Designing A Platform To Inform, Motivate, And Encourage People To Recycle Their Used Batteries

Salvage uses incentives, including rewards and recognition, to remind users that doing good for the world can also leave a positive impact on themselves.

What Salvage Will Solve

In our battery-driven society, people do not know how to recycle their used batteries properly, and many are unaware of the adverse environmental effects. Instead of safely recycling batteries, consumers deposit 3 billion batteries into wastebaskets every year which results in hazardous waste polluting our community's landfills.

Overview

  • Researcher, and UI/UX Designer

  • Academic — 12 Weeks

  • Surveys, Personas, User Stories, Flows, Wireframes, Usability Testing & Iterations, Prototypes

  • Figma, Sketch, Miro, Marvel, Overflow

Designing A Platform For People To

Design Process

Why Is Battery Pollution A Problem?

Despite having drop-off locations in place to recycle, people do not fully grasp how to properly dispose of their used batteries.

People are not informed or aware of how their actions will affect the environment.

All batteries can be recycled. However, it’s important to know the type and chemistry of a battery to determine which of the various waste management options to use.

Why We Need To Recycle E-Waste

  • Reclaiming batteries can help sustain the planet. Proper battery disposal will conserve resources while reducing the growing need for new materials.

  • Keeping batteries out of landfills can prevent harmful chemicals and reduce toxins from leaking into our water supply.

  • Recycling can help companies extract raw materials from used batteries and forward them to manufacturing companies for reuse.

Discovering Different Challenges People Face Today

In my interviews, I focused on these questions:

  • Do consumers understand how battery waste affects the environment?

  • Are consumers willing to properly dispose of used batteries?

  • What would motivate people to recycle their used batteries?

Common Themes & Concerns

Keeping Users Experience At The Center Of My Design

Building on frustrations and challenges from the user interviews, I defined two unique personas with distinctive pain points to use as a reference guide for decision-making throughout the project.

Redefining The Problem

After looking at the empathy maps and personas, it is clear that e-waste is an issue. People would recycle if it were more accessible.

Rather than thinking about how I can help people find recycling locations, I shifted focus to how I can help people learn about different battery types and get incentivized for good recycling habits.

In our battery-driven society, how might we educate and incentivize consumers to properly recycle used batteries and preserve the environment by reducing electrical waste?

3 Epics To Define The Functionality

  1. As a new user, I want to scan my batteries so I can collect points to earn prizes.

  2. As a new user, I want to learn about battery types to recycle them correctly and collect points.

  3. As a new user, I want to redeem my points so I can receive prizes.

Exploring Layouts Using Pen & Paper

Usability Testing - 2 Rounds

Paper sketches were translated into low-fidelity wireframes, and the prototype underwent two rounds of usability testing with 5 participants. Testers were given a set of 5 tasks to complete. 

Test Objectives: Observe the user's overall experience while using the app and uncover any usability issues.

Scanning 1 Battery At A Time Is Not Enough

After Iterating The Scan Screen

I conducted a 2nd round of testing, and the results were successful, with a 100% completion rate.

The feedback I received from both rounds of testing helped me understand what users liked or disliked about the design and what aspects of the app were less intuitive.

Onto The Final Wireflow

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A Friendly & Genuine Identity

Convenient, Considerate, Efficient, Sustainable

Using these adjectives, I searched for inspiration and created a mood board that reflected these words. I selected sustainable imagery to tell a story without displaying any words. Images feel authentic and encourage people to connect, protect, and sustain the environment.

  • Recycling and Salvage are synonyms. I wanted to convey the concepts of “rescue” and “restore.”

  • Salvage uses modern tools and incentives to help people form healthy habits; the goal is to make finding recycling centers not only simple but also fun.

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Testing The High-Fidelity

Objectives: Assess challenges navigating the app and uncover any new usability or accessibility issues.

Usability Testing: Rounds 3 & 4

I kept the same questionnaire from the previous rounds of testing, and I asked 5 new participants to find a way to recycle their batteries.

3/5 testers could not scan in their batteries.

Iterations To The Home Screen

  • Adding the CTA button on the Home Screen changed the app's hierarchy because it directed users to tap the Scan Screen.

  • The scales and figures were easier to read on the bar graph and users could quickly track their monthly progress.

On The 4th Round Of Testing

The results were successful, with a 100% completion rate.

Take A Look At The Final Prototype

  • This was my first design project, and it required an incredible amount of patience. I learned how to dissect my problem statement, think on my feet, and demonstrate my thought process. Receiving constructive criticism allowed me to elaborate not only more on my process but also on the step-by-step adjustments I made throughout the project.

  • High-fidelity prototyping was the most challenging phase for me because I spent too much time perfecting the final design. I need to remind myself not to get emotionally attached to my work since testing will always be an ongoing process.

  • Although there was positive feedback after four rounds of user testing, more improvements can still be made to this project:

    • Additional user testing on the Home Screen

    • Incorporating AI on the Scan Screen to identify different battery types for users. This is a must-have feature that will need to be integrated down the line.

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