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Simplified UX:
How might we make sustainability easier to understand for users?
Case study
Ecobyte design case study: A comprehensive look into the future of sustainable solutions
Ecobyte is a web-based platform committed to revolutionizing how individuals and businesses approach sustainability. This project aimed to design a seamless, user-friendly, and visually compelling platform that not only educates users on sustainable practices but also empowers them to take tangible action through technology.
The challenge
Sustainability is a growing concern across industries, yet many platforms struggle to communicate these concepts effectively to users. Ecobyte needed to bridge the gap between eco-consciousness and practical action while maintaining an intuitive and visually appealing design.
Key challenges included:
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Communicating complex data
Presenting sustainability metrics in an understandable, actionable way.
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User engagement
Encouraging users to engage consistently and take real-world sustainable actions.
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Brand Identity
Crafting a strong, trustworthy brand presence to appeal to a diverse audience.
Design process
We followed a systematic design process for all projects to ensure user-centered and functional outcomes.
This process includes:
Empathize
Understanding user needs through research.
Define
Clarifying the core problem.
Ideate
Brainstorming creative solutions.
Prototype
Creating wireframes and interactive prototypes.
Test
Iterating based on usability testing and feedback.
STEP 1
Empathize & understand the problem
The first step in the design process was understanding the problem Ecobyte aimed to solve. Sustainability is a complex subject, and the challenge was to make it accessible and actionable for user
Empathize & understand the problem:
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User interviews
Conducted interviews with potential users to uncover pain points in existing sustainability platforms. Users found current platforms overwhelming due to excessive data and jargon.
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Competitor analysis
Evaluated competitors like Ecosia and Too Good To Go. The analysis highlighted a lack of simplicity and engagement in the user interface.
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Surveys
Online surveys helped gather quantitative data on user needs, behaviors, and preferences for interacting with sustainable tools.
Key insights:
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Users want actionable steps
They didn’t just want information; they wanted clear, simple actions they could take to reduce their carbon footprint.
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Simplicity is crucial
Users preferred visual cues and bite-sized information rather than text-heavy interfaces.
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Engagement through gamification
The concept of gamifying sustainable actions was well-received, as it added an element of motivation and progress tracking.
STEP 2
Define the problem & user personas
Based on the research insights, we defined the core problem and created user personas to guide the design.
Problem statement
Users need a simplified, visually engaging way to understand and act on sustainability because they feel overwhelmed by complex data and are not aware of their personal impact.
User personas:
Developed personas to represent different segments of Ecobyte’s user base
1. Eco-conscious consumer:
Motivated by sustainability but needs guidance on how to start and maintain eco-friendly habits.
2. Sustainable business owner:
Wants to align business practices with sustainability but finds existing resources too abstract.
3. Passive observer:
Interested in sustainability but lacks the motivation or knowledge to take consistent action.
Each persona had specific pain points and goals, helping guide the design process to meet diverse needs.
STEP 3
Ideate & brainstorm solutions
During the ideation phase, we worked on conceptualizing design solutions that would meet our defined goals.
Design thinking workshops:
We conducted several ideation workshops, focusing on simplifying the UX and encouraging engagement through features like gamification and interactive tools.
Gamification:
How can we encourage users to adopt sustainable habits in a fun and motivating way?
Interactive Tools:
How might we create tools that allow users to see their immediate impact?
These brainstorming sessions led to several key features, such as the Sustainability Calculator, interactive dashboards, and gamified achievements.
STEP 4
Wireframing & user flow testing
With solid concepts in place, we created low-fidelity wireframes and mapped out user flows to ensure a smooth, intuitive experience.
Wireframes:
Focused on simplifying navigation, the wireframes laid out key sections like the sustainability tips page, progress dashboard, and community forums.
User Flow Example:
Onboarding flow:
A personalized setup process to guide new users and align their sustainability goals.
Tasks flow:
Track progress and see your sustainability impact compared to the community
Impact flow:
A smooth input and output process for users to quickly gauge their environmental impact.
STEP 5
Iteration based on feedback
The feedback revealed some pain points, which led to the following improvements
Improving the calculator UI
Some users found the initial design too complicated, so we simplified the input fields and provided visual guides to make the process smoother.
Increased personalization
Users wanted more personalized content. We refined the dashboard to reflect user-specific tips and challenges.
Gamification adjustments
Some users felt the gamified elements were too prominent, so we adjusted the visibility of badges and leaderboards to be optional, catering to users who prefer a more minimal experience.
STEP 6
Visual design & branding
Ecobyte's visual identity is designed to inspire trust, eco-friendliness, and motivation, aligning with the core values of sustainability. The branding elements, such as badges, point balances, and a thoughtfully curated color palette, enhance user engagement by visually encouraging progress in reducing their digital footprint.
Color palette
Ecobyte's palette features bright and earthy tones to create an inviting, eco-conscious experience.
The key colors include:
- Tropical Indigo (#b29cff): A vibrant indigo that conveys innovation and creativity, reinforcing Ecobyte's forward-thinking approach.efforts.
- Emerald Green (#47d28d): A fresh green, symbolizing growth and sustainability, encouraging users to feel connected with the eco-friendly goals of the platform.
- Pear Yellow (#dce81a): A lively yellow used to evoke energy and optimism, motivating users to stay committed to their sustainability
Typography
Modern, clean fonts were chosen to ensure readability and professionalism, enhancing the clarity of the content while maintaining an approachable tone for all users.
Iconography & badges:
Custom-designed icons and badges motivate users by visually representing their progress. The badges, crafted with unique icons and bright, engaging colors, offer a sense of achievement. They provide users with positive reinforcement, encouraging them to continue their eco-friendly practices.
Overall, Ecobyte’s branding successfully balances aesthetic appeal with functionality, creating a user experience that is both accessible and rewarding. The combination of colors, clean design elements, and gamified features allows users to engage with sustainability in a way that feels personal and achievable.
Tropical Indigo
Indigo
HEX
b29cff
HSL
253, 100%, 81%
CMYK
30, 39, 0, 0
Emerald
Green
HEX
47d28d
HSL
150, 61%, 55%
CMYK
66, 0, 33, 18
Pear
Yellow
HEX
dce81a
HSL
63, 82%, 51%
CMYK
5, 0, 89, 9
For a greener internet.
STEP 7
High-fidelity design & final prototypes
Once the visual design was established, we moved into creating high-fidelity prototypes using Figma.
Sustainability calculator: Relatable activities to showcase the cumilative and global consequences
A user-friendly feature that helps users calculate their environmental impact and offers personalized sustainability recommendations.
This screen displaying a sustainability dashboard. The user’s point balance and today’s impact, measured in kgCO2e, are highlighted. It also displays the user’s current level, "Click Crusader," along with badges for achieving milestones.
Interactive dashboard: User categorization based on the digital activities and badges for achieving milestone
Tracks user progress, offering insights into their contributions to sustainability goals and comparing them with the community.
This screen focuses on the user categorization feature, showcasing various badges earned for milestones. Badges such as “Eco Upgrade” and “Power Saver” are visible. The lower portion of the screen highlights a collaborative challenge to reduce data usage with a friend, encouraging teamwork.
Gamification features: Personalised dashboards with the progress in reduce carbon footprint
Included badges, challenges, and leaderboards to foster competition and engagement, motivating users to take real-world actions.
The dashboard also features a gamification element, where users can earn different levels and badges as rewards for participating in sustainability-related activities. It encourages users to engage with their community, as the app tracks their progress in reducing their environmental footprint.
Gamification features:
Included badges, challenges, and leaderboards to foster competition and engagement, motivating users to take real-world actions.
The dashboard also features a gamification element, where users can earn different levels and badges as rewards for participating in sustainability-related activities. It encourages users to engage with their community, as the app tracks their progress in reducing their environmental footprint.
Gamification features:
Included badges, challenges, and leaderboards to foster competition and engagement, motivating users to take real-world actions.
The dashboard also features a gamification element, where users can earn different levels and badges as rewards for participating in sustainability-related activities. It encourages users to engage with their community, as the app tracks their progress in reducing their environmental footprint.
STEP 8
Reflections & next steps
This project gave me the opportunity to explore the UI/UX design process in depth, allowing us to strike a balance between visual aesthetics and functional precision. Moving forward, we plan to:
Incorporate AI-driven personalized recommendations to provide users with tailored sustainability suggestions.
Expand the gamification system, adding new challenges, badges, and rewards to boost engagement.
Optimize performance and scalability, ensuring the platform can grow and adapt to user needs.
Conclusion
This project showcases my ability to turn complex problems into simple, user-friendly solutions through a structured design process. Ecobyte demonstrates my expertise in both UI/UX design and Webflow development, positioning me to contribute effectively to companies prioritizing sustainability and innovative user experiences.
