Ripple.
A mobile app concept project gamifying climate education and action.
Project Background
Climate change is here, impacting our planet and communities every day. Yet, despite growing awareness, many people struggle to adopt sustainable habits. This project was born from a simple curiosity: why is that?
What holds people back from living more sustainable lifestyles, and what drives them to adopt more eco-friendly habits?
​Ripple is a passion project that combines my interests in sustainability education, gamification, behavior design, and emerging tech.
The Problem
I first needed to understand the barriers that prevented people from making sustainable decisions. After conducting 6 user interviews and surveying those in my network, I've identified the following themes: lack of awareness, low perceived impact of individual actions, information overload, and lack of incentives.
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Other answers included cost barriers and inconvenience, but I decided to focus on these top four themes, as they were challenges that felt more approachable to address through design.
Initial Brainstorming Session
After identifying the top barriers to action, I ran a co-ideation Figjam session with my mentor, Kailyn, to explore my "why," define the problem, and brainstorm solutions with divergent thinking. Through this session, I decided to focus on themes of gamification / socialization, community, and education. I was especially inspired by the quote:
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
– Margaret Mead
Idea 1: Eco Impact Scanner for CPG Products
My initial assumption was that consumers wanted to make sustainable purchases, but lack clear and accessible information about the environmental impact of the products they buy. I decided to design a platform consolidating carbon impact and lifecycle information of consumer goods, so users can make more informed purchasing decisions.
💡 Research insight:
After testing my paper prototype using MarvelApp, I learned that my product was showing too much information that users weren't ready for at time of purchase, adding to the problem of information overload.
Idea 2: Gamified Habit Building
I decided to pivot and explore the idea of sustainable learning and habit-building through gamification.
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I analyzed competitor apps like Strava and Stompers to understand their engagement and habit-building strategies. Key approaches included social competition, rewards and badges, and having users commit to a goal.
Idea 2 Designs: Tree-Growing Concept
I explored the idea of gamified sustainability through a tree-growing concept. The prototype featured bite-sized learning, gamification elements like tree care and rewards, and a social feed.
💡 User feedback:
However, further testing revealed logging an action felt tedious, requiring an average of 6 clicks. I also received feedback that the implementation of the tree theme felt somewhat loose.
"Why did you choose a tree? Can it be more interesting or meaningful?"
Idea 2.1: Gamified Learning & Habit-Building With an Otter Concept
I landed on a concept centered around nurturing an otter, a keystone species that maintains healthy ecosystems by feeding on invasive species like sea urchins. Their social nature also symbolizes the power of community and collective action, making them the perfect character for my app.
I included personalization of goals through an onboarding quiz, rewards, and bite-sized learning.
In this iteration, the number of clicks it took to log an action decreased from 6 to 1.
💡 User feedback:
"The otter idea is cute and fun, but how can you make the app more real? There needs to be a reminder that this isn’t just a game; real-world consequences are at stake."
Added flow: AR for Environmental Education
I decided to introduce an AR feature to enhance realism and deepen users' connection to their environment.
This project is ongoing as I continue testing and iterating. I am currently using ChatGPT to develop a Python prototype.