SecondHand

Brainstorm

How can Americans be more conscious about the waste they throw away?

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I asked three questions to better understand this problem:

Next, I defined my audience. There were three segments I could target:

I decided to focus on students. Their location, high motivation and awareness, and tech-savvy potential were a good fit for a mobile app aimed at reducing waste.

User Research

I created an online survey to explore the problem space and identify potential opportunities. 21 individuals responded to the survey.

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The results revealed several potential problems:

Most survey respondents, however, were more likely to shop at environmentally focused stores and willing to adopt environmentally friendly habits such as purchasing eco-friendly products.

Define

The problem was now clear:

Students are willing to adopt an environmentally friendly lifestyle but face obstacles such as high cost, low convenience, and uncertainty.

Competitive Analysis

To gauge what solutions already existed, I examined how other apps were potentially solving this problem and what gaps remained.

Ideate

I decided to create a solution in the form of a mobile app for 2 reasons:

Mobile apps allow for more personalization than websites
Smartphones are more portable than laptops

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I brainstormed a handful of possible solutions:

I decided to focus on connecting users with sustainable businesses.

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Since the target users reported to be highly motivated to increase their environmentally friendly habits but also sensitive to cost, convenience, and uncertainty, my app would:

offer promotions to reduce cost barriers
conveniently display local sustainable businesses
explain why they are considered sustainable to reduce uncertainty

Business Perspective

On the other side of the app, businesses have the potential to gain revenue, brand credibility, and a unique and direct channel to environmentally conscious consumers.