Don8: A Sustainable Shopping App

Overview

In SMAD 317, we were given the task of choosing one of twelve sustainable goals from the United Nations and creating an app with high-fidelity prototyping and collected UX research. Collaborating with three other teammates, we were able to create the app Don8. It is an app that connects and encourages users to live sustainably.

Role

UX/UI Designer

User Research, Wireframe & Prototype

September 2022 - December 2022

Sustainable Goal 12

Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

Our team decided to tackle the twelfth goal of the sustainable development goals. It states that “unsustainable patterns of consumption and production are the root cause of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution [2],” which can be found on the United Nations webpage.

Our Goal

As we move forward in the digital age, users need a better online presence when it comes to sustainable shopping so that they can quickly share information on local consignment places near them.

Design Problem

To address our society's issue of overconsumption, we developed the Don8 app, aiming to remove barriers to reusing and sustainability. Don8 facilitates efficient item donations by providing information on nearby donation sites, their needs, and preparation guidelines. Users can schedule pickups, find yard or estate sales, and even advertise their own events. The app allows filtering based on proximity, item acceptance, and pickup services, to break down barriers in the donation process and combat overconsumption's impact on the world.

User Research

We conducted user research on people familiar with donating to thrift stores. The participants ranged from ages 18 to 45, including college students and thrift store employees. We identified primary users by contacting personal connections and extended our reach to James Madison University students and individuals outside Harrisonburg. Additionally, we interviewed stakeholders from local thrift stores to gather insights for building a system to enhance the donation process. In total, we interviewed 9 users and 2 stakeholders. We utilized an affinity map to analyze the data, categorizing information on participants' biographies, frustrations, needs/wants, goals/motivations, and technological issues.

Primary Persona

Affinity Map

High-Fidelity Prototype

User Task: Sign up for an account
User Task: Schedule a drop off with available store(s)

Usability Testing

Positive Feedback:

Most users provided positive feedback on our prototype, emphasizing its simplicity and intuitiveness. Tasks were completed quickly (10-20 seconds per task), and users easily recognized the app's purpose as a donation platform. In order to enhance our design, we considered the feedback we received and made necessary improvements.

What Needs Improvement:

Iconography: One user reported that the yard sale sign icon was unclear on the bottom navigation. They pointed to the icon and stated “I don’t know what that is.”

  1. Clarity: Users struggled with where they are supposed to enter dates in the filtering task. They also struggled with where to enter their address in the map task.

  2. Placement: Users could not see some icons and buttons in the top right corner.

  3. Navigation: On the pickup task, users were immediately prompted to allow or deny using their location, but there was no button to reach that point. One user said, “Is this where it starts?”

Moving Forward

  • Task/Flow 1 - Make an account/sign up: We could add an autofill feature for returning users.

  • Task/Flow 2 - Plan a drop off: We should add drop off and pick up to the navigation. We could add a page with a drop-down menu with the option to drop off or pick up, and then the user would be prompted to pick a date to complete that action.

  • Task/Flow 3 - Filter search results: We can add more options for filtering.

  • Task/Flow 4 - Promote a yard sale: We can move the plus icon lower so it is easier for users to see.

  • Task/Flow 5 - Setting up notifications: We can add a small icon on the listing of the stores for a “quick notification pop-up.”

  • Task/Flow 6 - Find a store nearby by entering your location: Make it clearer where to type in an address and where to change from list view to map view. Also, we could add different modes of transportation, like walking.

Thanks for reading!