Sustainify case study:
Designing a tool for collective sustainibility action
Welcome to Sustainify case study, where we explore the journey of designing a digital platform to simplify sustainability event coordination. From initial research to final prototypes, discover the user-centered design process behind creating a tool that empowers eco-conscious individuals to take collective action
Design Challenge
Sustainify was designed to simplify the process of organizing and participating in sustainability events within urban communities. With rising urbanization, collective action on environmental issues is more important than ever, yet logistical challenges and limited community engagement hinder these efforts. This project explores how digital solutions can empower eco-conscious individuals to better coordinate sustainability efforts and deepen their impact.
Key design challenge points
My role: Main UX Designer
Lack of access to local information
Urban residents struggle to find relevant and actionable information about local sustainability initiatives.
Logistical challenges in event organisation
Coordinating venues, resources, and volunteers is time-consuming and inefficient, leading to lower participation
Limited community involvement
Despite their passion, eco-conscious individuals often face barriers in engaging others and maintaining long-term participation
As the UX designer for Sustainify, I conducted user research, created personas, mapped user journeys, and developed prototypes. My goal was to craft a user-centered solution that addressed both the logistical and engagement challenges faced by eco-conscious individuals.
With a strong focus on user-centered design, I sought to create solutions that not only addressed immediate logistical barriers but also fostered long-term community engagement.
Problem Statement
Addressing the pressing issues of rapid urban growth.
Urbanisation is transforming the global landscape at an unprecedented rate, propelling over half the world's population into urban settings. This shift is projected to intensify, raising profound challenges for sustainable urban development.
Inadequate living condition
As of 2020, over 1.1 billion individuals are living in inadequate urban conditions or slum areas, with this figure expected to nearly triple by 2050.
Massive energy consumption
According to the UN, cities are consuming between 60-80% of global energy and contributing to around 75% of carbon emissions, despite occupying only 3% of earth's surface.
Uncontrolled population growth
Currently, over half of urban population live in urban area, and this number will increase to nearly 70% by 2050.
Research
Details
Objectives
-
To investigate the barriers urban eco-conscious individuals face in adopting and contributing to sustainable living practices within their cities.
-
To learn directly from urban eco-conscious individuals about their motivations, frustrations, and current behavious related to sustainable living.
Primary research
User interviews
Conduct in-depth, semi-structured interviews with a diverse group of urban eco-conscious individuals.
These interviews will explore their sustainability journey, including their motivation, pain points, and barrier in applying sustainable urban practices.
Secondary research
Desk study
To get a broader context about the problem area and complements the primary research method.
Hypothesis statement
I believe that the main barriers to more active participation in sustainable living are a lack of easy access to actionable information, perceived incovenience of sustainable practices, and limited community involvement.
Assumptions
Urban eco-conscious individuals prefer engaging in sustainability initiatives that are not only impactful but also visible and communal.
People's primary motivations for engaging in sustainable living ar eto reduce their environmental impact and to contribute positively to their community.
Affinity
mapping
After conducting initial interviews, the findings revealed that while urban dwellers are motivated to engage in sustainable activities, they struggle due to the inconvenience of accessing information and lack of structured community involvement. I categorised the findings of the interviews into three main themes:
Digital tool empowerment
Urban eco-conscious individuals are actively seeking digital solutions to streamline their sustainable practices
Community engagement
Accessibility
Urban eco-conscious individuals are eager to deepen their impact on local sustainability through more consistent, structured community involvement.
Significant physical regulatory barriers hinder urban dwellers from adopting sustainable practices.
This theme will be our focus moving forward, because communal approach can lead to more significant, visible impacts within urban settings
How might we empower urban eco-conscious individuals to effectively coordinate and amplify community sustainability efforts?
Persona
User stories
& epics
Full list of user stories and epics can be found here.
Based on the user stories created, there are 4 epics:
-
Event management
-
Community building
-
Knowledge access
-
Personal contribution
Selected epic: event management
Directly addresses the need to coordinate and amplify community sustainability efforts through effective event planning and execution
Task flow
The goal of the user in this task flow is to create an event and share them. They started from logging in to the platform and ended up sharing an event they just created. The task flow can also be accessed here.
Sketches
Wireframe: First iteration
Access the first prototype here
This section presents the initial wireframe of our solution, showcasing the user interface designed to streamline eco-conscious community events. The layout prioritises clarity and ease of use, featuring a section where users can view their most immediate events.
Key elements include event filters, quick creation tools, and an overview of upcoming activities, ensuring users can efficiently engage and coordinate sustainability efforts within their community.
User testing #1
I conducted a user testing with 5 different users, with the goal of logging in to the app and creating an event. The user test helped me to identify several usability issues, in which I categorised using design prioritisation matrix.
Wireframe: Second iteration
Access the second prototype here
This section presents the updated wireframe based on user feedback from the initial usability testing.
Key changes include:
-
The homepage is now scrollable with smaller event cards to display more events at a glance
-
The title on the event creation page is now clearer to reduce confusion
-
Added process on image selection
User testing #2
After the first iteration, I got a different set of user to test the wireframe, with the same task: log in to the app and create an event. Below are the findings from the test.
Wireframe: Final iteration
Access the final prototype here
This section presents the final wireframe based on the user feedback from the second usability testing.
Key changes include:
-
Confirmation before creating an event.
-
Forgot password option
-
Upcoming event copy improved
UI Library
High-fidelity prototype
Access the high fidelity design prototype here
Using the color injection from the UI library, I've created the high-fidelity version of the prototype.
Marketing website
Access the desktop version of the responsive marketing website prototype here,and the mobile version here
I've also created a marketing website for the app, showcasing the values and features of Sustainify to get users to download the app.
Multi platform: Desktop app
Access the Sustainify desktop prototype here
I've also adapted Sustainify for desktop, enhancing usability for event planners who might prefer working on larger screens.
Design Impact
Sustainify was designed to simplify the process of organizing and participating in sustainability events within urban communities.
If Sustainify reaches scale and say 100 million people use Sustainify regularly, here are some externalities that may occur, for both better or worse:
Sustainify design impact
Fostering global sustainibility network
The app would enable users to connect across communities, creating global networks for sustainability
Streamlining event organisation
By simplifying the process of event planning, Sustainify reduces the logistical burden for organisers.
Long-term community engagement
Sustainify would help sustain long-term community involvement in environmental efforts by providing continuous opportunities for participation.
Key learnings from the case study
As the UX designer for Sustainify, I learned that our primary focus must always be on the user. It's not about having the flashiest design or the most aesthetically impressive effects, but about creating solutions that truly address the users' needs and deliver the best experience.
Moreover, this project reinforced that design is an iterative process. As designers, we must remain flexible and avoid becoming attached to our initial ideas. Instead, we should embrace feedback and continually refine our work to ensure it effectively solves the problem at hand.