IN COLLABORATION WITH:
- Ebony Johnson (UX Writer + Content Designer)
- Abigail Metcalf (Graphic Designer)
- Kristina Lopez (Copywriter)
Problem
Recycling is the process of collecting and processing materials that would otherwise be thrown away as trash and turning them into new products. It's sustainable and cost-saving for our communities and the environment. However, there are a lot of dos and don'ts when it comes to which materials can be recycled and how to recycle them, and these rules can differ from one city to the next. The contradictory rules and information can be overwhelming to locate and difficult to remember. Nevertheless, many people care about recycling and want to do it right. How can we make the process of recycling faster and easier to understand?
Project Description
Green Guide is an app concept intended to connect users with quality information, community resources, and recycling locations, and identify eligible or incompatible materials to help people quickly and easily identify what to recycle, where to recycle, and how to recycle.
Goals
- Make the process of recycling easy and user-friendly
- Encourage participation in recycling practices
- Inform and educate proper recycling procedures
- Help heal the planet through shared resources
Deliverables
- Logo
- Logo Mark
- Icons
- Color Palette + Typography
- Mobile App Mockups
- Mobile App Prototype
- Social Media Advertising Graphics
Design Decisions
Branding
We wanted Green Guide to be an approachable, user-friendly app. By using a sans-serif font (Rucksack) and lowercase fonts, we aimed to create a feeling of friendliness and a welcoming environment to all.
Meaning behind the icons:
- Effective information (cell phone icon) to teach them the basics, intermediate, and advanced ways of recycling.
- Practical resources (light bulb icon) to utilize the app and community knowledge of recycling opportunities.
- Connecting locations for recycling (bottle icon) essential materials like plastics, glass, aluminum and more.
- Shareable materials that are either eligible or incompatible for recycling or reusable methods (shirt icon) for sustainable living.
Branding guide
UX/UI Design
Currently, the Green Guide app is designed with four main features: a photo scanning tool, a map of recycling centers, a tutorial for using the app, and recycling resource pages.
The homepage contains the camera tool with which the user takes a picture of the object they want to recycle. The app scans the photo to identify the object's material, such as #5 plastic, and displays the corresponding resource page which tells the user if and how the material should be recycled. This page also contains information such as the recycling schedule for the user's location.
The map icon leads to the map page, where the user can see recycling centers in their area marked with pins on the map. The help icon leads to the tutorial page, which walks the user through the process of using the app.
These features will be used to support recycling efforts in the user’s individual communities and beyond as we work to combat climate change, supply chain issues, environmental damage, and more.
View the Green Guide prototype here!
2021
