Orca
Orca will be an app which will be designed to incentivize people to do things to reduce their carbon footprint
Product Experience
Problem Space
Problem Statement
How might we make reducing one’s carbon footprint an enjoyable/rewarding process for people so that they continue to take such actions?
Problem Background
The average American has an annual carbon footprint of about 16 tons. As years go by, these releases are becoming more and more of a concern. This is because our carbon footprint creates a wide variety of serious issues like human induced climate change, urban air pollution, toxicity in our rain, among other things. It also affects our ocean and marine life. While reducing our carbon footprint is difficult given our modern way of life, there are certain things we can do on an individual level which will contribute to lowering these values.
Research Insights
User Pain Points
All respondents to my survey or interview currently have no other motive for eco-friendly actions other than just for the sake of treating the earth well or the guilt of not treating it well.
Supporting Data
70% of respondents said that being rewarded with gift cards could further motivate them to take eco-friendly actions.
Feedback
Our preliminary user research to validate this problem with user surveys found that our app’s features may be a useful solution to the problem.
Landing on the Solution
Based on user pain points we wanted wanted to work on two main features in our app: a reward system for taking actions that are eco-friendly
Explanation of Solution
Once the user responses were in, our solution was simply reinforced. Ultimately we do not care how or why people decide to make eco-friendly decisions, just that they make them. And since we learned that there currently was not much of a motive and that additional ones would help people start taking more action, our apps features were backed as a good solution.
Future Steps
A future step would be to make a prototype and then also conduct more user research because currently the data is limited.
Images
Learnings
Product Manager Learnings:
Nayan Narula
Co.Lab was a good experience and I really liked the knowledge that I attained like how to use your research to reconsider your problem space and conduct your spec in such a manner.
Designer Learnings:
Designer Learnings:
Jo Sturdivant
- Adapting to an Established Team: Joining the team in week 6 of 8 was challenging, as I had to quickly adapt to existing workflows, dynamics, and goals. This mirrors real-world situations where you often integrate into teams mid-project, and flexibility is essential.
- Work-Blocking for Efficiency: With only two weeks to complete the project, I learned the importance of a structured work-blocking system. This approach allowed me to manage my time effectively and meet deadlines under pressure.
- Making Data-Driven Design Decisions: Unlike my past projects, I had to rely on research conducted by others. This was a valuable experience in using pre-existing data to guide design decisions, helping me focus on the core insights without starting from scratch.
Developer Learnings:
Developer Learnings:
Vanady Beard
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As the back-end developer, I learned how important it is to create efficient and reliable systems that support the entire application. This experience also taught me the importance of optimising the database and ensuring the backend is scalable and easy to maintain.
Developer Learnings:
Stephen Asiedu
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As a back-end developer, I've come to understand the importance of being familiar with various database systems and modules. This knowledge enables me to build diverse applications and maintain versatility in my work. I've also learned that the responsibility for making the right choices rests on my shoulders, guided by my best judgement.
Developer Learnings:
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Developer Learnings:
Maurquise Williams
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- Process of Creating an MVP: Developing a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) taught me how to focus on delivering core functionalities balancing between essential features and avoiding scope creep.
- Collaboration in a Real-World Tech Setting: This experience taught me how to collaborate efficiently in a fast-paced tech environment, keeping the team aligned and productive, even while working remotely across time zones.
- Sharpening Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills: This experience honed my ability to think critically and solve problems efficiently. By tackling challenges and finding quick solutions, I sharpened my decision-making and troubleshooting skills in a dynamic, real-world setting.
Developer Learnings:
Jeremiah Williams
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All in all this experience was very awesome I learned that in coding with others being transparent is key
Developers Learnings:
Justin Farley
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I learned how important communication is when working with a team. Communication provides understanding, advice, ideas, and much more. While working with the product team, I’ve found that communication keeps everything flowing smoothly. Working with a team also showed me that every member brings something different to the table and we all have to work together in order to align and meet our end goal.