OMO
Making it easier to track your kitchens carbon footprint
Role
Research
Ideation
Prototyping
UI/UX
Timeline
January 30 - February 2 2020
Type
Mobile Application
Tools
Adobe XD
Illustrator
Photoshop
THE PROBLEM
It’s hard to find all the relevant information for a product, and there is no way to track the carbon footprint of an individual over time.
Carbon conscious consumers have to go out of their way to research every product they’re purchasing to know the impact it has on the environment. It’s hard to find all the relevant information for a product, and the tedious nature of this action can discourage a consumer from actively seeking low carbon foods. Along with this, there is no way to track the carbon footprint of an individual over time.
THE SOLUTION
OMO is a simple and delightful app that allows carbon conscious consumers to quickly find relevant carbon information on food products, and track their own carbon footprint.
View the interactive prototype here
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
Since there was no time to get in-depth user research done, we wrote down our own frustrations then went straight to competitive analysis. We looked at 3 apps, GoodGuide, Ecotrack, and iRecycle.
Some specific things we noted about each app were:
GoodeGuide
✓ Tells the user an overall ranking, and the user can filter categories to only see the environment score
✓ Can be used for more than just food
✕ Does not help the user track their overall “rank” or environmental journey
✕ User interface is not friendly
✕ Does not indicate to user why a product got a certain rank
Ecotrack
✓ 3 types of gamification to encourage motivation and more frequent usage
- Allowing users to grow their own forest through making
more sustainable choices
- Collecting badges (150 types)
- Challenging friends to live more sustainable lives
✓ Good range of functions to track sustainable living
✕ User interface is not enticing and user friendly. The visual design system is not appealing and is overwhelming.
✕ Does not address the waste disposable aspect of sustainable living
✕ The app is not entirely free
iRecycle
✓ Wide database to cover user needs
✓ Searches based on location to find nearest recycling locations
✕ Only accessible to US residents
✕ Searching for recycling methods goes by a category system: more of an inconvenience for users who needs to find recycling methods for multiple items.
✕ User interface design is unappealing and overwhelming
INSIGHTS
After conducting the competitive analysis and discussing our own frustrations, we identified key findings:
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Lack of apps on the market that easily or instantly allow users to access carbon footprint information regarding a specific purchase
-
Lack of apps that combine the data from start to end: from beginning of production to discarded waste.
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Lack of apps that have all useful or necessary functions in one - they are scattered throughout several apps which is inconvenient and tedious.
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Lack of sustainability apps with delightful user interfaces
IDEATION
From sketchbook to screen, we made multiple iterations of the app and made changes along the way as we noticed things that could be improved upon.
Sample of Low-fidelity Mockups
Sample of Mid-fidelity Mockups
THE APPLICATION
MEET PIP
Adorable, knowledgeable, and helpful, Pip provides you a visual indicator of how you’re doing, or what to do.
USER ONBOARDING
A simple and straight-forward way for new users to set up their profile.
HOME IS WHERE THE GREEN IS
The Home screen lets you know exactly how much carbon emissions your purchases create. If you’ve been lowering your carbon emissions, Pip will encourage you, if not, Pip will let you know you’re headed off track. Tap on an item to learn about the carbon score and how to properly dispose of all packaging or waste that comes with it.
QUICK SCAN
Make carbon conscious choices by scanning an item and having all the relevant carbon information laid out.
YOUR CARBON JOURNEY IN ONE SPACE
The overview page allows you to easily track your progress, while Pips breaks this all down and interprets the data in a way that's easier for you to digest. If you want to look in depth, just scrub along the chart, locate a specific date, and see the stats for yourself. Scroll down to find the food you purchased that day, and the information that pertains to that food.
GAMIFICATION
OMO makes carbon consciousness that much more enjoyable. Collect badges for achieving certain milestones, and share with friends and family.
REFLECTION
This was my first time working on a UI/UX project within a team dynamic, and I learned many lessons from working with developers and a fellow designer.
It was eye-opening seeing the developers work, and keeping these restrictions in mind while designing the app. It has made me more aware of how realistic an app concept can be, and the amount of work that goes into a simple function.
Working alongside another designer helped me gain a new perspective. It was a pleasure to learn and observe my fellow creatives process, and seeing our ideas combine into one.
A DESIGN CHALLENGE EMERGED...
How might we make it easier for a user to make low carbon food purchases, while helping them keep track of their carbon footprint?