CaptainTerra

View Prototype

Helping the planet by encouraging people to recycle more!

Project Title:

CaptainTerra

Project Type:

Class Project

Project Date:

Mar 2021 – Jun 2021

My Role:

UX Research, UI Design

Team Members:

Jesus Jimenez

Tools:

Figma

Overview

Designed a mobile app to encourage better recycling habits through gamification, progress tracking, and education.

Problem

Even motivated recyclers struggle with accessibility, lack of knowledge, and unclear systems.

Solution

CaptainTerra helps users recycle more effectively by:

  • Tracking recycling vs. waste to visualize impact.

  • Offering points, badges, and prizes as incentives.

  • Providing a recycling center directory, do/don’t guides, and eco tips.

  • Allowing social features to share environmental actions.

Process

To develop the app, I first set out to understand the experiences of people who recycle. This involved conducting research and gathering feedback from users.

Next, I created a HMW statement to guide my decision-making process: “HMW encourage users who already recycle to become better at recycling?”

Through ideation, I came up with potential solutions to the challenges that users face when recycling.

I then built a prototype of the app and tested it to gather feedback and made improvements.

Empathize and Research

  • Research: Surveys + interviews revealed motivators (environmental concerns) and frustrations (confusion, accessibility).

  • Define: Created personas (Rachel, eco-conscious mom; Mark, design professional).

  • Ideation: Framed HMW: “How might we help committed recyclers become better recyclers?” Explored gamification and landfill vs. environment framing.

  • Prototype & Test: Built lo-fi and mid-fi prototypes. Gathered feedback on branding, usability, and features. Iterated by refining logo, adding rewards system, simplifying navigation, and balancing color palette.

Outcome / Reflection

  • Delivered a mid-fidelity prototype in Figma.

  • User testing validated motivational features (rewards, progress tracking) while revealing barriers (tedious input).

  • Learned how gamification and incentives can make sustainable habits stick.

Define

Based on the information I uncovered in my Research Phase, I decided to focus on how to better support their efforts by creating a how might we (HMW) statement:

“HMW encourage users who already recycle to become better at recycling?”

Persona

Rachel
Eco-conscious working mom with a passion for sustainability.

  • 35 years old
  • Two young children
  • Busy and often has little time to spare

Rachel is a 35-year-old working mother of two young children. She is environmentally conscious and wants to do her part to protect the planet for future generations.

“I want to do my part to protect the environment, but it’s hard to recycle with a lack of a system in place at home and not many accessible options in my area.”

Motivations

    • Doing her part in protecting the environment and preserving the earth
    • Wanting to set a good example for her children and teach them about sustainability
    • Reducing her household’s waste and saving money on trash disposal fees

Frustrations

    • Lack of a system in place at home
    • Lack of easy and accessible recycling options in her area
    • Lack of knowledge on what can and cannot be recycled
    • Limited time and energy due to her busy schedule
    • Difficulty in finding eco-friendly and sustainable products and services in her area

Mark
Creative professional on a journey to become a more knowledgeable and effective recycler.

  • 32 years old
  • Graphic Designer

Mark is a 32-year-old graphic designer who is committed to recycling and sustainability. He has a recycling system in place at home and makes an effort to recycle as much as possible. However, Mark sometimes struggles with knowing what can and cannot be recycled and has accidentally thrown recyclable items in the trash.

“I want to improve my recycling habits and become more knowledgeable about sustainability so I can make a bigger impact.”

Motivations

    • Desire to do his part in protecting the environment and preserving the earth for future generations
    • Learning more about eco-friendly practices and incorporating them into his daily life
    • The sense of accomplishment he feels when he makes sustainable choices and successfully recycles

Frustrations

    • Hard to find education and resources on recycling and sustainability
    • Wishes there were more options for recycling in his area
    • Struggles with knowing what can and cannot be recycled and has accidentally thrown recyclable items in the trash

Ideation

Landfill vs Environment

Landfills

Environment

While analyzing my research results, I noticed something peculiar in my findings: when talking about recycling, people often mentioned landfills, which in a way displays the destruction of the environment. This is like a battle being fought on the planet right now: landfills vs the environment. So I explored ways to bring that reality into the app.

What are some of the benefits of recycling?

I decided to create an app, CaptainTerra, that will help users track how much they are recycling and how much they are throwing away. By seeing the impact they have on both recycling and landfills, I hope that users will be motivated to recycle more. I also decided to include features that will support and motivate the user to recycle more as well.

CaptainTerra is the hero that will help save the planet through recycling. The app brings the reality of the landfill vs environment battle to the forefront, encouraging users to make a positive impact on the environment through their recycling habits.

Prototype and Testing

The main objective of this prototype is to encourage people to recycle more. To achieve this, I included features that will motivate and support users in their recycling efforts.

Lo-fi Wireflow

Feedback

    • Was not sure about the logo, TERR or TERRA, suggested to modify the recycling logo to look more like an A.
    • Too much green.
    • Had issues with the name of the app.
    • In recycling centers they thought they could find places that make items out of recycling materials.
    • Like to know what their friends are doing.
    • Couldn’t detect scroll on main screen.
    • There should be an incentive to earn something for recycling. “I would like to redeem my points for something.” Recycle 10 lbs a week and you will earn something.
    • I think showing the contrast of the good (recycling) and bad (landfill) really creates concern for the user.
    • I would change the badges, giving them a real shape, like a real badge.

Quotes

[callout]I think showing the contrast of the good (recycling) and bad (landfill) really creates a concern for the user.[/callout]

[callout]I wouldn’t use the app. It is too tedious to track and go back to say I recycled something.[/callout]

[callout]I find the recycling center location helpful as well. Back in my hometown they were always in such random places or parking lots.[/callout]

Mid-fidelity Wireflow

Updates

    • I updated the logo and added a recycle symbol in front to make it easier to read. Before some users had trouble understanding that the recycle symbol replaced the las “A” in the name “TERRA.”

      BEFORE

      AFTER
    • I added breathing space between all the sections on the main page to make it less crowded.
    • To address the issue of users not wanting to go back and confirm their recycling efforts, I added a store where they can earn badges and prizes for their efforts. This will give them an incentive to recycle and make them feel like they are accomplishing something.
    • I added tips to the landfill section to provide users with alternatives to throwing items away, such as eco-friendly items they can purchase in the future or ways to reuse items. This new feature will be something to explore further in future usability tests.
    • I added color to the screens to make the UI less green and more visually appealing. I used green and blue to remind users of the environment.

Screen Descriptions

Throughout the screens, I added features that would support the users in their journey. I also added features that would motivate users to take action and reward them.

Next Steps

    • Test the mid-fidelity prototype to see if we need more screens or fewer screens.
    • Test the badge reward system to see if users find it motivating.
    • See if the support features are helpful, or if other features should be considered.
    • Consider which screens are essential for building an MVP.
    • See if users find some of the language to be positive or negative.
View Prototype