Case Study
Paw & Footprints
Timeline:
Oct 2023 - Jan 2024
Role:
Entire product design, from research to conceptualisation.
Tools:
Figma, Procreate
Introduction
Context
Polar bears were my favourite animal as a child. Now that they have become a symbol of climate change, I am inclined to explore ways to reduce our impact to protect life on Earth.
The Challenge
72% of global greenhouse gas emissions are from our lifestyles at home, contributing significantly to climate change. When unsustainable options are cheaper, more visible and available in society, we need a platform that unites us to reduce environmental impact.
About Paw & Footprints
Paw & Footprints is an app that mobilises users to be eco-friendly at home, through friendly competition, compelling illustrations and animations and learning about endangered and extinct species.
Researching the Current Climate
User Research
My intended users are young Gen Z and Millennials households, in the age bracket of 12 to 35 (as of 2024).
Key User Insights
#1
Individuals often misjudge which household action is the most effective in reducing impact.
#2
Financial concerns make it difficult for Gen Z and Millennials to continue investing in eco-friendly products.
#3
Despite Gen Z showing a high level of concern regarding climate change, they are utilising technology, particularly social media, over traditional forms of climate activism.
Key User Insights Persona-fied
I created personas to build empathy and represent each generation's interests and challenges to minimising their footprint.
About Robin
A university student studying fine arts. Every week, she draws 'en plein air', the surrounding environment outside.
Motivations
Little to no-cost methods to reduce carbon footprint
Track her sustainability behaviour
Learn about native and foreign specimen
Aesthetically-pleasing and easy to read
About Jack
A corporate man with a young family, who enjoys visiting national parks and hiking.
Motivations
Convenient, low-effort and time-friendly methods that are catered to his busy lifestyle
Motivate his young family to join the effort
Easy-to-use interfaces
Exploring the Ecosystem
Market Research
Scouring online, I found My Little Plastic Footprint and One Small Step, two apps in the current market that directly encourage green household behaviour and educate about sustainability. I downloaded and explored their features.
My Little Plastic Footprint offers quizzes about plastic waste and plastic-free product alternatives.
One Small Step allow users to set goals, join community groups and learn courses about sustainability.
I also drew inspiration from Forest, a productivity app that applies gamification principles to their countdown timers, so users can grow virtual trees and earn in-game coins by not phubbing. With enough in-game coins , users can plant a tree in real life.
With over 1.5 million real trees planted, Forest is an example of how gamification garners the engagement and loyalty of users.
I furthered my research on gamification, aiming to learn about how users are motivated and committed to apps in the long term.
Key Market Findings
Gamification is the implementation of game elements to an app or system to make the completion of the task more fun, therefore enhancing the user experience. The psychology behind gamification includes:
Affordances that show achievement or progress such as badges and progress bars motivate users to complete their tasks efficiently to feel competent and accomplished.
Leaderboards establish social norms and competition, as users see other people are also completing the same tasks.
Free-to-join user communities within the app create social belonging.
Framing the Challenge
Problem Statement
A problem statement for the persona, Robin to direct the ideation process.
"Robin needs a platform that lists the specific steps to effectively reduce her environmental impact, keeps her motivated and educated on climate change and connects her with a community that encourages both individual and collective effort."
Ideation
Wireframes
I designed mid-fi wireframes to form the structure of the concept and gamified features of the app.
Home
Tasks
Customise
Leaderboard
Unlock
Information
Index
History
With mid-fi developing into hi-fi, I changed parts of the interface, with newer ideas. These wireframes were tested on users, providing me feedback.
Home
Tasks
Customise
Leaderboard
Unlock
Information
Index
History
Final User Interface
User Flow
This user flow shows key app features that would deliver the ideal experience for persona, Robin.
