TERRACYCLE URUT
Unmoderated Remote Usability Testing
As we look for ways to be active participants in recycling programs, Terracycle caught our eye for initiating reuse of uncommon products in an innovative way.
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In order to see if first time users would sign up to be recyclers, we conducted an unmoderated remote usability test. This was completed with a partner for a school project.
MY CONTRIBUTIONS:
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Created empathy and user personas with secondary research
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Co-designed the usability test on Loop-11 platform
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Created a user flow diagram
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Co-designed the presentation to the stakeholders
MY ROLE:
User Experience Designer & Researcher
DATE:
December 2020
How is the TerraCycle Program perceived by a new user on the website?"
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RESEARCH QUESTION
Terracycle recycling program consists of two paths.
01
A free recycler program where individuals will collect and ship brand name products to partnered programs. The goal of this is to send back items that are not recyclable.
02
This program is purchasing a box that can be filled with set materials not commonly recycled, in a labelled box. An example is personal protect equipment that does not contain bodily fluids and can be sent back to Terracycle for disposal and upcycling of retail products.
SET UP:
01
RECRUITMENT
Using a screener survey, we recruited participants who made it through the elimination matrix.
02
CONSENT
We obtained consent from participants and sent users to the test link. (designed in Loop 11)
03
URUT
Participants completed the test on their own time. The test consisted of 3 tasks and 5 questions.
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DATA ANALYSIS
We looked at all of the qualitative and quantitative data to help us answer our research question.
USER PERSONAS & EMPATHY MAPS
Were created to understand recruitments for the test.
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TESTING:
We recruited 5 participants.
We recruited upon our personal networks, as the profiles were in our age range.
USER TREE DIAGRAM:
Start
Single
private brand recycling (free)
End
This allowed a visual map on how the users would ideally navigate our testing platform.
New
User
Enter website homepage
Read about the program
Purchase of a waste box to recycle certain products
Fill out a survey based on experience
Choosing a recycling program
QUOTES FROM PARTICIPANTS:
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“It wasn't very clear to me. One of the sentences said the recycling program is not offered at this time.” - 3rd participant
"I understood the general concept but the option 'Ship us your waste' was nowhere to be found." - 5th participant
This feedback along with several data analytics from the platform, would give an accurate picture of our results.
LOOP 11 PLATFORM ANALYSIS
SUCCESS RATE
Based on the videos and heatmaps, the participants succeeded in the completing all the tasks.
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They mostly chose the National Recycling Program and observed the free recycling process.
OVERALL EXPERIENCE
Short answer and likert scales were used.
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Overall, participants said it was
fairly easy to navigate.
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When asked to describe the recycling process 3/5 participants did not understand it at all.
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LOOP ME IN
From observing our participants, we were not surprised to see that the same 3/5 participants were unsure if they would want to adopt this recycling plan in their lives.
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1 participant proceeded with signing up for the program.
Qualitative Data:
Quantitative Data:
BUGS AND USABILITY PROBLEMS
NO FREE LUNCH
Our participants were in love
with the free programs and
did not realize there was a
paid program too.
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CONFUSION
Everyone found a program
eventually but took a different
path to get to it. This creates
challenges in consistency.
FAIL = SUCCESS?
Results show that all 5 participants failed Task 2 and Task 3. This is not true! Our qualitative data says otherwise.
SOLUTION:
USABILITY HEURISTICS OVERVIEW:
Flexibility and efficiency
of the information
needed to sign up as a
new user. Too much
personal information is
being asked and this can
deter a user.
Consistency & Standards
of written
content and layout to
find things easily and
with less clicks.
Aesthetic
of the concepts to showcase
their products better so
all products get equal
viewing.
RECOMENDATIONS:
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Easier Navigation
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The website’s useability can be
improved by collecting all
programs under one area on
the website.
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Recycle, Reuse,...
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Reducing and rewriting the
amount of content written on
the website can help customers
understand their mission better.
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More to the story
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The “Zero Waste Box” could be
featured more prominently in
order for consumers to realize
there is another program
offered. One way could be
showing videos of the process
to entice people to learn more.
Looking Back:
The earlier challenge was setting up the test within LOOP11, to clearly see that our instructions were matching the task. The set up was not as clear and took a bit of time to familiarise with the software.
Terracycle's mission to get people to adopt their recycling program was not optimised to get leads for actionable results. The area that participants struggled was navigating to different recycler programs. The homepage led them to the free recycler program and it did not showcase a link to other program until they accidentally scrolled to the top navigation menu.