About The project
To create an engaging, educational app designed to teach children the importance of recycling through interactive games and challenges.
The Approach
The focus of the RecycleHero project is to create an engaging, educational app that teaches children aged 5-12 the importance of recycling. By using gamification, such as challenges and rewards, the app turns recycling into a fun, interactive experience. The goal is to simplify recycling practices and empower kids to develop eco-friendly habits, while also offering practical tips for parents to encourage family-wide participation in sustainability.
Design Thinking Process
The Design Thinking Process for RecycleHero involved researching children's recycling challenges, defining the need for fun, engaging education, and ideating gamified solutions like rewards. We built and tested prototypes with kids, refining the app based on their feedback to ensure an intuitive, enjoyable experience.
Project Timeline
In our interviews with both kids and parents, participants highlighted a common issue: finding clear, accessible guidelines for recycling was challenging. Many expressed frustration with the lack of simple instructions that both children and adults could easily understand and follow. Additionally, they emphasized the importance of making recycling more engaging, particularly for children. Both groups suggested that an app offering interactive and informative incentives, such as rewards for completing recycling tasks or tracking their environmental impact, would significantly increase their motivation to recycle more effectively.
Quantitative Research
Our key findings following surveys determined our target audience's needs:
The top priority of our users prioritize tracking their environmental impact, showing a desire to see how their actions contribute to larger goals.
64.3% want an app that makes recycling easier and more convenient, highlighting a demand for tools that simplify the process.
User Persona
User Journey
Oliver's journey begins with curiosity when he asks his dad about different trash cans, but it quickly turns to frustration as his dad struggles to explain and they find dull, unhelpful resources. Their experience shifts when they discover RecycleHero, an engaging and playful app that captures Oliver's interest through interactive recycling challenges. Oliver enjoys sorting items, while his dad learns practical tips to improve their recycling at home. The app transforms their frustration into satisfaction, resulting in positive real-world recycling habits for both of them
UI Style
Our style guide offers a detailed framework to ensure a cohesive brand experience that resonates with our target audience. It features vibrant primary colors with a unique twist, soft, inviting button edges, and playful handwritten headers that capture the app's fun, energetic spirit.
Task Flow
Iterated Hi-Fi design after 2 rounds of testing
Future Enhancement
Recycle Hero has the power to inspire future leaders to make sustainable choices that drive real-world impact. By partnering with the World Wildlife Fund, we can transform this mission from concept to reality, creating a lasting difference together.
