for each idea). The result of those ideas allowed me to build the Mid-Fi version which I used to perform tests with users and validate the concept.
User testing
I created a prototype of Sea Cycle and facilitated usability testing sessions with 5 different people. Each participant was asked to complete a few tasks using the prototype, so that I could observe how well they were able to use the app to accomplish their tasks. I watched for moments when users experienced confusion or encountered problems and got great feedback on where the app could be improved.
Iterations
It took some seconds for my first user to recognize that the location icon was directing him to a map where he could find locations to drop off plastic waste for recycling. I recognized that this needed additional work and testing. Below shows the before and after iteration where the location icon was replaced by a CTA button with its function clearly stated. The previous position of the location icon was then replaced with the chat icon which was initially part of the burger menu. The chat feature was incorporated into the app to give users a sense of community and a platform where like-minded recyclers can find each other, ideate and take action.
Also, on the recycle history screen, users observed that it was congested and looked too “busy”. To solve this problem, I replaced the date column with a slider and a bit of advanced prototyping to display the dates of each recycle using Figma’s powerful smart animation tool. See below:
Another important iteration that was inspired by user testing was on the create drop-off location screen. I realized that when my user got on this screen, he spent more time there trying to figure out what exactly it meant for him to create or own a drop-off location. To solve this problem, I designed an extra screen with instructions on what creating a drop-off location would mean for a user and the benefits accrued to it in simple terms. Users should not have to guess what something means.
The create drop-off location feature allows users to create recyclable plastic collection points to collect plastic waste from members of their community. Their role is to collect , weigh and record the weight of each recycle in the app using the recycler’s unique identification number. The recyclers will be paid for each recycle by weight while the collector will get 10% of total collections made per 500kg. Withdrawals can be made through the withdrawal portal feature in the app.
Hi-Fi Prototype
After several tests and iterations, the hi-fi prototype of the Sea City mobile app was created. See below:
Conclusion
Sea City is still a work in progress, but that’s sort of the beauty of user experience — it’s an iterative process of thinking, making, testing, and then repeating those steps all over again to make a solid product that people can actually use. Perhaps my favorite thing throughout the design process was being able to connect with users on all different levels. One survey participant reached out to me personally to say the survey inspired them to start a recycling program at work. This makes me super proud!
This design was my final project in the Ironhack UI/UX design bootcamp, and I couldn’t recommend the class enough for anyone interested in adding UX to their toolbox.
