PROJECT OVERVIEW
The task for this university project was designing an innovative outcome that delivers positive progress in climate action.
The aim of the project was to create a digital product that doesn't just raise awareness but results in behaviour change for the users.
PROBLEM
Recent research shows that younger generations (Millennials and Gen Z) are less engaged with recycling than the older generation (Baby Boomers). Young people have busy lifestyles which often makes them neglect their footprint on the planet’s pollution.
The beauty industry generates 120 billion units of packaging every year, and sadly most of it ends up in a landfill.
New research discovers young women lack information on what ways of recycling their cosmetic products' packaging exist. This gives an opportunity to create a service for educating and collecting cosmetic packaging waste in an easy and convenient way for young and busy people.
SOLUTION
I decided to make a website for a company that offers recycling of beauty products empties. In return, the users would receive some sort of reward.
This is BeautyCycle - a website concept for recycling beauty product packaging.
DESIGN PROCESS
I used the DOUBLE DIAMOND method:
Discover - Define - Develop - Deliver
Discover
RESEARCH
Starting point - RECYCLING
The starting point of my research was recycling. I had to conduct initial research on recycling and dig in the rabbit hole and see where this would take me.
My research went through the recycling of glass, building materials, the circular economy of glass, glassification of the beauty industry and I ended up with the recycling of cosmetic products packaging.
Cosmetic Products Packaging
I read numerous articles and many of them stated that the beauty industry generates 120 billion units of packaging every year, and sadly most of it ends up in a landfill.
Cosmetic brands that have recycling programs
I found out that many cosmetic brands have existing recycling programs. You can see some of them below.
Defining TARGET GROUP
During my secondary research, I read about a survey that finds younger generations (Millennials and Gen Z) are least confident about recycling. I already had the idea to make my project’s topic recycling of cosmetic products packaging. The majority of the beauty industry users are females.
This is why I decided my target group to be women from younger generations (Millennials and Gen Z).
USER INTERVIEWS
I conducted 6 interviews with beauty products users from my target audience. I asked them
12 questions. Some of the interviews were in person, others were online. I recorded all interviews on audio so I could listen to the interviews and give my insights. You can see my interview script below.
Interview questions
Name:
Age:
Current job title:
Location:
Q1: What cosmetic products do you use daily?
Q2: What brands do you use?
Q3: What materials are your cosmetics packaging made of?
Q4: What is your preferred way of shopping for cosmetic products?
Q5: What is the most important thing for you in choosing cosmetic products?
Q6: What do you do with the cosmetic packaging when the product is finished or expired?
Q7: Do you recycle cosmetics packaging? Why? How? /Why not?
Q8: What would motivate you to recycle your cosmetics packaging?
Q9: Do you know any cosmetic brands or companies that provide recycling services for cosmetics packaging? If yes - which ones?
Q10: How do you imagine a recycling service for cosmetics packaging should work?
Q11: What format of recycling service would you prefer - a website, a mobile app, a drop off point or anything else? Why?
Q12: If you were given a reward to recycle your cosmetics packaging, what reward would you appreciate? Why?
Q13: Is there anything you want to add that I didn't mention in the previous questions?
AFFINITY DIAGRAM
After I conducted the interviews with users from my target group I wrote down important points from each user. Then I grouped similar opinions/quotes from the users and created my affinity diagram.
Define
INSIGHTS
After thoughtful consideration, I made some insights from the affinity diagram. You can see them below.
USER PERSONAS
The next step in the process was to create personas out of the insights I came up with. I made two personas as I thought it would be useful to have more than one type of user representation.
PERSONA 1
PERSONA 2
Develop
IDEATE
Sketches - CRAZY 8s
After deciding what direction I wanted my project to take I started a brainstorming session using the technique “Crazy 8s”. I was supposed to come up with 8 ideas very quickly but I got only 6 ideas.
My ideas included drone collection, smart assistant reminders, smart boxes for empty containers, and Amazon locker drop-offs.
Sketches - Storyboard
Next, I made a storyboard sketch. It represents a female user buying a cosmetic product and after the product is finished she looks for a way to recycle it and finds a company that offers such a service - drop off point at Amazon locker. The user gets a free product at the end.
Storyboard - refined
I made a refined version of the storyboard using a Figma template.
Wireframes
The next step in the process was to create a basic wireframe of the landing page of the website.
I decided to make the following sections:
Drop off points, Collections, Reports, About us and a profile login.
You can see a screenshot of this initial wireframe below.
Low Fidelity Prototype
I developed further the wireframe into a low fidelity prototype with clickable buttons and icons.
You can see a screenshot of these screens below.
USER TESTING
I tested my low fidelity prototype with 3 potential users.
They suggested several things to be added/removed. You can see the refinements I made below.
I changed the toolbar - I removed the country option as I was not going to be able to make the prototype in more than one language.
I also removed the section Facts as the users didn’t see it as necessary.
STYLING
Moodboard
I searched online what themes and colours are used for recycling products/services. Here is my moodboard based on my research.
Branding - LOGO
I had to go through 8 versions of logo to get to the final one.
Colour Palette
I chose 4 colours - dark and light green as the main colours as the green colour is associated with ecology and the environment. For the accent, I chose beige and black to bring contrast to the main two colours.
Typography - font FUTURA
I chose the font Futura because it looks clean and modern.
Deliver
DESIGN ITERATIONS
High Fidelity Prototype
After the low fidelity prototype, the next step was to make it high fidelity.
I made several landing page refinements. You can see these versions below.
I also changed the layout of the Reports page. Instead of monthly reports, I made a visualisation of the whole recycled quantity to date to convey scale. You can see the refinement below.
USER TESTING
I only managed to do a usability testing with 2 users.
The feedback didn’t suggest major changes. The users recommended it would have been nice to have a mobile app in addition to the website. However, given the timeframe of the project, I didn’t have the time to make both a website and an app.
FINAL DESIGN
BeautyCycle website mockup
REFLECTION
BeautyCycle Retrospective
Thinking back on the BeautyCycle project, the main aspect that needs further work is creating a mobile application alongside the website to enhance user convenience, particularly in accessing their rewards vouchers. A dedicated app could offer a seamless experience for users, allowing them to easily manage their rewards and engage with the platform on the go. This oversight underscores the importance of thorough planning and foresight in addressing the diverse needs and preferences of users across different digital touchpoints.
Furthermore, reflecting on the high fidelity prototype, there is a clear opportunity to refine the design further and introduce more interactive elements on the website. While the prototype provided a solid foundation for visualising the user interface, adding more clickable options would enhance the user experience. This realization emphasises the iterative nature of the design process, where continual refinement and optimisation are essential for delivering a polished and user-centric product.
Overall, this project has been invaluable in deepening my understanding of UX design principles and UI tools. It has highlighted the importance of holistic thinking and user-centred design in creating meaningful digital experiences. Moving forward, I am eager to apply these insights and lessons learned to future projects, ensuring that each design decision is grounded in a thorough understanding of user needs and preferences.