Treecycle
An app to make recycling accessible and rewarding
Role
Team
UXUI Designer
Solo Project
Tools
Duration
Figma
2 Weeks
Overview
“Treecycle” is a mobile app to encourage recycling by simplifying the process of finding recycling locations, tracking environmental impact, and fostering a community for sharing recycling tips. It makes recycling accessible and rewarding..
Research and Problems
To understand user needs, I conducted primary research - user interviews and secondary research - competitive analysis of a few local recycling apps.
From my research, I identified three key pain points users faced while using recycling apps.
Problem 1 : Users want quick access to recycling locations tailored to specific item types
Problem 2 : Users reported feeling unmotivated throughout the recycling process
Problem 3: Some users lack of knowledge about recycling
Design Iteration
Problem 1
Unclear Guidance
People find it confusing or inconvenient to recycle correctly due to a lack of clear information about recycling locations and the preparation processes.
Items types page (Wireframe)
Map Page (Wireframe)
Recycling tutorial (Wireframe)
Solution 1: Lack of clarity discourages consistent recycling habits. Treecycle aims to simplify the process by providing intuitive navigation, clear instructions, and accessible location details. To tackle the confusion around recycling, I designed a streamlined user flow.
User flow
Choose recyclable item types (e.g., plastic, paper) via clear icons
A simple, illustrated tutorial appears, guiding users on pre-recycling steps
The app transitions to a map displaying nearby recycling spots, with detailed information like accepted materials and operating hours.
∙ Users find locations easily, reducing abandonment and contamination. Increase User satisfaction.
Problem 2
Unmotivated
Users feel unmotivated throughout the recycling process. Interviewees noted that without visible impact, recycling feels tedious.
Home page (Wireframe)
Visualise users’ CO2 saving
Solution 2: Treecycle visually represents the CO2 savings as equivalent trees planted on the home screen. This gamified impact tracker is designed to boost engagement and make recycling a rewarding experience. It helps users clearly see their environmental contributions.
∙ Users’ motivation rises with rewarding impact feedback.
Problem 3
Limited Knowledge
Users often lack basic knowledge about recycling, and they strive to adopt more environmentally friendly habits in their daily lives. They also desire to learn more sustainable living practices, seeking practical ways to reduce their footprint
Forum Page
Information Page
Solution 3: I added a discussion forum for peer learning and an information section with recycling FAQs, offering clear guidance and practical tips while fostering a supportive community for sustainable practices.
∙ Inspires users to embrace eco-friendly practices with confidence and ease.
Takeaways
Crafting Enjoyable Experiences - Through designing the impact tracker featuring tree visuals and milestones, I discovered how gamification can effectively drive behavioural change. I realised that UX design goes beyond merely fulfilling a function—it involves creating enjoyable experiences for users. To transform user actions into visually rewarding moments, this approach boosts motivation by instilling a sense of achievement.
Designing for Clarity - By streamlining the user flow and reducing unnecessary steps, I learned how powerful clarity is in shaping user behaviour. When instructions and navigation are intuitive, users feel more confident and are more likely to complete their goals without hesitation. This reinforced the importance of reducing cognitive load in UX design.