Up to Us
The task
- a personal project aimed to make sorting and recycling in Israel more convenient.
My role included conducting user research, market research, defining the MVP, prototyping, and final design.
Problem statement
My personal experience as a new repatriate indicated several issues:
1. Bins for different types of waste are located in different places, making them easier to find with local knowledge.
2. The lack of information sources on sorting and recycling in my native language.
Research
I decided to conduct interviews with repatriates like me and also created a questionnaire in Hebrew for native Israelis to determine whether the problem exists.
I asked them about their recent experience with waste sorting, how they learned to sort waste, whether anything bothered them, if something could simplify it, and their desire or need for additional knowledge.
Insights following the interview and questionnaire:
Each respondent sorts between 1 and 5 types of waste.
1
Mentions by respondents: plastic 80%, cardboard 60%, organic waste 20%, glass 60%, clothing 10%, batteries 10%, light bulbs 10%, paper 30%, canned goods 10%.
Native Israelis have an advantage in information and language but repatriates sort more categories.
2
Learning sorting rules involves bins (labels, color), other people (neighbors, others visibly participating), and television.
The most considerable dissatisfaction for the respondents is the accumulation of waste at home.
3
Mentions by respondents: accumulation of waste at home: 50%; lack of process organization: 40%; containers are too far, or location is unknown: 30%; odor from containers: 10%; insufficient bins for specific types of waste: 10%; eroded trust in the sorting system: 10%.
A geolocation map is the most frequently mentioned method of sorting.
4
Respondents mentioned the following:—a map with geolocation and explanations: 50%; assistance from others: 20%; a separate space in the home: 10%; new packaging to reduce waste: 10%; and additional containers for different materials: 10%.
Most frequently expressed a desire to know more about sorting rules.
5
Mentions by respondents: sorting rules: 50%; recycling outcomes: 30%; geo-location map: 20%; clothing recycling: 10%; automated sorting technologies at the factory: 10%; recycling process: 10%.
I found and analyzed an Israeli app, government websites, and articles related to waste collection and recycling rules in Israel.
Market research and architecture
I decided to use respondents' feedback for the MVP. Based on research insights, the app can address two issues: difficulties in locating the necessary bins and lack of understanding of rules and the sorting process.
Prototyping and design
After defining the MVP, I created a preliminary prototype of screens to visualize the essential app screens. After that, I continued working on the app's design line and potential usage scenarios.
What’s next?
Any application can be continuously improved, but validating the idea, hypotheses, and functionality through hallway testing and user feedback is crucial. Analyzing user behavior and analytics will provide insights into waste disposal habits and map usage frequency.
Testing
First potential improvement: Allow users to contribute by adding containers to the map. This feature is similar to Waze, where users can report if a car is no longer present, leading to its removal from the map.
Additions
Second, based on the research findings, it would be beneficial to include plastic lids. This is because 40% of the respondents expressed uncertainty regarding the proper sorting of this specific waste item.