Phase 1 - The Discovery

Is it really working? Sort of.

In this phase, we conducted a variety of research to get to the core of the issue. To do that, we used various methodologies (such as business analysis and comparative analysis) that reviewed comments and reactions to the press release, we analysed public opinion about the scheme via social media, developed a more acute understanding of people’s motivations to recycle through affinity mapping, and analysed awareness of the scheme via a survey.

What we identified was that people find recycling important as they want to protect the environment and reduce waste going to landfills. People also approved of the Return and Earn scheme, but many people were either unaware of the scheme existing or didn’t participate because it’s too far from the nearest return point.

Where are all the return points?

In addition to the research, we compared the information architecture of the current website and the myTomra app. We wanted to see whether they both provided the same information for users to find.

One major difference was the visibility of all the types of return points on their maps. The website shows every type of return point available (reverse vending machines, automated depot, over the counter, and donation stations). The app, however, only has reverse vending machines and automated depots even though RVMs only take up about half of the return points available.

Branding

We also saw a difference in branding between the two mediums. Even though the website directs people to download the app, there’s no Return and Earn logo or mention on the app itself. This could confuse the user.

Phase 2 - Who is the user?

“The Responsible Recycler”

We designed an archetype that reflects the people we had surveyed. This archetype would help us focus our effort on meeting their needs through our design.

A typical day for the Responsible Recycler

In order to see how the pain points we discovered would affect a user, I created a journey map of a moment where the “Responsible Recycler” would use the app (in this instance, a lunch break).

Phase 3 - Ideation

All the possibilities, so little time

Now that we have identified opportunities to improve, we brainstormed possible ideas and placed them on a grid that differentiates ideas into their impact and the effort and cost it would need to be implemented.

As we had a short amount of time to develop a solution, we decided that having a share function on the app, coupled with showing all the different types of return points would be our main solution as it was low cost and would have a high impact. And by limiting our scope to just the app, we can optimise our time to focus on the core issue of awareness.

Introducing the myTomra app 2.0

If it’s not broken, just tweak it

We removed elements of the app that were not being utilised and replaced them with the scheme’s mascot to give the app some character. We also added a new feature we termed “Refer and Earn” where people are incentivised to invite their contacts to the scheme or download the app.

Another addition was a “Learn and Earn” feature in which people are rewarded for learning about the scheme. The idea behind this was to inform users of where the containers are going and why it’s important to use Return and Earn. We wanted to make sure that customers feel confident in the system so that they continue to use it and not just use it once.

One other major tweak was the change of map, where all the return points are located for people to see which is closest. This would give another reason for a user to deposit their container into a return point.

Once we had built a working wireframe and prototype, we tested the improved app with users (majority of which didn’t have the app at all). The overall feedback we received was positive, with some mentioning the addition of the mascot being fun.

We also had feedback regarding the reward system & what would make people share. One tester brought to our attention that they share only to close friends and if it was relevant to them. 

We then removed any mention of what kind of reward a person would receive as that would require more research into what kind of reward would motivate people to act.

Now back to you, “Client”!

Handing off what we had so far

We presented our findings to the “client” along with supporting documentation. As I was coordinating the documentation on this project, I made sure that our research and prototype had a clear explanation as to why we did them and not just state what we did.

With more time comes more opportunities to improve

Next steps

Based on our time restriction, we recommended researching more on the “Learn and Earn” to see what would be the best way to deliver information engagingly and memorably. We also recommend researching what would work as a reward when people share, whether it's money or points to earn at a local store or other types of rewards.

Some reflections

While researching, we found it difficult to sift through all the information we gathered. It did make us feel overwhelmed at the start. We conquered this feeling by making sure that we had our goal front and centre, as well as keeping our tasks to a deadline using Trello to keep track.

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