Eco Kiddo Mobile App Design
ABOUT
Eco Kiddo β Smart Choices for a Sustainable Future!
Eco Kiddo, the innovative app empowering parents to make sustainable clothing choices through smart label scanning and accessible recycling solutions. As part of our coursework project, Eco Kiddo has received valuable feedback from our classmates and volunteer testers, leading to significant improvements. User engagement increased by 30%, the average interaction time extended by 40%, and overall feedback ratings improved from 3.5 to an impressive 4.8.
ROLE
My Role: UX/UI Designer
Tools: Figma, Balsamiq, React Native
Skills: Interaction Design, Information Architecture, Empathy, Prototyping, UI and UX Principles, Usability Testing, User Interviews, Design System
Team Adam H., Cindy L., Sheina E.
THE PROBLEM
Parents are constantly buying and discardingβ¦
With young children growing quickly, parents frequently purchase new clothes and dispose of old ones. While they want to make sustainable choices, the demands of daily life push them toward convenience over eco-friendly options. Without clear and accessible solutions, many of these items end up in landfills instead of being reused or recycled.
Skills: User Research, Behaviour Analysis, Competitive Analysis (Sustainable Fashion & Recycling Apps),
User Interviews
current situation
sourceοΌhttps://cwb-online.co/kidswear-brand-five-of-us-investigates-fashion-industry-waste/
Image 1-9: User comments collected by our team through interviews. π
"I want to be sustainable, but I donβt have the time or easy options."
Parents struggle to find convenient ways to dispose of childrenβs clothes sustainably. Many are busy and prefer simple, drop-off donation solutions rather than selling online or finding buyers.
"I keep buying new clothes, and they pile up quickly."
Children grow fast, and parents frequently purchase new clothes while struggling to manage the old ones. Clothes often accumulate because disposal methods are unclear, inconvenient, or unavailable.
"I donβt feel comfortable buying second-hand for my kids."
Many parents are hesitant to buy second-hand clothes due to concerns about quality, hygiene, and trust in sellers. They prefer new clothes, despite being aware of the environmental impact.
"I donβt know where my donated clothes end up."
Some parents want transparency in the donation process. They are willing to give away clothes but prefer to know who will receive them and whether they will be properly reused.
"Sustainable fashion is hard to identify when shopping."
Parents are interested in eco-friendly clothing but often find it difficult to verify how sustainable their purchases are. There is a need for clearer sustainability information when buying new clothes.
"Selling online takes too much effort."
While some parents consider reselling platforms like Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree, many never follow through because of the hassle of managing listings, responding to buyers, and arranging pickups.
*Based on insights from user research, questionnaire, interviews, and behavioural analysis
*We learned that parents want to make sustainable choices but need a simpler way to donate, resell, and recycle their childrenβs clothes. This shows the need for an easy-to-use platform that helps them make eco-friendly decisions without added hassle.
People Problems
Business Problems
Growing Clothing Waste
Parents frequently buy new clothes for their children, leading to high levels of textile waste. Without an easy solution, many clothes end up in landfills instead of being reused or recycled.
Lack of Sustainable Shopping Transparency
Parents struggle to identify truly sustainable clothing options when shopping, making it harder for them to make eco-friendly choices.
Inconvenience in Clothing Disposal
Many parents want to donate or resell childrenβs clothes but find the process time-consuming and complicated. This leads to frustration and clothes piling up at home.
Hesitation Around Second-Hand Purchases
Concerns about hygiene, quality, and trust in sellers prevent many parents from buying second-hand, limiting the adoption of circular fashion solutions.
Missed Engagement & Retention Opportunities
Without a seamless, user-friendly experience, parents may not actively use a platform designed to help them make sustainable choices.
Need for a Clear and Reliable System
Transparency in where donated clothes go, easy-to-use resale features, and verified sustainable brands are essential to build user trust and encourage long-term engagement.
MARKET RESEARCH
Understanding the
Sustainable Fashion Landscape
Based on our research, we found that parents face challenges in making sustainable clothing choices due to a lack of convenient disposal options, transparency in sustainable fashion, and hesitation around second-hand purchases. To better understand their behaviors and expectations, we analyzed existing clothing donation, resale, and sustainability-focused apps. We also examined how parents currently shop, dispose of, and recycle their childrenβs clothes to identify gaps in the market and opportunities for improvement.
Key Takeaways from Market Research:
Gaps in Sustainable Fashion Transparency: Most platforms do not provide clear sustainability insights to help parents make informed purchases.
Limited Convenience for Busy Parents: Many existing apps focus solely on resale, requiring significant effort from users. There is a lack of streamlined donation and recycling options.
Hesitation Around Second-Hand Shopping: Trust, hygiene, and quality concerns remain major barriers to second-hand purchases. A verification system can improve adoption.
Potential for an All-in-One Solution: There is an opportunity to combine resale, donation, and recycling services into one easy-to-use platform tailored for parents.
PLANNING
Timeline and Prioritisation
We gathered insights from user research, interviews with parents, and feedback from volunteers testing our app. We identified key pain points related to sustainable fashion choices, clothing disposal, and second-hand shopping. Using these insights, we brainstormed solutions and applied the Value Proposition Canvas exercise to ensure alignment with user needs. Prioritisation was guided by the ICE Model, focusing on impact, confidence, and ease of implementation.
Skills: Prioritisation, ICE Model, Planning, Value Proposition Canvas, Brainstorming
VISUAL
Engaging User Experience
A key focus of our app is creating an intuitive and visually appealing experience that encourages parents to make sustainable clothing choices effortlessly. We designed an interactive smart label scanning feature that instantly provides sustainability insights, material information, and recycling options. The app also includes a visual guide for clothing disposal, making it easy for users to donate, recycle, or resell items with confidence.
To enhance usability, we prioritised clean layouts, clear call-to-actions, and engaging visuals, ensuring a seamless journey from scanning to action. This immersive approach makes sustainable fashion accessible, informative, and easy to navigate for parents.
DESIGN THINKING
Miller's Law
Applying Miller's Law, which suggests that the average person can hold about seven (Β±2) items in their working memory , we streamlined our app's interface by limiting main navigation options to five clear categories: "Home page," "Map(donation service)," "Scan(label)," "Pick up(Order)," and "Learn(material)." This approach reduces cognitive load, making it easier for parents to access features without feeling overwhelmed. By organising information into manageable chunks, we enhance usability and ensure a more intuitive user experience.β
Hickβs Law
"The time it takes to make a decision increases with the number of choices available."
Our app simplifies sustainable clothing choices by reducing decision fatigue.
Parents are busy and need quick, actionable steps. Reducing complexity makes it easier to make sustainable choices.
Fittsβ Law
"The time to acquire a target is a function of the distance to and size of the target."
Our app uses large, easy-to-click buttons for key actions such as scanning labels and creating orders.
Parents using the app likely have limited time, possibly holding a child or multitasking. Making buttons bigger and closer reduces interaction friction.
Simple and Clear Onboarding
Since this is a course project, we worked with classmates and volunteers to make sure new users could quickly understand how the app works. We kept the introduction short and straightforward, focusing on the key features that help users(parents) make sustainable choices.
While it may seem simple, we carefully tested different ways to explain things so that everything is clear. This makes it simple and smooth for parents to get started and understand how to use the app right away.
Visual Scanning Feedback
To enhance user experience, we included visual feedback for the smart label scanner. When parents scan a clothing label, they see real-time responses like colour changes or animations that confirm the scan was successful.
This makes the process more engaging and reduces uncertainty when interacting with the app.
Quick Access Buttons for Faster Actions
We designed quick action buttons to help parents easily access key features like scanning, donating, searching, and recycling. Instead of navigating through multiple menus, users can reach their desired action with one tap from the home screen.
This design reduces the number of steps needed to complete a task, making it faster and more convenient for busy parents. Based on early feedback, this layout has helped users complete their tasks 30% faster than a traditional navigation approach.
Validating Assumptions
To ensure our app meets user needs, we tested our prototype with classmates and volunteers. We used Figma tool and interactive prototypes to see how users interacted with key features like scanning, donating, and creating orders.
Gathering feedback from real users helped us identify areas for improvement before finalising the design. Testing in small groups allowed us to make adjustments early, ensuring a smoother experience when more users try the app.
THE AMAZING TEAM
Remote Collaboration and Teamwork
Our team worked together remotely using Microsoft Teams throughout the project. Each team member contributed their strengths while also supporting one another in shared tasks. We maintained constant communication, responded quickly, and actively participated in discussions to improve our app.
Even though we were not in the same place(the team members were based in Sydney, North Beach and the Gold Coast), our teamwork ensured that we could develop and refine the app efficiently. This experience showed us how collaboration and mutual support lead to great results.
RESULTS
Making Sustainable Choices Easier
A team of dedicated students worked together to create a practical and user-friendly app that helps parents make sustainable clothing choices. Through collaboration and continuous testing, we built a solution that simplifies donation, resale, and recycling.
User Engagement
πΉ 85% of testers found the app easy to use and intuitive.
πΉ 70% of parents reported they felt more confident in making sustainable choices.
Problem Solved:
"I want to be sustainable, but I donβt have the time or easy options."
Task Completion Time
πΉ Users completed donation and resale tasks 30% faster compared to manual methods.
Problem Solved:
"Selling online takes too much effort."
User Satisfaction
πΉ 4.8/5 average rating from classmate and volunteer testers.
πΉ Positive feedback on clear navigation, quick scanning, and actionable insights.
Problem Solved:
"Sustainable fashion is hard to identify when shopping."
WE DID IT!
β Lack of sustainable fashion information β Users now have instant access to eco-friendly insights.
β Complicated donation and resale processes β Streamlined workflows reduce effort and time.
β Low awareness of recycling options β Clear guidance encourages responsible clothing disposal.