"It is time to recognise that nature is the largest company on earth working for the benefit of 100 percent humankind-
and it's doing it for free"

- Jean cristophe vié, IUCN

Gamifying response
to waste

Scope & Timeline: Master's Final Project, 20 weeks

Role: Solo Researcher and Designer

Skill Areas: Design Research, User Research, Storytelling, Speculative Design, UX Design

Exploring solutions for the wicked problem of climate crisis on an individual level, through behavioural research and speculative design.

Problem Space

Climate crisis and waste not only go hand in hand, but as IDEO identifies in their push towards Circular Economy, waste is the byproduct of a faulty system. Contrary to popular opinion, consumers being a part of the system, therefore, play a role in the problem. Low awareness, inertia, climate anxiety were found to be the key reasons behind unsustainable consumption behaviours. At the same time, acceleration of lifestyle and behavioural change is identified in IPCC report 2018 as a key factor for Sustainable Development consistent with 1.5ºC. How might we begin to tackle individual responsiveness on the issue of waste?

A storyboard exercise to conceptualise ideas.

Approach

Methods

I began by setting out the scope of this wicked problem and my limitations as a student in identifying what aspect of it is feasible to solve.To understand why individual responsiveness was low on the matter, I used different research methods to understand consumer behaviour and combined existing knowledge such as social diffusion theory and speculative design to cement my design concepts.

Ethnography, and observations through photographs and journals to study users' and my own behaviour around consumption and waste.

Cultural Probes and Interviews for a deeper, empathic understanding of user's behaviour with paper.

I embedded various design tools such as G.O.A.L, 5Ws&H, Impact/Effort Map into the Double Diamond to smoothly transition from one stage to the next.

Research

Zooming out

My inquiry into consumer culture and waste began by locating it in the broader picture of climate action, and defining the scope of my project.

Through desk research and peer discussions, I studied existing efforts on climate action and awareness and generated themes.

Zooming in with evidence

I used Interviews, Ideation Workshop with peers and field study by visits to exhibitions and climate workshops to validate and advance my area of focus.

Comprehending research

Using an Impact/Effort Map, I identified my focus via a Low effort-High Impact strategy as
reduce/reuse + reimagining sustainable living + changing perception of climate action

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Diary Study

Design Process

User group

Retrocasting

How might we design delightful ways for people to connect with nature to fortify their relationships with the planet and increase their responsiveness
towards sustainable living?