Monolite: An Interactive exhibit for public engagement
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Monolite: An Interactive exhibit for public engagement
Digital Product Passport
UI Design | Research | Consumer facing | Mobile application
Digital Product Passport is an app that provides information about products’ environmental impact. It aims to promote informed choices for consumers and businesses during and post purchases, promoting product sustainability, and assisting regulators.
This was one of the consumer centric offering under Green Story's umbrella solution. The goal was to make information-rich data accessible through an interactive app that educates and engages conscious shoppers.
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This project was a joint effort with the product, marketing and customer service team. My role was to to conduct UX research and design the application.
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Overview
As part of the EC (European Commission) efforts to mitigate climate change, fashion brands in the sustainability space face pressure to be transparent about their supply chain data. Moreover, as awareness of the fashion industry’s negative environmental impacts increases, shoppers seek detailed information about each stage of a product's journey, including product’s origins, material composition, practices used during production, and supporting evidence for these claims. This is where Green Story comes in. Brands use part of the platform to collect, input and calculate footprint and the other to visualize it for their consumers.
While the first part of the platform was being developed, I along with the founder, product manager and the marketing team started brainstorming on the architecture, content and theme of the application.
Challenge
Data collection and representation
Collecting data from across a product’s lifecycle and making it engaging and interactive for the shoppers
Research & Analysis
Research Goals
Identify features that would be most valuable for the end user
Analyze data and resources offered by competitor's app
Understand end user's data and interaction expectation from the app
Identify gaps and opportunity in the current market
Secondary research
Market Analysis
Digital product passports have been in the talks for a while but the European Union is set to mandate it by 2030 initially in the European market. Products would be given a unique identifier and can be accessed through QR code, RFID tag or barcode, which hosts information about the product’s origins, material composition, supply chain, sustainability, recyclability and possibly much more.
- Source, Forbes article
Brands have started to collect information and collaborate with partners to help them comply with product passports requirements. Given some supply chains can be extremely complex, for brands to disclose details about every material that goes into a product poses a challenge.
One of the biggest challenges is data storage. It will require a significant time and cost investment to arrange the infrastructure to hold vast amounts of product data. Another challenge is to align this data with the passport's framework while ensuring it is easy for the user to understand.
Competitive Analysis
Dozens of businesses have already emerged to help brands meet the communication requirements established by the Digital Product Passport. They conduct life cycle assessments, assist in collecting and storing data of entire supply chain and evaluating its impact and circularity. Since DPP framework is still being finalized these businesses have to work with the evolving requirements and accomodate changes as they come.
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I looked at the current players in the market to understand what features they offered, how have they integrated the app and how do users interact with it.
Primary research
User Interview
I conducted interviews with 8 users, 3 of them were our existing client and 5 were potential. My questions were designed to learn:​
Extent of their knowledge about the product passport
Shopping experience with sustainable brands
Concerns around product information
Insights
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More information can be confusing
Users may want to go in-depth with the product information, but they don't want to interact with a content heavy application. Five crucial attributes users would most likely will use are product information, certificates of authenticity, aftercare and repair instructions, warranty information and resale information
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Well informed choices
By gaining access to comprehensive information, users would be able to understand the product better and explore avenues for repair and recycling.
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Trust and brand loyalty
52% of users say they have seen, or heard, false or misleading information about sustainable actions taken by brands. Distrust drives them to seek sustainability certifications and in-depth product information.
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Valuable experiences
Users want more than just the product information; they seek experiences, personalized interactions, and continuous value
Persona
Based on patterns from my user insights I categorized users under two personas:
The Aspirational Eco-Warrior
The Aspirational Eco-Warrior is a consumer who is passionate about making a positive impact on the environment. They are often vocal advocates for sustainable practices and seek out brands that align with their values. This group is characterized by:
A strong belief in personal responsibility towards the environment.
Active participation in environmental causes and willingness to pay a premium for sustainable products.
High engagement on social media, where they share their eco-friendly choices and influence others.
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Examples of brands that resonate with this persona include Patagonia and Tesla, which have built their reputations on sustainable practices and innovative eco-friendly products.
The Practical Green Shopper
The Practical Green Shopper is pragmatic about their sustainable choices. They balance environmental concerns with convenience and affordability. Characteristics of this consumer type include:
Preference for products with clear eco-friendly benefits, such as energy efficiency or reduced waste.
Desire for cost-effective solutions that also contribute to sustainability.
Support for local businesses and products with minimal environmental footprints.
Companies like IKEA, with its affordable range of sustainable products, appeal to the Practical Green Shopper by offering both value and eco-consciousness.
Analysis and inspiration to brainstorm ideas
Digital Product Passports integration should be seamless, enhancing communication and engagement.
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By scanning QR codes on products, consumers can view a product’s journey, materials, and environmental impact
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Creating interactive and informative experiences giving users the freedom to explore at their own terms
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​Visual cues to showcase the information is verified and accurate​
Ideation
In our ideation process, we brainstormed features inspired by primary research and supply chain data on our B2B platform. We grouped these features into categories and organized the information by levels. Then, we focused on the interaction experience, visual language, and app integration.
Information architecture
Defining the app structure involved the challenge of information elimination. The architecture was shaped by user interview insights, mandatory details from the digital passport framework, and what we deemed important for users.
The design framework
Now that we know what would the app contain, it was time to outline the "how". Through discussions and various iterations we came up with a set of guidelines that help define the design of the application.
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Visual cues to explore information on click or swipe
Clean lines, muted toned color schemes, and the removal of superfluous elements
Bottom navigation bar
Using combination of images and icons
Hidden rewards and coupons discovered when exploring
Wireframes
Although we had the site structure in place, several iterations were made during wire framing to organize the content, clear visual hierarchy while being creative with the content exploration.
Product
Supply chain
Impact & Footprint
Claims & Certificate
High Fidelity
Product page
This is the page user lands on when they scan the QR code. They see the image of the product, its basic details and visual cues on the product image prompting user to explore various part of the product.
Supply chain
Transparency across the entire supply chain for informed sustainability. Educating and engaging users to explore every supply chain stage, with location-specific data, impact insights, and claims information enabling them to make more powerful purchase decisions.​
Impact
Showcasing sustainable practices​. Breaking down footprint into interactive, clear & comparable insights​.
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Additionally, Get granular insights into product's environmental footprint including consumption at each production stage and the various points of impact mitigation.
Claims
Users can explore the legitimacy behind each product claim. Similarly, explore product certification. Learn their meaning and details that verify them.​
Rewards, Coupons & more!
Encouraging user engagement through quizes and puzzles rewarding them by planting trees or giving coupons.