COMPANY/ORG
MY ROLE
UX/UI Designer
TIMELINE
Aug 2024 – Present
Universities generate excessive waste and student belongings contribute significantly.
THE PROBLEM
Universities are massive sites of consumption and waste production. An estimated 200 million tons of waste is generated by college students alone in one year. Illini Swap seeks to promote sustainable behavior among UIUC students by designing an app that allows students to easily resell and purchase items from one another, fostering a habit of reusing and reducing waste.
A large portion of this waste results from students frequently discarding items, such as furniture, clothing, and electronics, at the end of semesters or when moving
Current options for reselling or reusing items on campus are fragmented and inconvenient, often relying on social media or word-of-mouth exchanges
The lack of a centralized, accessible platform discourages sustainable practices and leads to unnecessary waste generation
Students lack incentives or guidance to adopt environmentally sustainable behaviors
Where does this waste come from?
How can we promote sustainable behaviors among UIUC students by developing a student-oriented platform that makes sustainability engaging, not only educating but also incentivizing and guiding behavioral change.
Buy second-hand on campus!
THE SOLUTION
Onboard & Login
Onboarding to allow users to personalize feed based on their interests
Lets us know what students want to buy/sell
Quick and easy!
Feed & Listings
Homepage displays the items students are selling on campus with categories
Environmental fact is displayed at the top to educate students and spread awareness
Listing shows a gallery, description, and seller profile with reviews
Profile & Orders
Users profile displays the positive impact of their sustainable habits
Allows the user to customize profile with bio/interests
Orders page organizes purchases and sales in categories — Pending, Confirmed, Completed, and Past Orders
Send Offer
Sending an offer enables the option to choose a meeting place and time
With students on campus, transactions are simple with no need for shipping
Allows users to send multiple different availability options conveniently
Messages (Buyer)
Buyers can view and manage the offers they sent in the Send Offers category
Users can view the offers they’ve sent and nudge them if they get no response
Chat interface allows buyers to ask any questions to the seller on the app
Messages (Seller)
Seller can view and manage the offers they receive in the Received Offers category
Chat interface allows sellers to address any questions/concerns and work out logistics with the buyer
Confirmation
Order Confirmation conveniently displays all necessary details — location, date, time, order number, order date, and order total
Allows for timely meet-ups that are easy to manage
Define>Research>Design>Evaluate>Reflect
OUR APPROACH
RESEARCH
Our Research Methods.
User Mapping
Design Goals
User Flows — Seller, Buyer
How Might We Statements
Research Data
From ideas to prototype.
DESIGN
Wireframes
Prototyping
This process of going from wireframing to the actual prototypes had many steps in between. As a team, we individually created our wireframes according to the research data. We then made mood/style boards to determine the design and aesthetics of the app. Most of our work was done in Figma which allowed us to collaborate our ideas and allocate the tasks as a team.
EVALUATE
How did we do?
After creating a working prototype, we wanted to gather feedback on the experience with using the app so we conducted user interviews after letting them click through our prototype.
We asked a lot…
And learned a lot…
REFLECT
What did I learn?
The value of iterative user testing in refining app functionality and user interface
The critical role of trust and safety features in peer-to-peer platforms, especially for campus-based transactions
The significance of intuitive navigation and clear workflows in app design, particularly for buying and selling
The impact of visual design elements, including color palette and aesthetics, on user engagement and app appeal
The need to balance environmental goals with user-friendly features to encourage sustainable behaviors
The importance of addressing specific pain points, such as end-of-year item disposal, in the app's functionality
The potential for a well-designed platform to not only facilitate transactions but also to educate and incentivize broader sustainable behaviors
NEXT STEPS
What’s next?
Using the feedback we got from user testing, we refined and finalized the prototype. We then reached and formed a collaboration with Founders UIUC for the development of the app. Currently, we meet with the Founders team on a weekly basis working towards launching the app.
THANKS FOR READING 🧠
