A selection of my favourite projects
A selection of my favourite projects
From Waste to Worth
Designing for a Sustainable Kitchen Future
Timeline
10 weeks
.
TEAM
3 designers
Introduction
This project, initiated at Chalmers University, aimed to develop an interactive mobile solution that seamlessly integrates with the circular kitchen service model. This was purely a design project which heavily focused on research and different design methods and use those to solve the user problem.
🎯 Design goal
| How might we support sustainable consumer behavior by helping users to track, repair, recycle, and resell their kitchen furniture?
👤 My role and responsibilities (in a team of 3 designers)
✔ Conducted secondary research on kitchen furniture industry, barriers to kitchen circularity, emotional durability and product
✔ Conducted secondary research on kitchen circularity, user behavior, and industry barriers
✔ Defined personas, scenarios, and user journey maps
✔ Proposed information architecture to guide prototyping
✔ Designed low and high-fidelity prototypes (9-10 screens)
✔ Facilitated usability testing workshops to gather user feedback
Many businesses lack a structured, data-driven approach to procurement savings. Some manually assess suppliers, others attempt bundling strategies, but without consistency, reliable data, or a standardized process, opportunities are often missed. How might we create a more systematic and data-driven way to identify and act on savings opportunities?
Jumping into the process
📌 Phase 1: Research & Problem Analysis
This phases mostly focused on gathering requirements, researching similar existing apps and also understanding the circular kitchen cycle as seen in the picture below.
To create an effective solution, we first analyzed the circular kitchen lifecycle and identified key barriers:
Key Findings:
💡 Kitchen aging & poor repairability discourage circular practices
💡 Users find renovation necessary for enjoyment, yet struggle with trust & emotional attachment to sustainable choices
💡 RFID technology was the most viable option for easy scanning & tracking of kitchen components
To create an effective solution, we first analyzed the circular kitchen lifecycle and identified key barriers:
💡 Kitchen aging & poor repairability discourage circular practices
💡 Users find renovation necessary for enjoyment, yet struggle with trust & emotional attachment to sustainable choices
💡 RFID technology was the most viable option for easy scanning & tracking of kitchen components
📌 Phase 2: Defining User Needs
Using ethnographic data, we created personas to represent key user groups and developed storyboards to explore solutions. Finally, we mapped a persona’s journey with the Kitchen ID app, identifying positive, negative, and neutral moments in their experience.
Personas
We look at the behavior patterns of our target users using desk research, and constructed patterns of interaction that smoothly matched the mental models, and goals of users. We created three personas based on research insights to represent key user groups with distinct needs, behaviors, and goals. Each persona included details such as age, life goals, and kitchen-related frustrations, providing a clear understanding of their expectations. These personas guided our design decisions, ensuring solutions were iterative, testable, and aligned with real user needs.
Personas
We look at the behavior patterns of our target users using desk research, and constructed patterns of interaction that smoothly matched the mental models, and goals of users. We created three personas based on research insights to represent key user groups with distinct needs, behaviors, and goals. Each persona included details such as age, life goals, and kitchen-related frustrations, providing a clear understanding of their expectations. These personas guided our design decisions, ensuring solutions were iterative, testable, and aligned with real user needs.
Storyboards
We discussed what could happen in each persona’s story in real life and wrote down the script of three storyboards. Then we produced the illustrative outcomes and did a few adjustments based on team members feedback. The storyboards helped us determine several interesting features that can be attractive to our target users. These features were initial and rough in this phase and in the following iterations they evolved a lot.
We discussed what could happen in each persona’s story in real life and wrote down the script of three storyboards. Then we produced the illustrative outcomes and did a few adjustments based on team members feedback. The storyboards helped us determine several interesting features that can be attractive to our target users. These features were initial and rough in this phase and in the following iterations they evolved a lot.
User Journey Map
After digging into the positive, negative and neutral moments of users, we found some opportunities for designing new features for the app. For example, to provide well-designed kitchen tips for inspiration, to offer a user-friendly guide on how to assemble and disassemble the components, to provide a great customer support system, etc. What we pictured in mind was that this app is more than just a tool, but a close partner in managing, maintaining, and renovating the kitchen.
After digging into the positive, negative and neutral moments of users, we found some opportunities for designing new features for the app. For example, to provide well-designed kitchen tips for inspiration, to offer a user-friendly guide on how to assemble and disassemble the components, to provide a great customer support system, etc. What we pictured in mind was that this app is more than just a tool, but a close partner in managing, maintaining, and renovating the kitchen.
📌 Phase 3: Ideation & Feature Development
KJ technique
Based on the initial design materials we have, we started to brainstorm about features we can have on this app. By using the KJ technique , we sorted our ideation notes into 8 groups - service, recommendation, trace and tack, guide, plans/choices, purchase, sustainability index, and social community. At this stage, we thought about different technical features like AR, image recognition, RFID detection, etc. We selected the most vital features we wanted to keep in the app according to the user and stakeholder needs and focus on further developing them.
UX target Table
Subsequently, we made a UX table that transforms user tasks to UX goals. UX table is an adaptive version of the UX target Table which is a spreadsheet demonstrating the work role and related user class to which this UX target applies, the associated UX goal, and the UX measure . We simplified this table by only keeping the columns of UX goals, User class to better use it as an ideation tool in the early design phase.
Subsequently, we made a UX table that transforms user tasks to UX goals. UX table is an adaptive version of the UX target Table which is a spreadsheet demonstrating the work role and related user class to which this UX target applies, the associated UX goal, and the UX measure . We simplified this table by only keeping the columns of UX goals, User class to better use it as an ideation tool in the early design phase.
📌 Phase 4: Prototyping & Iterations
Information Architecture
Before beginning the actually wireframes, we wanted to make sure that we agreed on the priority of different features and the user flow, which is why we created an information architecture. At this stage we made a trade-off between features and steps, as well as came up with the sequence of interfaces.
Before beginning the actually wireframes, we wanted to make sure that we agreed on the priority of different features and the user flow, which is why we created an information architecture. At this stage we made a trade-off between features and steps, as well as came up with the sequence of interfaces.
Low Fidelity Prototype
During prototyping, we focused on ensuring smooth task completion while considering different user sub-groups.
Key steps included:
✨ User Considerations: Designed features to accommodate both new and existing users, particularly emphasizing a recommendation feature to help novice users explore kitchen plans.
✨ Webshop Emphasis: Initially, the prototype centered around the purchasing flow to encourage furniture sales.
✨ Customization Challenges: The kitchen customization planner posed challenges in balancing complexity and usability.
✨ Pivot After Feedback:
After a feedback workshop and discussions with supervisors, the focus shifted from purchasing to maintenance and management.
The design was repositioned to support existing Kitchen ID users in tracking and maintaining their kitchens rather than attracting new buyers.
✨ Sustainability Focus: Adjustments were made to promote sustainable practices and reduce overconsumption.
During prototyping, we focused on ensuring smooth task completion while considering different user sub-groups.
✨ User Considerations: Designed features to accommodate both new and existing users, particularly emphasizing a recommendation feature to help novice users explore kitchen plans.
✨ Webshop Emphasis: Initially, the prototype centered around the purchasing flow to encourage furniture sales.
✨ Customization Challenges: The kitchen customization planner posed challenges in balancing complexity and usability.
✨ Pivot After Feedback:
After a feedback workshop and discussions with supervisors, the focus shifted from purchasing to maintenance and management.
The design was repositioned to support existing Kitchen ID users in tracking and maintaining their kitchens rather than attracting new buyers.
High Fidelity Prototype
The high-fidelity prototype went through three iterations, refining design elements based on usability testing and best practices.
🔁 Iteration 1: Initial Design
Explored interface layouts, components, fonts, and colors. Followed Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines (2020) for UI consistency.
🔁 Iteration 2: Refinement
Applied Cooper et al. (2014) principles for clear feedback (icons, text, colors) and design consistency across screens.
🔁 Iteration 3: Final Improvements
Enhanced customer service categorization and notifications. Simplified navigation and improved text/icons based on usability tests. These refinements ensured a seamless and user-friendly experience.
The high-fidelity prototype went through three iterations, refining design elements based on usability testing and best practices.
📌 Phase 5: Usability Testing & Refinements
🛠 Low-Fidelity Usability Testing
We conducted a feedback workshop with experts, where participants were asked to prioritize features using card sorting and write feedback on sticky notes about what they liked, wanted to change, or found confusing.
👨💻 High-Fidelity Usability Testing
To validate our design, we conducted usability tests with 9 participants across different backgrounds and age groups. Users were given five key tasks—including scanning a kitchen component, navigating repair guides, and exploring the marketplace—to evaluate ease of use and clarity.
Key Refinements Post-Testing:
🔍 Simplified customer service flow
🔍 Improved error prevention in navigation
🔍 Enhanced scannability of kitchen components
🔍 Simplified customer service flow
🔍 Improved error prevention in navigation
🔍 Enhanced scannability of kitchen components
Many businesses lack a structured, data-driven approach to procurement savings. Some manually assess suppliers, others attempt bundling strategies, but without consistency, reliable data, or a standardized process, opportunities are often missed. How might we create a more systematic and data-driven way to identify and act on savings opportunities?
Final Outcome & Reflections
The Kitchen ID App was transformed from a purchase-focused tool to a holistic circular kitchen management platform, enabling users to extend product lifespan, reduce waste, and embrace sustainability.
Key Learnings:
🚀 Design must evolve based on real user behavior, not assumptions
🚀 Circularity needs both emotional and functional incentives
🚀 Shifting focus from consumption to maintenance was a pivotal move
Possible Next Steps:
🎯 Integrate RFID scanning for better component tracking
🎯 Introduce a community marketplace for component exchange
🎯 Optimize guidance flows based on real-world kitchen habits
🚀 Design must evolve based on real user behavior, not assumptions
🚀 Circularity needs both emotional and functional incentives
🚀 Shifting focus from consumption to maintenance was a pivotal move
🎯 Integrate RFID scanning for better component tracking
🎯 Introduce a community marketplace for component exchange
🎯 Optimize guidance flows based on real-world kitchen habits
Many businesses lack a structured, data-driven approach to procurement savings. Some manually assess suppliers, others attempt bundling strategies, but without consistency, reliable data, or a standardized process, opportunities are often missed. How might we create a more systematic and data-driven way to identify and act on savings opportunities?
Credits
Closing Thoughts
This project proved that smart design can turn sustainability into second nature—seamless, intuitive, and effortlessly impactful.
UX METHODS
Desk research
Personas
Storyboards
User journey mapping
KJ technique
UX target table
Information architecture
Prototyping
Usability testing
Tools
Figma
Miro
Google sheets
team
Designer 1
Siqi Li
Designer 3
Tanvi Vidhate
Designer 2
Lujia Peng
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