Contextual Inquiry:Cal Recycles

From IEOR 170 Spring 2007

Contextual Inquiry and Task Analysis

Team: Cal Recycles

March 7, 2007

Team Members:

Marshall Anderson

Bryan Boling

Richard Chen

Esha Datta

Justin Hsu

Member Contributions:

Marshall conducted a contextual inquiry at his interviewee's gym. He wrote the “Target Users” and “Problem and Solution Overview” sections as well as lead and took notes during the main group meeting where the common themes, tasks, and solution were identified.

Bryan wrote about the user interface and functionality of the proposed solution, compiled the assignment, and put it on the class wiki.

Richard wrote the Analysis of Approach, explaining the pros and cons of our approach and how it compares to alternative techniques.

Esha conducted a contextual inquiry and wrote about a user, as well as the six tasks section and eleven task analysis questions.

Justin was responsible for the contextual inquiry session at Ramona’s Café, interview with Steve, user interface description/sketches, the three scenarios of example tasks with sketches, and all our additional sketches.

Target Users

Our target user is anyone who is gathering in highly populated communal areas to eat such as students at Sproul Plaza during the day. We chose this user group because in these areas many of the people will usually consume beverages, snacks, or even a full meal. Because of this, there is a large amount of trash and recyclables that need to be discarded.

Our first customer that we interviewed has her B.A. in marketing and works full time in an office building that also features a gym in the basement that is usually packed full of people. She likes to keep herself hydrated with water while working out at the gym but dislikes recycle bins that are difficult to figure out because of lots of text and not enough pictures. She is usually in a hurry to get home when leaving the gym, so her time constraints are rigid.

The second user that we interviewed is a twenty-four year old female engineering graduate student. Often she eats lunch on campus and buys food from local restaurants. She likes to recycle when it is very convenient and the resources are available to her. However, time is often an issue for her as she is usually in a hurry to get to class and so she dislikes having to locate a recycle bin or walk to one that is out of her way.

Our third customer interview comes from a forth year undergraduate Rhetoric student. Because he has a university meal plan, he frequently visits campus restaurants like the Golden Bear Café and Ramona’s Café. He purchases his meals, drinks, and snacks in recyclable packaging several times a day. Because he has an appreciation for the outdoors, he really feels good about recycling and wishes that there was more social pressure or some other incentive to entice more people to recycle.

Problem and Solution Overview

The problem we are facing is making recycling a more common practice among the general populace. Our solution tackles the problem by addressing many of the common complaints that are heard about existing recycling bins. For example, our recycle bins will be highly visible and cheaply made so that users can locate them easily and recycle quickly. In addition, the bin will emphasis visual affordances to help the user understand what can be recycled and where each type of recyclable is supposed to be dropped. Lastly, the bin itself will offer a motivating incentive to the users to either educate them or make them feel good about themselves for recycling.

Contextual Inquiry – Interview Descriptions

The interviewers followed both the Master/Apprentice model and the Partnership model for communication. Our main approach was to observe the users actions, and then ask questions to fill in the gaps and understand their actions and thoughts. Since the actions of the task were easy to understand, it was difficult to stay away from generalizations. We found that posing hypothetical scenarios tended to reveal a surprising amount of detail from our interviewees. For example, one user said that when she’s in a rush she is not likely to read the directions for sorting on the recycling bins, and instead she usually just treats them as trash cans without checking the labels. This helped us understand the importance of pictures and other visible affordances to help rushed users sort their recyclables from their trash. One interviewer showed their interviewee three different existing recycle bins, and asked what bin they were most likely to use, which really helped us understand what people like and dislike when it comes to recycling.

The interview with the woman who has her B.A. in marketing and works full time occurred in her gym, which is located in her office building. The gym supplies bottles of water and other snacks but only has trash cans. This made the interview hard to do in full context since there was no opportunity to recycle, but it also shed insight into the lack of motivation and social pressure to recycle. The second interview with the twenty-four year old female engineering graduate student took place while she was eating her lunch of a subway sandwich outside on Sproul Plaza. She noted that there were many more trash cans than recycling bins readily available, and that while the trash cans were all centrally located, the recycling bins seemed to be placed on the outskirts. The last interview took place at Ramona’s Café on campus. This was a great spot because it allowed the interviewer to observe many people in addition to carrying out a contextual inquiry.

There were many common themes that we noticed as we came back together to discuss what we had observed. The most common theme was that users do not want to take a lot of time out of their schedule to recycle. We noticed that the users generally disliked the fact that recycle bins were either totally missing, not placed well, or not enough in number, namely because they do not want to spend any time locating a bin. Another common trend was that users do not want to have to think about where each type of recyclable goes. It was pointed out that some recycle bins have poor labels with lots of text while others have big pictures and even shaped holes that really help the users. Additionally, all of the users interviewed did not feel any pressure to recycle, but they all felt good about doing it when they could. Finally, we also noticed that users in populated communal areas only have a need to recycle cans, bottles, and plastics but not paper, since mixed paper is not as common in communal eating areas.

Task Analysis Questions

1. Who is going to use the system?

Our system will be used by anyone who wishes to recycle, especially in high traffic areas where people are accustomed to gathering.

2. What tasks do they now perform?

Currently, users decide whether to recycle or not, identify their recyclable items, find a recycling bin, and figure out how to use the bin and where to place the recyclable items.

3. What tasks are desired?

Ideally, users would be able to find recycling bins easier and faster. They would not be required to identify recyclables before disposing of their waste or else users would be able to understand what can and cannot be recycled without having to think hard or read instructions. In addition, users would also be able to understand how to sort recyclables and where they should be placed without having to think hard or read instructions. Users also wish to be able to throw away their waste without having to touch any part of the receptacle which may be viewed as dirty.

4. How are the tasks learned?

Currently, users learn about how to use recycling bins by watching other users, reading labels that are printed on the bins, and noticing visual affordances and pictures. In addition, users learn about the general concept of education through channels such as educational advertisements and word of mouth.

5. Where are the tasks performed?

These tasks are typically performed in high traffic areas or places where people dine, such as cafeterias, dinning commons, convenience stores, parks, and road-side pickup.

6. What is the relationship between the users and the data?

Users must be able to access common data such as recycling guidelines and instructions for the device. This data is public knowledge and should be able to be accessed concurrently by multiple users.

7. What other tools does the customer have?

The other options that the customer has for disposing of their trash are trash cans, existing recycle bins, and curbside pick-up. In addition, the customer may also choose to litter on the ground or leave trash in lecture halls.

8. How do the customers communicate with each other?

Customers communicate with each other through observation and other non-verbal means. They may also communicate through conversation. A group of individuals may feel a sense of peer pressure regarding recycling. In addition, customers are communicated the need to recycle through educational advertisements.

9. How often are the tasks performed?

The frequency of how often tasks are performed largely depends on the user and their day-to-day activities. In general, people recycle and/or discard a recyclable around zero to eight times daily.

10. What are the time constraints on the tasks?

All of the tasks must be as quick as possible so that they will not be an inconvenience to the user. From our contextual inquiry interviews, we have found that time and efficiency are important issues for our users and few are willing to spend substantial time to learn how to use a recycling system.

11. What happens when things go wrong?

When the system fails or is used incorrectly, recyclables may be sorted incorrectly, become mixed with the regular trash, or else end up as litter.

Analysis of Tasks

Six Tasks That Users Will Perform With Our Application:

Difficult

Identifying recyclables

Users need to sort their trash to identify which items can be recycled and which can not. Users may not be aware of the rules that govern which items are recyclables. In some cases, this can be found through identifying the recycle symbol on a waste item, but at other times it may be less clear. For example, some people may be unclear as to whether a can may be recyclable if it still has some soda in it or if a sheet of papers is recyclable if there are staples included.

Deciding to recycle

Currently, users must make a conscious decision to recycle. From the contextual inquiry interviews we found that currently many people do not recycle because they find it to be a time consuming hassle. When these users measure out the benefits and the costs of recycling their trash, they usually decide against it because they see no incentive or immediate gain.

Moderate

Finding a recycle bin

The users must first find the recycling bin in order to use it. They should be able to locate and identify the bin without too much hassle. Currently, this can be quite difficult as recycling bins are often not very prevalent in high traffic areas and also recycling bins may be difficult to distinguish from other waste receptacles.

Figuring out how to use the bin and where each recyclables goes

The user must be able to understand how the recycling bin is intended to be used and where to place each recyclable. Many of the current recycling receptacles have separate slots for different types of trash such as cans or mixed paper. However, these slots are often incorrectly used because instructions are unobvious when people are in a rush and do not take the time to read labels carefully.

Easy

Putting the recyclable into the bin

The user must be able to insert the recyclable into the bin. This may seem like a very trivial task, but it is actually an important one. Many of the current recycling bins go unused or are used incorrectly because it is difficult to dispose of the recyclable. Among other reasons, this may be because the hole for the waste is too small or significantly below eye level.

Obtaining more detailed information about recycling guidelines

Users must be able to clearly find important information or access more detailed accounts of device instructions and guidelines for recycling. When using current recycling bins, users rarely read any accompanying labels because they find it too time consuming, Thus it is important to present any necessary information in a simple, clear, and noticeable way.

Proposed Design

As noted throughout the discussion of our interviews, there is an overwhelming lack of recycling in highly populated communal areas, such as Sproul Plaza on campus, major sporting events, and large work environments. The trend that seems to be most prevalent in preventing recycling among the general populace is that there are few motivating factors that would lead an individual to recycle. In order to address these problems we have conducted our contextual interviews to uncover the most prevalent problems, which include a lack of recycle bins, confusing text that takes time to figure out, sometimes recycle bins are hard to find, and most of all there is no incentive for recycling limited quantities of recyclables (ie. One can/bottle at a time).

Figure 1 shown below addresses these issues in a multitude of ways, which will be discussed here. First and foremost for potential recyclers is the ability to find a recycling bin. To aid our users in finding the recycle bins many visual affordances have been made. Most notably is the color of the bins themselves. By making the bins a few very bright and distinct colors, they are more easily spotted in areas littered with a number of different trash receptacles. This would also insure that the user could distinguish the recycling bins from a trash bin, where recyclables are often thrown. Additionally, there is a large picture of the universal recycle symbol placed on the front of the bin to further assure the user that these bins are indeed for recyclables and recyclables only. Finally, in the case that there are no recycling bins readily visible within a large crowd, such as in Sproul Plaza during lunch or at large sporting events, the recycling bins will be located at the base of a streetlight for better visibility above the level of a crowd. Although imparting the knowledge that recycling bins are located below streetlights would take time, it would probably be learned fairly quickly simply through daily observation, since they would be in highly populated areas that individuals visit frequently.

Next, to address the issue of what can be recycled and where each recyclable should be placed; we have included easy to understand visual aids for our potential users. As can be seen in Figure 1, the most noticeable feature of our recycling bins are the easy to understand pictures of recyclables above the holes that correspond to each recyclables place in the bin. This allows the user to understand at a glance where to put their bottle or can, and doesn’t require any reading or intense thinking on the part of the user. In addition, the holes where the recyclables are placed are each made a specific shape that is preattentively different from every other hole. This ultimately teaches the user where recyclables should be placed without looking at the pictures, which would eventually make recycling more of a reflex than a conscious action. Also, for the users who are environmentally conscious and want a more complete description of what can be recycled, there is a poster on the side of the bin with additional information about recycling and its benefits.

Figure 1. Proposed Recycle Bin Design

One of the most important aspects of our design is the physical incentive or prize for recycling. As can be seen in the above figure, there is simply a dispenser where the prize will be located after the individual recycles. The hope is that if there is some real incentive, such as a mint, coupon, condom, or other prize, our potential user will be much more likely to use the recycling bin for small scale or single item recycling. The way in which this incentive will be carried out is described in further detail in the following scenario descriptions.

Finally, due to a high level of responses from people interviewed regarding how sanitary the bins are, there are a few design aspects that address these issues. First is the location of the holes where the recyclables will be placed. By placing them on top of the bin the user can simply drop the can/bottle into the hole without having to physically touch the recycling bin. Additionally, there is a sink located on one side of the bin for rinsing bottles and cans out, to prevent the recycling bin from getting filthy or sticky after heavy use. With these additions, we are confident that even the germ sensitive individuals will feel safe using our device, which will ultimately lead to increased use of recycling bins in heavily populated areas.

Potential Uses

The following descriptions will cover three examples of how our recycling bin addresses some of the tasks described in the preceding sections of this paper.

Collecting the Prize

Figure 2

Figure 2 (above) shows how the defining aspect of our design, receiving an incentive or prize, is completed by the user. Keeping with the idea that our users don’t want to be confused by the process or spend much time completing their recycling, this process is very simple and quick. As can be seen, the user simply tosses the recyclable into the bin at which time the incentive is dropped into the prize dispenser, and the user takes the incentive both happy with his prize and the fact that he/she is helping the environment.

Locating the Bin

Figure 3

In the figure above the process of locating a recycling bin is presented in three simple steps. First, after the user has finished their lunch or snack they quickly scan the area for the nearest receptacle to recycle in. As described in the preceding section, there are a number of visual affordances which allow the user to quickly and easily spot the recycling bin, which include it being located under a light, having bright colors, and a large recycling symbol on the front of the bin. With the recycling bin located, the user has to simply walk to the closest bin, which shouldn’t be too displaced from the communal eating area, and place the recyclable in the appropriate hole.

How to Use the Bin

Figure 4

As discussed previously, one of the most prominent problems preventing the general populace from recycling is the necessity to figure out how to use the bin once it’s located. As seen above with our bin, once the user approaches the bin its use is immediately obvious because of the clear pictures above each of the holes, as well as the shape of the holes themselves. Although there is a small amount of text near the holes, it’s not necessary for the recycle bin’s use, and can be ignored without allowing the user to place recyclables in the wrong hole. The user would probably just glance at the pictures as they approached and place the recyclable in the appropriate bin without having to read or think about their actions. For those users who are interested in additional information of what can be recycled, there will be a more complete guide posted on the side of the bin for their benefit.

Analysis of Our Approach

Team Cal Recycles had a strong start by first brainstorming all the ideas shown in our appendix section of the previous assignment. After discussing each idea, two rounds of voting narrowed down the list to just one idea: easier recycling. We may have been better off choosing another topic had we been given more time, but we realized that even though there is no lack of recycle bins in most places, many people do not use them because they consider it an inconvenience. So our idea is aimed at encouraging people to recycle more often by offering an incentive. Overall, we feel that we did a good job at coming up with our proposal topic, since we had a large pile of ideas to work with and eventually zeroed in on the most suitable one.

Regarding our contextual inquiry, our strong points included brainstorming a wide array of potential users and various contexts under which the users’ act. We tried to view our product being used from all sorts of angles and perspectives, as to get the maximum amount of insight into creating our product. We interviewed and spoke to a diverse group of people, ranging from random customers, faculty, staff, undergraduates, and graduates—all of whom had a wide variety of backgrounds and perspectives on recycling. Furthermore, we thought about the relationships between the users and the data, such as time constricted and selfish users, rule followers and environmentalists, as well as so-called “germ freaks.”

Additionally, we also considered a variety of different scenarios and techniques. High traffic areas where recycling could take place vary greatly from sporting events and Cafés to college campuses. The incentive offered for recycling should depend heavily on each particular location. For example, a prize that is given out in the parking lot of a football game may not be appropriate for one that is given out in a college classroom. The solution also must be able to accommodate a higher volume of recycling material depending on the traffic of that particular location. The solution itself should be extremely quick as well, or the time spent obtaining the incentive may outweigh the incentive itself, defeating its entire purpose. People of all demographics will be using the proposed solution to recycle so the product interface should be extremely simple to accommodate people like small children and the illiterate. There are very few existing solutions: offering monetary compensation for bottles and cans at recycling centers and increasing the presence of recycling bins.