Take Store

#humanCenteredDesign, #userResearch #fieldResearch, #behaviourChange, #wasteManagement


The Taka Store is a school engagement system that aims to instill lifelong habits around waste management in schools.

Context

Nairobi is struggling with solid waste management. We must uncover barriers towards proper waste management practices and behaviours and design a solution that both incentivizes and encourages better waste management practices.

Schools

Currently, students feel that any waste is the responsibility of the school, and at home, the responsibility falls on their parents.

There is, however, an opportunity to shift this mindset, as young students are hungry for knowledge and excited to learn new methods around waste management practices.

Week One: Field Research

Insight: Students don’t know how to sort, because they learn about macro-level environmental issues, but not how to tackle recycling on a daily basis.

Insight: Students crave recognition and reward on a personal level and enjoy customising their possessions because they are constantly treated as part of a group at school.


Hypothesis: we can achieve a shift in narrative through a feedback loop of education, reward and proper infrastructure.

Week Two: Prototyping

Based on our insights we created the concept of a Taka Store—”taka” means waste in Swahili where the students could come and recycle their waste in exchange for rewards.

We first tested our idea through storyboards to gauge at what level of community students would want to receive rewards.



Insight: Students are willing to behave well for a long time if they know a reward is coming, because they engage with the concept of saving for something special.

Insight: Students wanted a physical manifestation of their effort to show off and keep as a memory when they leave school.


Insight: Students were concerned about the safety of their tokens, so they should be seen as achievement emblems rather than currency.



Our system is built on a feedback loop of education and reward through proper infrastructure and partnerships to continuously reinforce that there is value in waste.

Week Three: Validation

Next Steps

 Collaborations.


Funding.