Problem
How do we encourage the general public to live more sustainable lives?
Living a green life can be easier said than done in today’s society. Making green choices can often times be daunting to the average person when the sustainable option is neither the cheapest nor the easiest.
Solution
Make getting rid of unwanted items fun, accessible, and easy
The idea behind Goodbye is to provide a one-stop-spot for getting rid of things. Goodbye provides users with the opportunity to research how to properly dispose of unwanted items, shows nearby disposal locations, as well as a get rid of items through a community free page.
How did we get here?…
To develop the first iterations of “Goodbye” I started with enthographic research.
I conducted interviews with friends and family to better understand how people feel about sustainability.
Three major ideas stood out:
Most people lack the time and resources to make sustainable choices
Sustainable choices are expensive
There is not enough infrastructure from companies and government to support sustainability
Planning and Basic Design
Going off of these main pain points I moved on to developing some rough solutions to our problem.
My initial idea was to develop an app that allowed users to purchase products from vetted local and green businesses. The idea was to “trim the fat” when shopping sustainably. It would include features like sustainability ratings, reviews, featured businesses, and ways to customize your profile and save your favorite items. That way, users could be sustainable in a fast and effective way.
The first iteration was called “Eco Mart”.
Re-Design
After some basic usability testing with peers, I went back to the drawing board. Overall, the main issue people had with “Eco-Mart” was its lack of uniqueness. There are currently too many other apps on the market that allow users to shop sustainably.
Instead I decided to focus on the features that users said were appealing.
This included:
The ability to connect with community
concepts that facilitated waste reduction
Desire for customization
Concepts where money was not a factor
This lead to the creation of “Let It Go” ..
“Let it Go” is for people looking to get rid of their unwanted items in a way they feel good about, with room for creativity and the chance to connect with their community. It features..
Information on how to properly dispose of items
Opportunity to give away + pick up new items for free
Community forum with ideas about creative re-use
Profile page to save and organize ideas and items
Finally we have, “Goodbye” …
With Goodbye I further developed the feel of the app. By using the research I had collected, I came up with a color pallet and a general style guide. I wanted the app to feel playful and accesible to a wide variety of users. This lead to a pallet neutral in tone with small pops of color.
Overall, the finalized version of “Goodbye” allows people to take sustainability into their own hands. When trying to figure out how to best dispose of items “Goodbye” eliminates the confusion. Users are now able to find out fast and accurately the proper methods of waste disposal, as well as get creative! Hopefully in the future “Goodbye” can become a seamless part of everyday life.