Designing a sustainable Olympics

UX / UI Design

Received highest mark in cohort for individual prototype

Designing a sustainable Olympics

UX / UI Design

Received highest mark in cohort for individual prototype

Designing a sustainable Olympics

UX / UI Design

Received highest mark in cohort for individual prototype

Overview

"The Brisbane 2032 Olympic Committee has committed to the ambitious goal of delivering climate positive Games with lasting environmental benefits. How could a digital solution enable this ambitious goal in the run-up to the Olympics? How could a digital solution support and educate for sustainable action before, during, or after the event?"

My contribution

User Research

User Personas

Competitor Analysis

Wireframing

High-fidelity Prototyping

The team

1x team member (smart watch)

Me (mobile device)

Duration

12 weeks

Tools

Balsamiq

Figma

Overview

"The Brisbane 2032 Olympic Committee has committed to the ambitious goal of delivering climate positive Games with lasting environmental benefits. How could a digital solution enable this ambitious goal in the run-up to the Olympics? How could a digital solution support and educate for sustainable action before, during, or after the event?"

My contribution

User Research

User Personas

Competitor Analysis

Wireframing

High-fidelity Prototyping

The team

1x team member (smart watch)

Me (mobile device)

Duration

12 weeks

Tools

Balsamiq

Figma

Overview

"The Brisbane 2032 Olympic Committee has committed to the ambitious goal of delivering climate positive Games with lasting environmental benefits. How could a digital solution enable this ambitious goal in the run-up to the Olympics? How could a digital solution support and educate for sustainable action before, during, or after the event?"

My contribution

User Research

User Personas

Competitor Analysis

Wireframing

High-fidelity Prototyping

The team

1x team member (smart watch)

Me (mobile device)

Duration

12 weeks

Tools

Balsamiq

Figma

In a snapshot

The Problem

Large public events like the Olympics often arise to large amounts of waste and there are differing levels of intrinsic motivation for people to engage in eco-friendly behaviours, as well as physical barriers, such as limited access to bins.

The Solution

I designed a mobile application aimed at promoting eco-friendly behaviours through incentives and educational content. Users can easily classify their waste and locate nearby bins to overcome barriers of limited access.

In a snapshot

The Problem

Large public events like the Olympics often arise to large amounts of waste and there are differing levels of intrinsic motivation for people to engage in eco-friendly behaviours, as well as physical barriers, such as limited access to bins.

The Solution

I designed a mobile application aimed at promoting eco-friendly behaviours through incentives and educational content. Users can easily classify their waste and locate nearby bins to overcome barriers of limited access.

In a snapshot

The Problem

Large public events like the Olympics often arise to large amounts of waste and there are differing levels of intrinsic motivation for people to engage in eco-friendly behaviours, as well as physical barriers, such as limited access to bins.

The Solution

I designed a mobile application aimed at promoting eco-friendly behaviours through incentives and educational content. Users can easily classify their waste and locate nearby bins to overcome barriers of limited access.

Research

Before diving into possible solutions, I researched the problem space a bit more.

To break down the problem area, our team focussed on researching 3 main areas:

  1. Current sustainable solutions implemented in the Olympics

  2. Waste disposals in large sporting events

  3. Individuals' behaviours regarding waste disposal

Secondary research was conducted across various platforms - academic literature, blogs, news outlets.

Online ethnography was then conducted to understand the behaviours and motivations in relation to waste disposal at big sporting events. We used passive observation of social media networks (Reddit, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram) where users can freely express their opinions.

Key insights

  • There are differing levels of intrinsic motivation for waste disposal

  • Behavioural change is a key factor in long term sustainability

  • Barriers towards eco-friendly behaviours (lack of bins in public spaces, reduced awareness of environmental impact)

Research

Before diving into possible solutions, I researched the problem space a bit more.

To break down the problem area, our team focussed on researching 3 main areas:

  1. Current sustainable solutions implemented in the Olympics

  2. Waste disposals in large sporting events

  3. Individuals' behaviours regarding waste disposal

Secondary research was conducted across various platforms - academic literature, blogs, news outlets.

Online ethnography was then conducted to understand the behaviours and motivations in relation to waste disposal at big sporting events. We used passive observation of social media networks (Reddit, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram) where users can freely express their opinions.

Key insights

  • There are differing levels of intrinsic motivation for waste disposal

  • Behavioural change is a key factor in long term sustainability

  • Barriers towards eco-friendly behaviours (lack of bins in public spaces, reduced awareness of environmental impact)

Research

Before diving into possible solutions, I researched the problem space a bit more.

To break down the problem area, our team focussed on researching 3 main areas:

  1. Current sustainable solutions implemented in the Olympics

  2. Waste disposals in large sporting events

  3. Individuals' behaviours regarding waste disposal

Secondary research was conducted across various platforms - academic literature, blogs, news outlets.

Online ethnography was then conducted to understand the behaviours and motivations in relation to waste disposal at big sporting events. We used passive observation of social media networks (Reddit, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram) where users can freely express their opinions.

Key insights

  • There are differing levels of intrinsic motivation for waste disposal

  • Behavioural change is a key factor in long term sustainability

  • Barriers towards eco-friendly behaviours (lack of bins in public spaces, reduced awareness of environmental impact)

Analysis

Overall, there were 2 types of people when it came down to waste disposal at large public events.

User Personas

Data from background and online ethnography was crucial for developing our user personas, which is essential for capturing our audience's experiences, frustrations, and goals. The personas generated reflect the diversity of our user group.

User Journeys

User journeys helped us to envision the overall user experience to identify design opportunities.

Analysis

Overall, there were 2 types of people when it came down to waste disposal at large public events.

User Personas

Data from background and online ethnography was crucial for developing our user personas, which is essential for capturing our audience's experiences, frustrations, and goals. The personas generated reflect the diversity of our user group.

User Journeys

User journeys helped us to envision the overall user experience to identify design opportunities.

Analysis

Overall, there were 2 types of people when it came down to waste disposal at large public events.

User Personas

Data from background and online ethnography was crucial for developing our user personas, which is essential for capturing our audience's experiences, frustrations, and goals. The personas generated reflect the diversity of our user group.

User Journeys

User journeys helped us to envision the overall user experience to identify design opportunities.

Competitor Analysis

To gauge what has already been developed, we performed a competitor analysis.

As our chosen area is on the Olympics and sustainability, chosen apps include the Olympics app and those promoting sustainability. Users' experience of the apps were reviewed via online platforms (e.g. App Store). Additionally, competitors identified for building mobile and watch apps that involve reward system and location tracking include Apple Fitness and Find My. Apps were also reviewed as a design team by gathering data of each competitor's focus, functionality, strengths and weaknesses.

Major Findings

  • Users are more engaged when actions are broken down into steps and they are able to see their progress

  • Engaging users in waste disposal was an identified opportunity

  • AI photo-recognition provides a quick and convenient method for attendees who would be carrying around rubbish

  • Visual representation is a powerful tool for getting users motivated to hit their set targets/goals

  • Including animations/haptic feedback adds an element of visual and sensory excitement to user flows

Competitor Analysis

To gauge what has already been developed, we performed a competitor analysis.

As our chosen area is on the Olympics and sustainability, chosen apps include the Olympics app and those promoting sustainability. Users' experience of the apps were reviewed via online platforms (e.g. App Store). Additionally, competitors identified for building mobile and watch apps that involve reward system and location tracking include Apple Fitness and Find My. Apps were also reviewed as a design team by gathering data of each competitor's focus, functionality, strengths and weaknesses.

Major Findings

  • Users are more engaged when actions are broken down into steps and they are able to see their progress

  • Engaging users in waste disposal was an identified opportunity

  • AI photo-recognition provides a quick and convenient method for attendees who would be carrying around rubbish

  • Visual representation is a powerful tool for getting users motivated to hit their set targets/goals

  • Including animations/haptic feedback adds an element of visual and sensory excitement to user flows

Competitor Analysis

To gauge what has already been developed, we performed a competitor analysis.

As our chosen area is on the Olympics and sustainability, chosen apps include the Olympics app and those promoting sustainability. Users' experience of the apps were reviewed via online platforms (e.g. App Store). Additionally, competitors identified for building mobile and watch apps that involve reward system and location tracking include Apple Fitness and Find My. Apps were also reviewed as a design team by gathering data of each competitor's focus, functionality, strengths and weaknesses.

Major Findings

  • Users are more engaged when actions are broken down into steps and they are able to see their progress.

  • Visual representation is a powerful tool for getting users motivated to hit their set targets/goals.

  • Engaging users in waste disposal through a rewards system was an identified opportunity. Current waste apps in Australia only focus on classification.

  • AI photorecognition in the SmartRecycle app provides a quick and convenient method for attendees who would be carrying their rubbish.

  • Including animations/haptic feedback adds an element of visual and sensory excitement to user flows.

Low-Fidelity and Mid-Fidelity Wireframes

I began to sketch layouts for each steps of our design solution and continued to iterate on them.

Design Solution

Our research revealed that behavioural change is a key factor for facilitating long-term sustainability, and that waste disposal is heavily dependent on ease, access and convenience. Therefore, our design solution aims to simplify the waste disposal process during the Olympics through a mobile and watch application that empowers users to perform the following tasks:

  • Search and locate nearby bins

  • Incentivise the waste disposal process by allowing users to gain points when they throw their rubbish in the right bin. Gamification has shown to be a promising avenue to increase user engagement and foster long-lasting change (Bitrián et al., 2021). This positive reinforcement approach aligns with our goal of fostering lasting behavioral change.

Specifying the user flows for the smartwatch and phone

My team member and I then individually produced our individual prototype with our respective chosen devices. We concluded that the main user flow of the smartwatch would be to locate bins, and that the user flow of the smartphone would show the process of waste classification due to the ease of using the camera to classify waste. I led the development of the mobile phone prototype to depict the steps needed for an Olympic attendee to classify their rubbish and the corresponding points they would gain.

Sketches and wireflows

Multiple rounds of sketches were undertaken to iterate on the user flow and wireframes. For each iteration, I reflected on what features worked better then others

Sketches were then transferred into mid-fidelity wireframes using Balsamiq.

Low-Fidelity and Mid-Fidelity Wireframes

I began to sketch layouts for each steps of our design solution and continued to iterate on them.

Design Solution

Our research revealed that behavioural change is a key factor for facilitating long-term sustainability, and that waste disposal is heavily dependent on ease, access and convenience. Therefore, our design solution aims to simplify the waste disposal process during the Olympics through a mobile and watch application that empowers users to perform the following tasks:

  • Search and locate nearby bins

  • Incentivise the waste disposal process by allowing users to gain points when they throw their rubbish in the right bin. Gamification has shown to be a promising avenue to increase user engagement and foster long-lasting change (Bitrián et al., 2021). This positive reinforcement approach aligns with our goal of fostering lasting behavioral change.

Specifying the user flows for the smartwatch and phone

My team member and I then individually produced our individual prototype with our respective chosen devices. We concluded that the main user flow of the smartwatch would be to locate bins, and that the user flow of the smartphone would show the process of waste classification due to the ease of using the camera to classify waste. I led the development of the mobile phone prototype to depict the steps needed for an Olympic attendee to classify their rubbish and the corresponding points they would gain.

Sketches and wireflows

Multiple rounds of sketches were undertaken to iterate on the user flow and wireframes. For each iteration, I reflected on what features worked better then others

Sketches were then transferred into mid-fidelity wireframes using Balsamiq.

Low-Fidelity and Mid-Fidelity Wireframes

I began to sketch layouts for each steps of our design solution and continued to iterate on them.

Design Solution

Our research revealed that behavioural change is a key factor for facilitating long-term sustainability, and that waste disposal is heavily dependent on ease, access and convenience. Therefore, our design solution aims to simplify the waste disposal process during the Olympics through a mobile and watch application that empowers users to perform the following tasks:

  • Search and locate nearby bins

  • Incentivise the waste disposal process by allowing users to gain points when they throw their rubbish in the right bin. Gamification has shown to be a promising avenue to increase user engagement and foster long-lasting change (Bitrián et al., 2021). This positive reinforcement approach aligns with our goal of fostering lasting behavioral change.

Specifying the user flows for the smartwatch and phone

My team member and I then individually produced our individual prototype with our respective chosen devices. We concluded that the main user flow of the smartwatch would be to locate bins, and that the user flow of the smartphone would show the process of waste classification due to the ease of using the camera to classify waste. I led the development of the mobile phone prototype to depict the steps needed for an Olympic attendee to classify their rubbish and the corresponding points they would gain.

Sketches and wireflows

Multiple rounds of sketches were undertaken to iterate on the user flow and wireframes. For each iteration, I reflected on what features worked better then others

Sketches were then transferred into mid-fidelity wireframes using Balsamiq.

High-Fidelity Prototype

I went through multiple rounds of creating the high-fidelity prototype.

A high fidelity prototype was created using Figma with multiple iterations following my personal reflection. This was an important step to gain insights on strengths and weaknesses of the user flow.

High-Fidelity Prototype

I went through multiple rounds of creating the high-fidelity prototype.

A high fidelity prototype was created using Figma with multiple iterations following my personal reflection. This was an important step to gain insights on strengths and weaknesses of the user flow.

High-Fidelity Prototype

I went through multiple rounds of creating the high-fidelity prototype.

A high fidelity prototype was created using Figma with multiple iterations following my personal reflection. This was an important step to gain insights on strengths and weaknesses of the user flow.

Usability Testing

I then performed a heuristic evaluation using Nielsen's 10 Heuristics.

Criteria was based Nielsen's 10 Heuristics

My team member and I performed Heuristic Evaluation of the user flow task to identify strengths and weaknesses

What was addressed?

The layout of the information page was changed considerably for scannability and clearer instructions by using spacing and listing.

Improved aesthetic and minimal design by reducing to one font and varying the font weight to communicate visual hierarchy

Using more than colour to communicate active and inactive state in the navigation bar, such as unfilled and filled icons. This makes it clearer to keep users informed about the current state.

Usability Testing

I then performed a heuristic evaluation using Nielsen's 10 Heuristics.

Criteria was based Nielsen's 10 Heuristics

My team member and I performed Heuristic Evaluation of the user flow task to identify strengths and weaknesses

What was addressed?

The layout of the information page was changed considerably for scannability and clearer instructions by using spacing and listing.

Improved aesthetic and minimal design by reducing to one font and varying the font weight to communicate visual hierarchy

Using more than colour to communicate active and inactive state in the navigation bar, such as unfilled and filled icons. This makes it clearer to keep users informed about the current state.

Usability Testing

I then performed a heuristic evaluation using Nielsen's 10 Heuristics.

Criteria was based Nielsen's 10 Heuristics

My team member and I performed Heuristic Evaluation of the user flow task to identify strengths and weaknesses

What was addressed?

The layout of the information page was changed considerably for scannability and clearer instructions by using spacing and listing.

Improved aesthetic and minimal design by reducing to one font and varying the font weight to communicate visual hierarchy

Using more than colour to communicate active and inactive state in the navigation bar, such as unfilled and filled icons. This makes it clearer to keep users informed about the current state.

Final Concept

Insights from heuristic evaluation informed changes for the final prototype.

Have a play around below!

Final Concept

Insights from heuristic evaluation informed changes for the final prototype.

Have a play around below!

Final Concept

Insights from heuristic evaluation informed changes for the final prototype.

Have a play around below!

Hope to see you again soon!

Erica Zhang ©2024 to ∞

Hope to see you again soon!

Erica Zhang ©2024 to ∞

Hope to see you again soon!

Erica Zhang ©2024 to ∞