Timeline
Spring Semester 2024 (4 months)
DMA 11 Course Assignment
Role
Researcher of a team of 3
College Students don’t have the adequate understanding, motivation, and network to reduce their carbon footprint.
CarbonTrack utilizes the power of AI to make it easier to track their carbon footprint. Users no longer have to input their data regularly.
The furniture and event feature of this app targets the need for college students to network with fellow students to build a community of Carbon Footprint trackers.
RESEARCH
USER INTERVIEW + EMPATHY MAPPING
1. What is a carbon footprint?
2. How often would you want to input your carbon footprint? Daily? Once a week? ie. if you drove to work instead of public transport, inputing that data
3. Would you be comfortable with an app tracking your location to asses your carbon footprint?
4. How would you want to connect with other users? Building a community?
5. Would you want this app that tracks your carbon footprint gamified? Having a leaderboard?
6. How do you plan to reduce your carbon footprint?
7. What are you expectations when it comes to an app that tracks your carbon footprint? What features do you expect this app to have?
8. Have you ever been told by news/media that you need to do your part to save the planet? Don’t know where to start?
9. What is stopping you (blockers) from reducing your carbon footprint?
10. How will tracking your carbon footprint positively impact you?
11. If you had a magic wand, what sustainable practices would you integrate into everyday life to reduce carbon footprints?
Using the Jobs-to-be-done framework, we were able to establish CabonTrack’s main job and 3 related jobs for the app. The main job would be to accurately track user’s carbon footprint, while the related jobs are limiting waste, reducing pollution, and building community.
To better understand how user would use our app, we created job stories surrounding what we think users would expect while the app.
When entering the CarbonTrack app, I want to input my carbon emissions data such as my mode of transportation or food I ate, So I can get an accurate carbon footprint result.
When users are reducing pollution by either biking, walking or using public transit, I want to monitor which form of commute is most popular, So I can suggest these options and routes for other users across the Carbon Track App.
When I’m connecting with other users on CarbonTrack, I want to engage in a like-minded community and plan in-person events, So I can share experiences, learn from others, and collectively work towards reducing our carbon footprints individually and in group efforts.
Through the competitive analysis of these four competitors, we decided that there were 5 major things we wanted to focus on when designing:
Seamless, modern, and accessible design (WCAG AA/AAA compliance)
Carbon footprint comparison for user insights
An interactive global community for engagement
Informative content with quick facts and images
Simple, user-friendly interface with categorized options and top-rated listings.
Andy is an embodiment of our college senior demographic within the app’s community. Andy is driven by the primary goal of decluttering and giving away his furniture while also delving into the intricacies of understanding and mitigating his carbon footprint. Andy’s persona leans towards being more extroverted, analytical, and notably busier, reflecting the seasoned nature of his college experience.
Cathy is a representation of our college freshman population within the app’s ecosystem. Cathy embodies the characteristic of a more introverted and shy student who holds a deep-seated concern for tracking her carbon footprint and seeking connections with like-minded individuals during her college journey.
Storyboard for CathyDesign Considerations for Cathy:
We're simplifying the sign-up and onboarding process by asking relevant questions to gauge users' initial carbon footprint.
Inspired by Facebook Marketplace, we're adding trending furniture categories, including a section for college items like UCSC furniture, for easier browsing.
Cathy can safely contact Andy within her college network to arrange a pickup for the shelf she found in the UCSC furniture section.
Cathy is pleased with the feature, has improved her carbon footprint, and will earn points toward rewards while competing with fellow UCSC carbon track users.
Storyboard for Andy
Design Considerations for Andy:
After competitive research, we've decided to integrate a CarbonAI feature for convenient and precise tracking of users' carbon footprint. Users won't need to manually input transportation data; instead, CarbonAI leverages GPS, Bluetooth, and public transportation and map apps to detect user trends across chosen transportation modes.
The CarbonTracker displays users' daily averages and enables comparisons with their weekly, monthly, and yearly carbon footprint. Additionally, it showcases recent transport activities, such as using BART, driving an electric car, or taking a ferry to reach destinations.
CONCLUSION + MOCKUP
SECURITY + USER TRUSTWe found through user research that security was a priority. This page explains what CarbonAI and how CarbonTrack protects users data. This aims to build user’s trust.
COMMUNITY BUILDINGOur findings pointed out that users wanted to build a community. The event page allows users to join an event to make connections with other users
CONVINIENCEInputting carbon activities was a major pain point discovered in the research process. Through the use of CarbonAI users no longer have to enter their data and allow CarbonAI to do the heavy lifting. PROTOTYPE + MOCKUP BY BRANDON WONG
Key Takeaways for Carbon Track:
Provides a convenient and efficient method for users to reduce their carbon footprint.
Offers community-building features that enable college students to connect with like-minded individuals and attend educational events.
Facilitates safe furniture exchange interactions while minimizing carbon footprints.
Utilizes AI to precisely track user’ carbon footprints.
Includes robust security measures to protect user data and location tracking.
Lessons:
Developing a lo-fi mockup for a fictional website presented numerous challenges. It required meticulous attention to detail while keeping the user at the forefront of the design process.
Focus on the bigger picture when it comes to research done for our app.
Leverage and apply knowledge gained from competitive analysis of different apps and websites to our app.
Crafting storyboards and personas, and defining jobs-to-be-done were invigorating tasks that also came with a learning curve.
Personal Key Takeaways:
I am very glad that I was able to work in a team, shoutout to Brandon and Aretha. It taught me so many lessons about time management, team alignment, and dedication.
From our last project together, I think we continued to build trust in this project given it was more complicated while learning the content of research and storytelling.
I should focus more on why each activity mattered to our end product, focusing on the bigger picture. I got a little lost in the competitive analysis where I was not focused on why I was doing it and how it can be beneficial information to our mobile application. Something I will continue to work on to improve.
