SIFA
Saving Is For All
Project Overview
In today’s age of consumerism, people frequently purchase new items and often discard usable products without consideration. With a focus on sharing and sustainability, these items could find a better home, reducing waste while supporting those who need them but may struggle to afford them. An easy-to-use platform can challenge traditional notions of donation and encourage individuals to contribute through small, meaningful actions.
Project Type
Social good mobile app - Self-initiated project
My Role
UI/UX Designer
Scope of Work
User research, User testing, UI/UX design, Mockups, Prototyping
The Problem
People who are busy or lazy find it a hassle to donate their individual items due to the inconvenience of traditional donating methods. This results in useful items that could have been given to someone in need being thrown away.
The Goal
Encourage busy or lazy individuals to donate items by streamlining the donation process for ease and convenience.
Facilitate connections between individuals and charities to encourage various forms of donations, catering to different preferences and needs.
PROBLEM DISCOVERY
User Research
User Interviews
Interviews revealed that donation was a slight hassle to most, therefore it doesn't come to mind when getting rid of their items. This highlights the potential of addressing the inconvenience of donating by making charitable giving more convenient, engaging and transparent. Making the process easier can encourage broader participation in donating and drive positive social impact.
Behavioral Analysis
Secondary research was conducted to find out the impact of donation apps and how technology can break the barriers to donation. Studies in behavioral economics suggest that humans are prone to inertia or laziness when it comes to decision-making, including charitable giving. People may procrastinate or avoid donating due to factors such as cognitive effort or default bias, where they stick with the status quo rather than actively making a decision to donate.
Ways the app can impact donation:
1
It can address the laziness of donating by leveraging technology to streamline the donation process and overcome barriers to giving.
2
It provides a convenient platform for users to contribute to charitable causes anytime, anywhere, reducing the cognitive effort and friction associated with traditional donation methods.
3
It is also able to facilitate ongoing communication and feedback between donors and recipients, enabling donors to see the direct impact of their contributions.
Pain Points
Doing a physical donation for a few items can be time-consuming and inconvenient, especially for people with busy schedules.
Many people are unaware of local donation centers or charitable organizations. People may struggle to find opportunities to donate without easy access to information.
Donors may experience a delay in receiving acknowledgment or recognition for their contributions when using traditional donating methods.
It can be seen as hassle to most people who have not tried donating.
IDEATION PROCESS
User Flow
There are two main user flows for donations: users can choose to donate by uploading individual items, which is ideal for singular contributions, or by donating in bulk to major charities, better suited for larger quantities of items.
Digital Wireframes
Explore page
To help users easily browse items by optimizing search using filters
To provide a clear browsing experience for users
Donate pop up
To focus on leading users to take action and start donating now
It includes two main functions of the app: donating singular items through the marketplace or donating through charities
Charity organizations
This serves as a connection to reputable charity organizations for users who are unfamiliar with donating
Providing all the necessary information that is involved in donating helps users have centralized access, which saves time and effort
With all the relevant information for each organization easily accessible, users can make informed decisions and choose those they resonate with the most.
Design Ideation
Researching on the types of colour palettes and typography used in various apps related to social good helped me formed the design style for this app.
I chose the color green as it often symbolizes giving and growth, and selected a readable typeface to ensure accessibility.
Design Kit
USER TESTING
Usability Testing
Method:
Participants:
Time taken:
Location:
Findings
More descriptions related to the item can be shown to give users more context
Information on organization details and donation instructions can be further spaced out and aligned to improve readability
Color can be added to the category section to help users identify them more quickly
The search function can be adjusted to be more intuitive
THE SOLUTION
Mockups & Iterations
Final Designs
Explore page, search function and donation pop-up
Under the explore page, users are able to browse and search for the items they want.
From any of the main pages, users are able to access the donate button to quickly start a donation.
List item for donation
Through the donate single item button, users will need to fill up details of their item such as photos, item category, pick up details and item details to upload their item for donation.
Donating to charity organizations
Through the donate to charities button, users will be directed to the charities page to find out more information of various charities and initiate their donation through a simple form.
Profile and chats page
Final Prototype
Impact
The design I implemented with a minimalist concept makes it easy for people to get into donating. It will help overcome barriers to donation, encouraging people to take their first step in making a contribution. It can also encourage individuals to be giving, even with small contributions.
What I Learned
Through this project, I learned that conducting user research is a significant and essential part of UX design. Before starting with the designs, it was important to understand the motivations, behaviors, and pain points of potential donors. By understanding how people feel about donation and some of the challenges they faced, it helped me to generate ideas to tackle them.
