Define
2. Understanding gaps and pain points
01 I Pain point
🧐 Lack of transparency
Since users are usually unaware of what happens to e-waste or once they dispose of the product even formally , this makes them lazy and they end up storing the product at home.
02 I Pain point
⬇️ Low rates of
e-waste recycling
Users who do want to recycle e-waste have to either give to scrap dealers or sell it. Those who do give it to scrap dealers have to go through the tedious process of bidding and end up getting low rates for it.
03 I Pain point
👩🏻💻 Device privacy concerns
Lack of motivation for giving away or hoarding e-waste has been device privacy concerns, where consumers are not sure if the apps like olx,ebay etc actually remove all data. Also they do want to save their data
04 I Pain point
🔎 Lack of awareness
Consumers leading a busy life hardly have time to consider e-waste disposal. They are not aware of even the initiatives launched by the government regarding e-waste or about a PRO.
1.5 An evident intention-action gap can be seen
Consumers are aware of the existence of e-waste, they may still refrain from disposing it
Through interactions with consumers, we discovered that 60% of respondents were aware of what e-waste entails. However, a significant portion lacked knowledge on proper disposal methods, leading to unsafe practices. Despite positive perceptions of e-waste, many individuals resorted to unsafe disposal methods, contributing to environmental toxicity and health risks for humans
However, if asked about their intentions: they do want to dispose
After surveying consumers about their recycling habits, particularly among those who prioritize environmental consciousness and strive for sustainable living, we categorized them into groups. It became apparent that a significant majority within this age group aspire to be environmentally proactive. They expressed a desire to dispose of e-waste responsibly, contingent upon knowing the proper methods to do so.
Thus we identified a clear Intention-action Gap
Our early study led us to the behavioural science hypothesis of the intention-action gap, which has been supported from companies like IBM & Visa.
This gap, reflecting the disparity between intended and actual behavior, is a prevalent challenge. While intentions for safe disposal were evident, there exists a gap in translating these intentions into actual behaviors, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions to bridge this intention-action gap in e-waste disposal practices.
Karo Sambhav
Educating and empowering users about
e-waste management through the principles of 3R's
Team
Anshika Jain,
Abhik Gupta
Role
Design system, Visual Design,
Presentation, Storytelling, Research-
Primary and Secondary, Wireframing
and Prototyping
Karo Sambhav is a tech-enabled, environmentally beneficial and socially responsible
E-waste Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO).
It works with producers and trusted brands like Apple, Dell, HP, Lenovo to implement their Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). In this case study we aim to propose a solution to tackle the issue of excess e-waste and its management in India.
👩🏻💻 Need for the project:
India generates 3.5 million tons of e-waste every year, and the country’s formal e-waste recycling capacity of approximately 800,000 tons annually mostly remained underutilized. Only 10% of the waste generated is collected.The rest is simply dumped and burned, which could have been recovered and recycled. Due to the fact that the electric waste cannot be dumped with the rest of waste in garbage, electronic waste management has become one of the most crucial issues of our time.There is a growing need to address these concerns of growing e-waste in india.
🎯 Project challenge:
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There is a lack of awareness and infrastructure among individuals and households on electronic & electrical waste management and disposal
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Consumers's e-waste disposal behavior and limited awareness in India is one of the core reasons for the e-waste management problem. It is approximated that 75% of obsolete EEEs in India are stored due to ambiguity about how to manage them properly. Hence it is important to focus on it.
Challenge :
This project came from a brief sponsored by Karo Sambhav. The objective of this project is to analyze the existing stakeholders and communication infrastructure within Karo Sambhav. The aim is to enhance the effectiveness of communication channels targeting a specific audience. By doing so, we seek to elevate awareness levels and amplify the impact of Karo Sambhav's initiatives.
Solution :
Karo Sambhav is a pioneer in the field of EPR and a leading company dedicated to promoting responsible recycling in India and beyond. Karo Sambhav means “make it possible” in Hindi. With a vision to create a sustainable circular economy, Karo Sambhav collaborates with various stakeholders to implement effective EPR programs.
Their initiatives focus on raising awareness about the importance of recycling and driving behavioral changes towards sustainable practices.
EPR( Extended producer responsibility ):
A step taken by the government to effectively manage e-waste upsurge in our country. The policy gives producers the responsibility to treat and dispose of post-consumer, end of life products, and also includes raising awareness among the masses about electronic waste and disposal techniques by various media.
Approaches used in design thinking:
Double diamond design: It helped in providing a structured approach to problem-solving and innovation
Research Driven: Research takes a central role in our design process and decisions. Some of the research we intend to conduct includes mapping anthropogenic impact on the environment, understanding the role of throwaway culture, facilitating sessions to understand future citizen’s fears and dreams for the country.
Behavior design: We intend to use design to shape or influence human behavior to promote sustainable living. It helped in establishing the broader goal of promoting sustainability and circularity in the electronics industry.
Discover
1. Research and Planning
We began by deconstructing the brief and defined the three main areas we are going to study in order to find the common ground between them so as to employ our product or service design strategies and target the real problem.
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E-waste & management in india
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Karo sambhav as a PRO
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Indian Consumer and e-waste management
Design Principles used:
Put people first:
Start with an understanding of the people using a service, their needs, strengths and aspirations.
Iterate, iterate, iterate:
Do this to spot errors early, avoid risk and build confidence in your ideas.
Communicate visually and inclusively:
Help people gain a shared understanding of the problem and ideas.
Collaborate and co-create:
Work together and get inspired by what others are doing.
1.1 Understand the problem
E-waste management in India:
To understand the current scenario of e-waste management in India, we have done brainstorming on e-waste and its management to understand patterns and go deep into understanding the e-waste recycling process in India.
Identifying key issues to address
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By addressing awareness gaps, fostering positive intentions, and improving infrastructure support, stakeholders can work towards creating a culture of responsible e-waste management and contributing to the development of a sustainable circular economy.
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We also need to addressing the challenge of hoarding electronic waste in Indian households requires targeted strategies to promote responsible disposal and alleviate concerns about discarding old electronic items, ,mostly people believe in storing electronic items at home as they are not aware on how to dispose them.
1.2 Business Research of Karo Sambhav as a PRO
Identifying strategic priorities and conducting market research:
We have conducted stakeholder mapping, ecosystem mapping, value chain mapping, a SWOT analysis, and market research of other Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs). This comprehensive approach is used to understand Karo Sambhav's brand analysis, business requirements, and its position in the broader landscape of circular economy promotion. This holistic analysis informs decision-making, resource allocation, and the development of initiatives that positively impact the industry.
1.3 The multifaceted relation between Indian consumers and e-waste
Consumers role in e-waste management:
A consumer, within the context of e-waste management, can be defined as follows:
As per the Rules, a 'consumer' is defined as any person using electrical and electronic equipment,A consumer is any individual or entity that utilizes electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) in their personal or professional capacity.
Consumers play multiple roles in the life cycle of e-waste:
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Customer: Consumers purchase electronic devices such as smartphones, laptops, televisions, and household appliances for personal or business use.
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E-waste Holder: Once consumers no longer have use for their electronic devices due to obsolescencedamage, or other reasons, they become holders of e-waste. They are responsible for managing and disposing of these devices in an environmentally responsible manner.
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E-waste Disposer or Manager: Consumers are also responsible for ensuring that their e-waste is properly disposed of or managed at the end of its life cycle. This may involve recycling, refurbishing, donating,or returning electronic devices to designated collection points or recycling facilities.
1.4 User research
Primary research of users:
Through extensive research and direct consumer engagement, insights into e-waste management challenges were gained. By integrating findings and existing knowledge, focused "How Might We" questions were developed, aligning with consumer needs. This approach ensures impactful and solution-oriented innovation efforts.
Qualitative research
People Interviewed: 6 Age group: All age groups
In qualitative research we have interviewed 6 people of different age groups all belonging to the consumers category . The questions asked were based on 3 distinct categories aimed at understanding consumer perspectives
Need based:Desirability
1.Why do you feel the need to dispose of your old, used devices?
2. How much aware are you about E-waste disposal
Task based: Feasibility
1. How do you get rid of your old devices when it becomes useless?
2. How often do you use apps like olx, to buy refurbished devices?
Value based: Viability
1. What motivates you to help the environment by being a part of the e-waste disposal system ?
2. Would you want people to learn more about
e-waste?
Awareness on e-waste disposal methods should be improved people's perception was good, most followed unsafe disposal methods that resulted in a toxic environment for humans
🔎 Insights :
Quantitative research
People Interviewed: 53 Age group: 18-34
Scope limitation: After desk research, we focused on understanding consumer usage habits and awareness regarding e-waste.
User interviews targeted household consumers aged 18-34 through platforms like Zoom, social media,and in-person meetings.
Study objectives included assessing awareness of e-waste in Delhi/NCR and identifying factors influencing consumer preferences for proper e-waste disposal and management.
🔎 Insights :
Consumers exhibited a reluctance to engage in e-waste disposal, attributing it to the belief that the process is complex and unrelated to their daily priorities. Their focus on immediate goals and desires often hindered proactive intentions. Comfort and accessibility emerged as significant barriers,even when individuals expressed an intent to address e-waste. Moreover, there was a pervasive concern about the perceived impact of individual actions on making a meaningful difference.
After conducting both qualitative and quantitative research, we have consolidated all the insights gathered. These insights encompass a comprehensive understanding of consumer behaviors, preferences, and challenges related to e-waste management
How might we develop a system that transparently educates users about the 3R's, fostering a shift in attitudes towards e-waste and empowering pro-environmental behavior to support Karo Sambhav in building a circular economy?
How might we help in building a consumer culture that empowers sustainable actions?
☂️ Umbrella question
2.1 Overall insights gathered
Understanding consumer motivations, barriers, and touchpoints:
By addressing these insights, Karosambhav can develop effective strategies to promote sustainable e-waste management practices and encourage responsible disposal behaviors among consumers. The research underscores the importance of addressing the intention-action gap and implementing targeted interventions to promote sustainable e-waste management practices among consumers
Lack of Proper E-waste Management Awareness
Many consumers lack awareness of the damaging effects of improper disposal and are uninformed about the availability of formal e-waste recyclers and their role in the process.
As a result, efforts to promote responsible e-waste management must prioritize education and awareness campaigns to bridge this gap and encourage more informed consumer behaviors.
Untapped Awareness Opportunities for Karo Sambhav
Karo Sambhav's current initiatives primarily focus on education programs in schools, waste picker programs, and handling e-waste from large companies. However, there is a potential untapped opportunity in promoting awareness among consumers, especially within the 18-34 age group, who are increasingly inclined towards a sustainable economy. Strategic expansion campaigns for responsible e-waste to foster a responsible culture.
Address the Intrinsic Behavior Gap in E-waste Management
In the realm of e-waste management, there exists a significant discrepancy between the inherent desire to act responsibly and the absence of tangible incentives to support such behavior. This disparity underscores a crucial gap in the current system. To bridge this gap, it is imperative to establish a comprehensive system that entails creating incentives that align with consumers' intrinsic values and beliefs, thereby priming sustainable behavior.
Strategy
3. Developing product and design strategy
Testing Initial ideas: We separated our ideas into six categories and put them to the test with our consumers. Three of these stood out and were the foundations of our final solution. Basic variables: attitude, knowledge and behaviour – all of them are very important when empowering consumers to participate in the e-waste management system.
3.1 Key ideas : Design metrics and insights
The choice of award system, awareness campaigns, and altruism initiatives stems from key challenges and research insights identified during the development process of the Karo Sambhav app.
KaroSambhav launches a digital platform for their customers which aims to promote circular economy ( recycle, reduce , reuse ) at its core. It provides access to services like repair, recycle, reuse, and donating e-waste in a simple efficient manner , and incentives to ease this process and also promotes education amongst customers about e-waste and its management in order to do the right things.
4.6 Final app screen designs
Login & Signup screen
Signup screens collects basic
information and data like birth
date of the user to customise
rewards and incentives later.
On clicking on the account
setting the user is directed to
their dashboard where they can
view their badges for achieving
levels of sustainability.
Dashboard screen
Users can add their devices
that they want to give away
for donation and select the
ngo's near to them.
Reuse screen
Onboarding screen
The first set of screens are
the onboarding screens to
help users understand the
core values of the organisation
Recycle screen
Users are incentivised to
recycle their e-waste
through seeing how their
scrap is making impact.
Repair screen
The application has
technology to scan the device and identify the issues in it and offer repair advice.
Community screen
User's get a sense of community building when they see other people around them write blogs, upload videos on circular economy.
Maps screen
Maps allow users to locate the Karosambhav recycling and donation centres near them
so they can visit.
Rate calculator screen
Getting easily fooled by other applications or kabadiwalas on the correct price of e-waste is the main problem for the user.
Prototype
4. Prototype Design
4.1 Developing Information Architecture
Developing information architecture (IA) for an app involves organizing and structuring information in a clear and intuitive manner to facilitate user navigation and interaction.
4.7 Stakeholder review and feedback
After developing the application and presenting it as a pitch to the karosambhav team the following review was gathered.
They were certainly impressed the amount of work and details that were done in order to focus on building a circular economy and were willing to integrate in their system. Also, they helped us realise areas of improvements and opportunities for growth:
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Limited User Awareness and Engagement: Challenge: Many users may lack awareness of the importance of e-waste management and the principles of the 3R's. Additionally, sustaining user engagement over time may be challenging due to competing priorities and information overload.
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Behavioral Resistance and Inertia: Challenge: Users may exhibit resistance or inertia towards changing their behavior, particularly if they perceive e-waste management as inconvenient or time-consuming.Overcoming ingrained habits and motivating users to take proactive steps towards responsible e-waste disposal can be a significant challenge.
4.2 Developing user flows
The user flow of the Karo Sambhav app helps guide users through the various features and functionalities available within the app. Here's an overview of how the user flow of the Karo Sambhav app helps users:
Learnings
7. Reflecting on lessons
🔑#1. We wanted visually evoke the sense of death of devices to evoke empathy in user; it backfired
Feedback received made us realize the blue we were using initially for screens , led to problems for visually impaired people which was not taken into account earlier.The colour was derived from windows blue screen of death: a common occurrence in end of life of window devices. This was the association picked but it retaliated in creating a sense of fear/suspense amongst users that the device won't work.
🔑#2. Users were suspicious of sharing personal information
A point of friction was revealed when our users entered their personal information. Some of them were confused if it was required to create an account. People become suspicious when someone shares critical information, such as login details for other accounts. The fact that the app itself claimed to lower expenses raised even more questions. The app needed to thoughtfully address these fears through key screen language, provide explanations and a way to get in touch with help.
🔑#3. User hunger for variety: a clear demand surfaces for more diverse topic offerings
The user group we were focussing on demanded to read various blogs and have a sense of community to satiate their needs to learn more about the recycling issue. They were much more intentional in taking an action when they saw their peers doing the same. Also learning more about the harmful effects of e-waste made them proactive to take actions.
4.5 Developing a design system
We then developed a design system for the KaroSambhav app which involved creating a comprehensive set of guidelines, components, and patterns that ensure consistency, coherence, and efficiency in the app's visual appearance and user experience and it was based out on atomic design.
USER PERSONA
We then developed 3 user personas to cater to all kinds of users we shall be targeting:
1. Environment curious
2. Super-committed recycler
3. Gamer- not cautious
CONSUMER ACTIONS
After the research phase these were the reasons and motivations for those consumers who were ready to take an action for e-waste recycling and those who would not :
3.2 Value vs Difficulty model metrics and insights
With all the features and Ideas generated we need a way to agree on what was essential and what was not. The four quadrants of the Value vs Difficulty model perfectly fit that need
Features receiving over 3 votes would be considered strategic wins for the Karo Sambhav app, indicating their high value and feasibility of implementation.
While the difficulty of implementation varies, each feature offers significant value and strategic potential for the Karo Sambhav app.
3.3 Feature Prioritisation
Feature prioritization based on the principles of Reduce, Recycle, and Reuse involves identifying and ranking features that align with each principle and contribute to effective e-waste management.
3.4 Product vision board
To demonstrate the vision of our product, we created a product vision board based on our initial research. The vision board is a tool that captures our interpretation of the user needs, key product features, and the overall value the product must create to serve Karosambhav.
How does this digital platform benefit its stakeholders:
To demonstrate the vision of our product, we created a product vision board based on our initial research. The vision board is a tool that captures our interpretation of the user needs, key product features, and the overall value the product must create to serve Karosambhav.
4.3 Low fidelity wireframes
By focusing on the basic layout and functionality of the app, low-fidelity wireframes help ensure that the app's core features and user interactions are well-defined and intuitive.
4.4 Usability testing
• Lo-fi prototypes were tested with the stakeholders weekly to get feedback on the functionality, content, and interactivity of the product.
• The A/B testing conducted for the Karo Sambhav app involved creating several dummy groups of users to assess which variation of the app interface performed better. All participants engaged in the app to complete hypothetical tasks. The success of this test was gauged by the concept of a "self-starter," which aimed to observe how quickly users could accomplish their tasks without requiring assistance or encountering difficulties. This metric was used to evaluate the efficiency and user-friendliness of the app interface variants.