Developing
a tracking app
Challenge 
How can we help motivated Seattleites limit their environmental impact by reducing the amount of waste that ends up in the landfill?
Solution 
A waste-tracking mobile app that helps people easily take action towards slowing climate change on personal, corporate, and governmental levels.
timeline
11 weeks
Skills
UX
UI
Identity
Team
In collaboration with
Christy Rosenlund
Tools
Figma
Illustrator
Discover
secondary research
We found there isn’t a product that lets consumers track their waste. We looked to the closest mental models, habit tracking apps, recycling apps, and carbon footprint apps, to ground our research.
The competitive audit revealed users still need assistance sorting trash, compost, and recycling. They also need a benefit or incentive to continue using a tracking app.
primary researcH
Our users rank climate change as a top priority and want to be doing more to reduce their impact. However, most people feel powerless and don’t have the energy, time, money, or privilege to radically change their day-to-day habits.
We found users won’t continue using a product that feels like a chore, so we needed a solution that passively collects data, unlike logging data with a calorie counter.
Defining the problem
While the goal of reducing consumption was implied in the brief, our data pointed us towards solving the problem at a different point in the funnel. Plastic packaging is currently inescapable for our users’ everyday needs, so we chose to focus on moving more waste out of the trash and into recycling and compost.
In 2019 alone, 122,205 tons of recyclable plastic from King County ended up in landfills. Almost 35% of landfill waste was paper and food scraps that could be composted.
Improper recycling and composting also affects the city. In our research, we found that this type of waste data could be useful to city and waste management employees. It could help shape policy recommendations and guide business decisions.
How can we help motivated Seattleites limit their impact on the environment by reducing the amount of waste that ends up in the landfill?
Framing the solution
To move our users toward correctly sorting their waste, our solution needed to address helping them move past a fear-based freeze response to taking action.
How might we…
Create a system to increase recycling and composting success rates
Empower the user to move past a fear-based freeze response into action
Project Goals
Reduce the amount of waste sent to the landfill
Eliminate recyclables and compost in the trash
Design a passive tracking system that doesn’t feel like a chore
Demonstrate personal benefits to reducing waste
Create
Solution
Our Bluetooth-enabled scales help users monitor their compost, recycling, and waste outputs. Through our mobile app, we help users take climate actions through automated petitions, tips to reduce waste, and a disposal database.
In partnership with the City of Seattle, users can opt into sharing their waste data with the city to encourage ongoing policy recommendations in exchange for discounted city utility bills.
reflect
user testing
Users noted our first wireframes didn’t have petition searchability, so we incorporated that feature moving forward. Users also said our inspirational copy made them feel good after accomplishing the task.
We got feedback that the app scenario was a strong opportunity for gamification. Ensuring the UI includes engaging gestures and rewarding flourishes would help users tangibly feel like they’re making a difference. We added levels and medals to help users see measures of their impact.
implement
Design system
We made a choice here to stay away from the color green so we don’t unnecessarily add any green or environmental concerns for our user. also blue is the color of recycling in seattle so there’s a strong association there still for seattlites
petition taskflow
