Background
I was assigned a design challenge brief to be completed within a week.
Problem
Household grocery shoppers need a way to reduce their reliance on commercial packaging, because they would like to reduce their ecological footprint while still buying the items they need.
Objective
By providing a platform that simplifies Zero-Waste techniques for household grocery shoppers, we will achieve their goal of reducing their ecological footprint with minimal impact to their lifestyle.
Assumptions
Our findings suggest that there are 3 types of waste that make up the bulk of household waste: Food packaging, product packaging, organic food waste. We are choosing to focus on the food packaging and, to an extent, product packaging with this solution. The same source also suggests a Zero-Waste lifestyle addresses the most impactful of the “3 R’s” Reduce and reuse. This movement is effective in reducing ecological footprints but it is highly disruptive to the lifestyles of the participants. We intend to bridge the gap and design a solution with high ecological impact along with a low lifestyle impact for our users.
Discovery
Research
A survey was sent to about 10 people. Because of limited scope, there are more open-ended qualitative questions than I would normally put on a survey. Key takeaways are below.
- Most respondents employ recycling more than the other methods. 55%
- Knowledge of actual recycling laws is inconsistent
- Responsibilities for waste management are largely shared in the home
- Most report shopping at a grocery store, ⅓ report using online delivery services as well
- Most have negative feelings about current environmental issues. There is a prevailing opinion that changes at the corporation and government level will be more effective than at the individual level
- The concept of ecological footprint is a concern for most, though some feel efforts are fruitless without changes at the government level
Pain points in practicing the 3 R’s”
- Knowledge of what can be recycled “lots of rules involved, never actually sure if what i'm doing is correct”
- A lot of single use items and packaging
- There is a lack of personal energy devoted to waste management
Persona and User Flow
Prioritizing
Wireframes
Hi-Def Designs
