Team Up
Drives user engagement through awareness of the global waste crisis.
Category
Company
Team Up
Year
2022
Problem
The global waste crisis is a pressing issue that impacts communities worldwide. From crowded cities to quiet suburbs, waste accumulation threatens public health, the environment, and overall quality of life. Despite the urgency, community participation in tackling this challenge often remains low due to a lack of awareness, coordination, and accessible initiatives. Encouraging collective action at a local level is essential for creating cleaner, more sustainable environments.
My role
This was a solo project completed as part of my RMIT studies. I was responsible for every stage of the process, including defining the problem, conducting research, ideating, wireframing, prototyping, and delivering the final design. Managing all aspects of the project allowed me to develop end-to-end design skills and practice balancing research insights with creative problem-solving.
Focus
UX, UI, Research, Interaction
Platform
iOS and Android mobile app
Define
Team Up’s Mission
This project aims to design a digital solution that raises awareness of the waste crisis and promotes active community engagement.
The proposed mobile application connects local residents with shared interests, enabling them to organise and participate in clean-up events. By combining awareness with action, the app empowers individuals to contribute meaningfully to their communities while fostering a sense of collaboration and responsibility toward a sustainable future.
Research
Sustain me
While researching existing solutions for community engagement and environmental initiatives, I noticed a lack of digital tools that effectively connect local residents to hands-on events. Most platforms focused on awareness or general volunteering but did not provide a simple, user-friendly way to discover, join, and manage local clean-up activities. This project addresses that gap by offering a centralized mobile solution that makes participation easy, encourages repeated engagement, and fosters a sense of community impact.
Ideation
The cornerstone of effective user-centric creation
In this phase, I reflected on my research and defined the target users, creating empathy maps to better understand their needs, motivations, and pain points. Based on these insights, I planned the remaining conception stages and established a basic app structure, which served as the foundation for creating wireframes and early interaction flows.
Wireframes
To define the app’s structure, I explored multiple variations, tested different features, and iterated on design layouts to find the most intuitive and effective solutions.
Design
Design System
Before moving to the final design, I developed a flexible Design System in Figma to ensure consistency across the product. It pre-defined core elements such as colours, typography, icons, and styles, streamlining the design process and maintaining a cohesive visual language.
From wireframes to polished interfaces
In the high-fidelity phase, I transformed concepts into polished, user-friendly mockups. The design focused on creating an engaging experience, ensuring accessibility for all users, and maintaining consistency across screens through the established design system.
Feature 1
Home • Discover Local Events
The main screen lets users quickly find nearby clean-up events and provides a clear guide for using the app.
Feature 2
Event Management • Track and Organize Your Events
Easily switch between events you’ve created and joined. Access details, message participants, leave events, or create new ones with a few taps.
Feature 3
Event Details • Everything You Need in One Place
Access all key information about an event, including objectives, participants, time, location, and comments, to stay informed and engaged.
Feature 4
Messages • Stay Connected
Access all your conversations in one place to easily communicate with other participants and stay updated.
Feature 5
Donations • Support Your Community
Easily and securely donate to local causes through a streamlined process, helping users contribute to events and community initiatives.
Prototype
If I had more time
• Conduct extended user testing with a broader range of community members to refine navigation and event participation flows.
• Explore gamification or reward mechanisms to further motivate engagement and recurring participation.
• Develop additional accessibility features, such as text-to-speech for event descriptions or colorblind-friendly design options.
Key takeaways
This project reinforced the importance of designing for real-world impact, where digital solutions must motivate meaningful user action. Working solo allowed me to manage the entire process from research to final design, strengthening my skills in UX, UI, and product design. I also learned how to translate empathy for users into practical features that encourage community engagement and create tangible social value.