Homework is a non-profit organization that relies on hardware and monetary donations as a means of providing students in need with access to technology. The app allows donors to search for and select students in need, view the specific technology requirements of each student, and make donations.
The Main Flow for users wanting to donate their old tech,
My Role:
- User Interviews - Investigate user needs to identify areas of improvement for the app: Pain points, Motivations & Behaviours.
- Generate and refine a range of potential solutions through iterative ideation sessions.
- Conduct usability testing to evaluate the effectiveness of each proposed solution.
- Refine the chosen design and prepare for release: UI design & Interactions.
Problem & Solution š¤
Understanding Tech Donations:
There is a huge digital gap amongst students in the UK with up to 1.78 million students not having access to technology and devices. Currently, 527 million electric devices clutter Britainās homes, resulting in 40% of UK adults throwing away at least 1 electrical item a year instead of donating. And so, unprivileged students are unable to access the technology they need, making it impossible for them to thrive in their education.
Homework aims to bridge the gap by providing students with the technology donations needed to reach their educational goals.
Research Objectives:
- Find out what individuals do with their old devices
- Find out what individuals know about the technology gap among students
- Find out what individualsā charity habits are
- Find out what keeps individuals from donating their old devices
Interview Insights:
After conducting User Interviews with young adults ranging from the ages of 18 to 40, here were the main interview insights found:
Goals & Requirements:
- Increase the number of donated devices: The app should aim to increase the number of donated devices by making it easy and convenient for people to donate.
- Target unprivileged students: The app should aim to reach unprivileged students who do not have access to technology by partnering with schools and universities in underserved areas.
- Create a sustainable solution: The app should aim to reduce the amount of electronic waste in the UK by promoting device donations instead of discarding them.
The Process š£
Meet Ashley:
Persona created, meet Ashley
Developing the persona of Ashley allowed us to identify the tasks users wanted to accomplish with the Homework app. We then created a user flow that simplifies the process of donating old tech, saving time and avoiding inconvenience.
User Task Flows:
User Task Flow - Ashley wants to donate her old tech
Ideation š”
Sketches:
Lofi Wireframe:
Storyboard:
Branding:
Results š
A mobile platform that is:
1. Transparent
2. ConvenientĀ
3. Sustainable
Homework is the solution to transparent, convenient, and sustainable tech donations. By developing user interviews, a persona, and a user flow, we identified the needs of users and streamlined the donation process. With Homework, users can easily donate their old tech, saving time and avoiding inconvenience, while knowing their donations are being sustainably managed, making a positive impact on the environment and society.
"Tech donations used to be a hassle, but with Homework, it's a no-brainer. The app has simplified the process and made it sustainable, so users can do good without any hassle. It's been a great success..."Ā
-Ā Jessica, BrainStation UX Designer
