Sankalpa Patil

Sankalpa Patil

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Tools

Jira
Figma
Miro Board

Team

1 UX Designer (Myself)

My Role

User Research
User Experience Design
User Interface Designer

Timeline

6 Months
Master’s Capstone Project
Oct 2023 – Dec 2023

Market Study

The USA discards 17 million tons of textiles, while the UK discards 300,000 tonnes of used clothing every year.

Considered or changed their loyalty towards sustainable brands.

Consumers said that they would pay up to 5% more for sustainably produced goods


Almost 100% of the senior retail executives agree that consumers expect them to operate in a more sustainable way.

Why Solve this problem

Sustainability creates a balance among social, environmental, and economic aspects for future needs.
Rethinking shopping habits and choosing sustainable products and materials:

Business adopting sustainability

Many businesses are adopting sustainability. As per Shopify’s Stats:
  • 84% of leaders agree the world can achieve global economic growth while also reaching climate change goals.
  • 50% of companies are developing new climate-friendly products or services.

Design Process

For uncovering the problem and crafting a solution, I followed the design thinking process:

Research Overview

To verify the problem and the need, I conducted a survey to quantitatively gather data on sustainability for e-commerce. 35 users with various shopping habits participated to offer insights into their interest in sustainable shopping preferences. They shared brief thoughts and challenges related to interest in features for a sustainable shopping experience. 

Following the survey, 3 eco-friendly shoppers (those who prioritize the environment) and 
3 versatile shoppers (who shop for eco-friendly as well as other products, and prioritize the environment) were selected to participate in a more in-depth study through 1:1 user interviews.

Quantitative Study Results

97% of the users were interested in seeing environmental Impact while shopping.

Users Ranked #1 waste reduction or usage of recycled materials and # 2 Product sustainability information as a feature important for sustainable shopping.

Qualitative Study Overview

For the MVP, I prioritized the focus on assessing sustainability, providing granular product information, 
conveying user impact on the environment, and finding the right balance between price and sustainability.

User Interviews

3 Eco-Friendly Shoppers

Who prioritizes environment

3 Versatile Shoppers

Who shops for eco friendly as well as other products, prioritizes environment

2 Store owners

Who are aware of upcoming sustainable consumer needs

Customer Challenges

1

Filter sustainability factors

2

Filter sustainability Compare for right balance between price and sustainability

3

Filter sustainability Granular product sustainability information & impact

4

Filter sustainability Understanding the authenticity of the materials of the product

Store owner Challenges

1

Filter sustainability Communicating the sustainability and importance of their products to customers and ensuring they understand the value.

2

Filter sustainability Technology Adoption for tracking and showcasing products to increase the sale.

Authenticity of the materials

I don’t know how authentic their claims are, or sometimes they’ll have some small asterisk in the corner and then, you know, if you go read the fine print, they’ll say, ok, only this specific 5% of the whole product is recycled and they still get away with the, the whole recycle thing.

– Samved

Balance of price & Sustainability

So generally speaking, priorities like price and then sustainability, right? So I generally try to look for a brand where that balance suits me better.

-Nachiket

Granular Product Information & Impact

Maybe it can have more information like levels of impact like Maybe one of them has 100% made from recycled. Maybe some of them are 50% made from recycled products or something.

-Rishi

Growing sustainable customers Base

It has been our responsibility to gather accurate product information from manufacturers, with consumers jumping on the sustainable products

– Mary Jean (Shopify owner)

User Persona & Journey Map

Based on user interviews, I conceptualized the user personas and created journey maps

These helped me paint a clear and realistic picture of users’ goals, needs, and behaviors.

How Might We..

Create a sustainability assessment tool for online shopping, providing transparent information, facilitating informed decisions, and streamlining product comparisons?

Outcome

The desired outcome is a tool that offers an effortless and rewarding sustainable shopping experience.

Solution

  1. Implementing Eco-Score API Integration Across Different E-Commerce Platforms.

  2. Designing Google Chrome Extensions for Sustainable Product Comparison Among Various Brands.

Beneficiaries

  1. Consumers will benefit by making more informed and sustainable choices.

  2. E-commerce platforms will benefit by aligning with sustainability trends and attracting environmentally conscious users.

  3. The environment will benefit from reduced resource consumption and increased recycling rates.

User Flow Diagram

Top five sustainability factors- MVP

Recycled Percentage

Fair Trade Certified

Biodegradability

Co2 Footprint

Water Wastage

Mid-Fidelity Wireframes

Leveraging the existing design system, I picked the Low-fidelity sketches that I felt addressed 
the goals the best and digitalized them into prototypes for Usability Tests.


Visual Branding

Simultaneously set visuals defining – Colors, Mood board, Logo.
To have a Clean, Earthy, Green, and professional Look and feel.


Design Decisions

Eco-Score Board

Psychology Insight & Solution

Familiarity Bias


In this context, users found it possible to draw parallels between the eco-score and a traditional scoreboard. Consequently, the eco-score is indicative of a visual resemblance to a scoreboard.

Law of Proximity

Further iterating on the user’s scoreboard analogy.
I was able to Group the scores and reasoning of the score to establish a relationship and to help users perceive it easily.

Shopify- Product Featuring

Users Insight:

“I wish featuring the products on the plugin to elevate the sale of eco-products could be done on the Shopify product page itself.”

Solution:

The shift in the flow, where Shopify users install an add-on of your plugin to feature products directly through Shopify, aligns with core UX principles.


Integrating the Greenly add-on idea with Shopify reduces cognitive load, leveraging users’ existing mental models and promoting a more intuitive experience. This change reflects principles of recognition, consistency, and user-friendly design, ensuring a seamless integration into the familiar Shopify workflow.

Google Chrome Extension Design

Solution:

With the help of valuable user insights, I revamped the interface to prioritize product comparisons and highlighted information recycled purchase trends through an above-bar chart, aligning with user preferences. I also adjusted data points to emphasize spending on eco-friendly items, ensuring a more personalized and informative user experience.

Final Screens

Eco-score & Greenly Product Comparison

Greenly Chrome Extension

Interactive Onboarding to Feature Products on Greenly

Sustainable product information after integration

Challenges

I initially faced challenges in designing the Shopify platform and its user flow. Despite having insights from Shopify users, I decided to create an account, engage with the platform, and explore its features to gain a deeper understanding of their extensive experience.



For Shopify store owners, I initially designed featuring of their products through my plugin integrated into Shopify. However, feedback indicated a preference for staying within the same platform. 


This prompted me to rethink the Shopify design flow.



To find a solution, I researched how integrations work on Shopify and discovered the existence of an app store for add-ons. I delved into videos explaining how Amazon integration functions on Shopify, and I reached out to a user to validate the add-on idea. After their positive feedback, I settled on the idea of creating an “Add-On” for integration. This one-time installation would allow Shopify owners to efficiently manage their products and featured items on Greenly. This experience served as a valuable example for me to leverage user’s existing experiences when designing.

Reflections

Collaborative Innovation: Engaging in collaborative discussions and gathering feedback on ideas proved to be an insightful experience. The synergy of brainstorming together significantly enhanced the creative process. I grasped the importance of adaptability and flexibility in design.



User-Centric Design: Recognizing that the mental model of a user differs from my own was crucial in shaping a successful end product. Understanding and aligning with their perspective contributed to a more user-centric design.


Task Efficiency: Emphasizing the importance of breaking down larger tasks into smaller, manageable components proved to be a beneficial approach. This strategy not only increased efficiency but also facilitated a more focused and effective workflow.

Prototype