Design Hackathon:
Global Goals x Service Jam
Creating a platform for all things related to sustainability and recycling
Event Summary
This year, the Global Goals & Service Jam combined to become a 2-day design thinking hackathon for UX practitioners & designers alike. Global Goals Jam is a two-day worldwide event where creative teams work together on local challenges related to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, whereas Service Jam is a design-driven hackathon for improving service design.
I was in a team of four people with one facilitator: four UX designers, one photographer, and one student, from 5 different nations.
Our objective was to come up with a solution targeting Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. Based on our past experiences, we decided to focus on: How might we promote recycling and living sustainably in Hong Kong?
Design Thinking in Action
Empathy
Due to limited time constraints, we did not do user research about people’s attitudes, awareness and actions regarding recycling and sustainable living. Instead, we simply relied on our past experiences to create a pseudo-persona and empathy map.
Define
During our discussion about responsible production & consumption, a commonly raised issue was Hong Kong’s wastefulness, and the lack of convenient recycling infrastructure.
Since none of my teammates were from Hong Kong, many of us were shocked to see how barely used things were thrown away, and how difficult recycling was due to the lack of household infrastructure and convenient recycling bin locations. Hong Kong’s landfills are predicted to be full next year. After discussing, our problem statement was:
How might we facilitate recycling and living sustainably in Hong Kong?
Ideation
To generate a large amount of ideas on promoting recycling and sustainable living, we used the following methods:
Idea train — we walked around the neighborhood and pasted stickies on each other’s backs
Brainwriting — building on top of
In the end, we voted for the best idea by using small stickers. My idea of having a Green Positioning System — a Google Maps for recycling & green living, was selected for prototyping.
Prototyping - Wireframe Sketches
On the second day, we had little time left, so we dived into producing wireframes and the mockup itself.
Home Screen Sketch
The home page is a map, which makes it easy for users to identify where to go. Different pins represent recycling bin locations and shops that promote sustainable living, such as secondhand stores or zero waste shops.
Location Details
Once you tap into a pin, more information about the recycling location is shown. In the sketch above, a plastic recycling point is shown, with details on how to recycle different types of plastics.
Click on image for prototype
Prototyping & Feedback Session
In a few hours’ time, we hurriedly finished our wireframe sketches, an admittedly very rough app prototype and presentation, which we later showed to around 25 other hackathon go-ers.
“I think it’s a great idea! It makes it much easier for me to know where I can recycle. Right now, it takes a lot of time and effort because I have to research and filter on Google by myself.”
- Another hackathon go-er
People were thrilled with the idea of having a go-to platform, and many members echoed similar dismay about the sorry state that is Hong Kong’s recycling infrastructure. We were all really glad to hear that the idea was popular, and many even asked us if we’d continue on further!
A key feedback I remember was how to monetize the app for its long-term sustainability. This was also we struggled with when developing the business model canvas. If this idea is taken further, more research is required.
Lessons Learned
To conclude, I’m really glad I took the time to attend this jam. It was my first time attending a design hack-a-thon and I really learned more about how others approach design thinking - a rare opportunity for me as I’m the only designer in my current company.
1. User research is really, really important.
Without user research, it was difficult for us to validate the concept to see whether users’ needs were met or if we were solving the right problem. The idea loses its value without any data backing up its feasibility.
2. Diversity makes innovation easier.
Our team members came from 5 different countries - during our discussions, we would often compare and contrast about different recycling approaches in our own countries. The diversity made it much, much easier to generate a plethora of ideas for solving wicked problems.
3. Design thinking is a powerful tool for changing the world.
Decision makers are often out of touch with the people who are most affected by the decisions. This workshop has reinforced my belief that the human centered nature of design thinking makes it easier to develop the right user experience for solving pressing problems that we face today.