Contextual Inquiry:Recycling Casino
From IEOR 170 Spring 2007
Contents |
[edit] Group Members and Contributions
1. Chin-Yang Hung – compiled report, wrote 11 tasks, user groups, and problem overview
2. Ryan Jue – wrote 6 tasks section, interviewed one person
3. Johanne sLeholm – interviewed three people, formatted wiki
4. Andrew Prasetyo – interviewed one person, provided sketches
5. Ricky Surachman – wrote 11 tasks
[edit] User groups / Personas
1. Tim, 11 year old junior high student. Education level is moderate, has learned about recycling throughout elementary school’s recycling awareness week. Income is dependent upon weekly allowance from parents. Shows an apathetic view toward recycling, will only recycle if convenient.
2. Vic, 21 year old graduate student. Education level is very high, is very aware of the issues facing the environment and recycling in general. However, places a lot of value on his free time. Shows an ambivalent view toward recycling, will only recycle upon convenience. Provides own income, says that 5 cents for recycling a bottle is not enough of an incentive.
3. Sara 18 year old college student. Education level is high, very knowledgeable about environmental issues and about recycling as well. Has part time job, so pays for most of her personal expenses. She values her free time very highly. Cares about the environment but will not go out of her way to recycle if she cannot locate a nearby recycling bin. Incentive is not the main issue in her recycling decision.
[edit] Problem and Solution Overview
As the world’s population grows exponentially, there will be fewer and fewer available resources per person. Therefore, it becomes imperative that recycling becomes a higher priority. The recycling process consists of three steps: collection and processing, remanufacturing, and purchasing recycled products. This project will focus on the collection part of the recycling process. The goal is to make a game that makes recycling fun and interactive while at the same time encouraging more people to recycle. The solution will be a modified slot machine. However, instead of putting in money as credits, a user will put in his / her used can or bottle in the machine. This machine will probably be too cost prohibitive to put at every corner with a recycling trash can, but can be deployed at high volume areas such as supermarkets and recycling centers. This machine will hopefully increase the number of people who go to recycling centers and thus increase the public’s awareness about recycling. The key part to this game is that the cash reward will be random for each person that plays instead of the current method of five cents for each person. This will increase the excitement factor and make recycling more fun.
[edit] Contextual Inquiries - Interview Descriptions
[edit] Interview #1
This interview focused on the activities of Tim, an 11 year old student that attends junior high in the bay area. Tim is a friend of my younger brother, so I thought it would be interesting to “hang out” with Tim and his friends (Chris, 11 and L-Jay, 12) to understand how they dispose of the various packages they buy.
The aim of my contextual interview today is to understand what Tim and his friends do with recyclable containers: do they recycle or dispose or litter? Also I will ask some indirect and explicit questions regarding different rewards to recycling and their feelings about them. Knowing Tim and his friends, I would guess that recycling is not a big priority in their lives. This is the type of apathetic audience we want to target.
To accomplish my goals, I will simply take Tim and some of his friends to a movie and a take out restaurant. I won’t do the interview in school because it is not allowed. To gather accurate results, I will not tell them I am studying their waste disposal habits; I will just tell them I am being nice. I will note my observations in a binder that I will describe as homework for my grueling university courses. Below are the field notes and transcripts of my observations and interviews from March 2, 2007.
- Saturday at 11:30am
Tim, Chris, L-Jay, and I gather together at Tim’s house. I say that I am thirsty and ask for a soda. We all go to the kitchen and grab a soda can beverage. After finishing, 2 boys throw the can in the trash and 1 leaves it out on the table.
- Saturday 12:30
Tim, Chris, L-Jay and I travel to a movie theater. I have some bottles of water in the car and offer them to everyone. Tim and Chris take one and put it in their pockets. During the movie they drink the water and leave the plastic bottles in the movie theater. L-Jay buys raisonettes.
- Saturday at 3:30
Tim, Chris, L-Jay, and I go to a Mexican restaurant to eat. Hoping to get some more data about their disposal habits, I buy them some plastic bottled soda at a convenience store beforehand. We go to the Mexican restaurant and eat in a local with a recycling bin in site (I have done my research). After eating, all 3 boys empty their trash and plastic bottles in the disposable bin and ignore the recycling bin.
After we eat I casually ask them about recycling. That transcript is below:
Me: so you guys usually buy lunch at school
Chris: Yeah, just easier that way. Or we sneak out and buy something.
Me: Is it pretty good?
L-Jay: nah, but it works.
Me: Are they still selling soft drinks, I heard those were banned?
L-Jay: Not yet in our school. We still have vending machines.
Me: You guys cash in on the recycling award on those cans.
Chris: What, 5 cents? I wouldn’t know how to get that.
L-Jay: Yeah and its not like its enough for me to save an empty bottle or bottles and drive somewhere to deliver it.
Me: So you just throw them away?
Tim: Well are school has recycling bins – I’ll toss something in one if I’m passing buy one.
L-Jay: Yeah I do my part every now and then… but sometimes you finish and there is only a trash can around and you gotta go to class.
Me: Back where we ate, none of you recycled your bottles. Chris: yeah? Hmm—
L-Jay: I think that is because we had some wrappers to throw away, so it was just easier to toss everything in.
Me: You guys ever played a slot machine?
Chris: That’d be fun, can you sneak us into a casino.
L-Jay: Yeah my brother let me play one time in Vegas.
Me: what if their were little slot machines on the recycling machines, and every time you inserted a bottle, you got a turn.
Tim: Man that would be so cool… I’d turn into an environmentalist.
Me: would you all seek a machine out on campus before you threw it away?
All: yeah
L-Jay: I mean, that would be cool. I wouldn’t do it all the time if I was busy, but definitely I would try otherwise – is this what they have at Berkeley.
Me: No but it’s a pretty good idea.
Tasks:
- 1. Find out which recycling bin (glass, plastic, or paper) accepts you particular item
- 2. Figuring out whether or not a trash can is recyclable too
- 3. Sorting the type of trash in hand.
[edit] Interview #2
Interviewee: Male, 21 Questions:
- 1. Do you recycle?
- a. Sometimes, but not all the time do to the extra effort it takes to sort through the recyclables and distribute them to the right bins
- 2. Why not?
- a. Mostly just lazy. Throwing everything into one bag and tossing it into the trash is easier.
- 3. What incentives would get your to recycle?
- a. Well right now there aren’t many incentives to recycle, but if worthwhile monetary compensation was involved I’d make more of an effort to recycle.
- 4. Are trash cans and recycle bins interchangeable to you?
- a. Yes.
- 5. Do you believe recycling is worthwhile?
- a. I believe it’s worthwhile for the environment. But I feel that in terms of effort at this point, it isn’t worthwhile for me to take that extra effort.
- 6. Would more recycling bin get you to recycle more?
- a. I think so. I mainly throw recyclables in which bin I see first and takes the least effort.
- 7. Would you be interested in winning prizes for recycling?
- a. Hmm, maybe. It depends on the prizes to win and the effort it would take to win them.
Tasks:
Throw Away Can in Apartment:
- 1. Finishes can
- 2. Places can on coffee table since the show he’s watching isn’t at a break point
- 3. When show is over, takes can and places it in the trash can that is nearest to him
Throw Away Can in Class: 1. Finishes can 2. Places can on floor until class is over 3. Picks up can and places it in the trash nearest to the door Throw Away Can Outside: 1. Finishes can 2. Scans for nearest recycling/trash can 3. Places can in the trash since it was closer than the recycling bin
[edit] Interview #3
Interviewee is an 18 yr old female. She always buys a box of Dasani water, and she rarely recycles the bottles. She said that sometimes she couldn't find the recycling tray outside her dorm, so usually she just threw the bottles into the big garbage bin. She also tells me that she often puts the bottles back to the carton after she finish it, then she will throw the bottles later when the carton is full. However, she says that it's just too time consuming and she's too lazy to throw the bottles. As a result, the bottles sometime will just sit in her room for a while.
Identified tasks:
- Couldn't find the recycle bins / tray
- Users sometime can't identify the materials (difficult to separate)
- Too lazy / no incentives to do recycling
- Users may throw the materials at the wrong bin or throw non-recyclable material to a recycle bin
[edit] Six Tasks Discussion
[edit] Hard Tasks
(1) Task Description: User wants to understand the payoff schedule for a slot machine.
General Task Method: 1. User glances at the slot machine to understand the possible combinations. 2. User locates the payoff schedule on the slot machine. 3. User determines utility of payoff combinations. 4. User determines the utility of playing the slot machine based on the entire payoff schedule.
Factors and Consideration: - Complexity of the slot machine - Lighting conditions - Payoff amounts - Payoff variance - Optimism or pessimism
Environment: Task may be performed both indoors and outdoors. This task requires the use of a slot machine with a visible payoff schedule.
(2) Task Description:
User wants to decide which trash or recycling bin to discard their waste.
General Task Method: 1. User locates the nearby trash and recycling bins. 2. User determines the “right” bins to use. 3. User considers factors by quickly weighing the benefits and consequences. 4. User makes decision on which bin to discard waste in.
Factors and Consideration: - Quantity of trash and recycling bins available - Proximity of trash and recycling bins to the user - Relative distance between a “right” bin and a “wrong” one - Incentive or motivation to use the “right” bin - Weather conditions (if outdoors) - Ability to differentiate between trash and recycling bins
Environment: Task may be performed anywhere both indoors and outdoors. However, the environment may make the task more or less difficult. This task indoors may be less difficult if only one bin is available to discard the waste in. Meanwhile, the task outdoors will be more difficult with multiple bins to decide from. Waste bins must be present for task to be performed.
[edit] Moderately Difficult Tasks
(3) Task Description: User wants to locate nearby trash and recycling bins.
General Task Method: 1. User scans environment for potential trash and recycling bins. 2. User determines whether each bin is for recycling or generic trash. 3. User determines distance limits for “nearby” bins. 4. User creates subset of bins for potential bins to discard the waste.
Factors and Consideration: - Size of the environment (indoors/outdoors) - Personal distance limits for bins - Ability to differentiate between trash and recycling bins
Environment: Task may be performed anywhere both indoors and outdoors. An indoors environment would be smaller and would decrease the difficulty. On the other hand, an outdoors environment would be larger and therefore would increase the difficulty. Waste bins must be present for task to be performed.
(4) Task Description:
User wants to view the screen of a laptop in sunlight.
General Task Method: 1. User looks at the laptop screen. 2. User determines if the glare present is acceptable. 3. If user decides that the glare is unacceptable, user will change viewing position and returns to step 1. 4. If user decides that the glare is acceptable, user will continue viewing the screen.
Factors and Consideration: - Intensity of sunlight - Angle of sunlight - Brightness of laptop screen
Environment: Task must be performed outdoors with direct sunlight available. This task also requires a computer screen through the use of a laptop.
[edit] Easy Tasks
(5) Task Description: User wants to scoop the jackpot from a slot machine.
Task Method: 1. User realizes that his slot combination received a jackpot prize. 2. User locates where the jackpot has been paid out. 3. User reaches with their hand to collect the jackpot.
Factors and Consideration: - Ease of locating the jackpot area - Size of jackpot payoff opening (smaller may be hard to scoop) - Sound (can assist in locating jackpot area)
Environment: Task may be performed both indoors and outdoors. This task requires the use of a slot machine with frequent jackpots to collect.
(6) Task Description:
User wants to place a waste product in a waste bin.
Task Method: 1. User locates opening(s) to insert waste item. 2. If multiple openings, user determines the “right” opening to discard waste item. 3. User inserts waste item into the bin.
Factors and Consideration: - Complexity of the bin (multiple item recycling waste bins) - Differentiation of openings for multiple item recycling bins - Size of opening
Environment: Task may be performed anywhere both indoors and outdoors. A waste bin must be present for the task to be performed.
[edit] Task Analysis Questions
1. Who is going to use system? College students (18-22 years old) who don’t like to do recycling for their trash. Background: they have the ability to do recycling but are too lazy and think that recycling is a boring activity. Values: They don’t like recycling because they think that recycling takes too much effort to separate the garbage. They think that recycling wastes too much of their time. They also prefer more interesting activity like playing games. Personal characteristics: College students, living around campus, 18-22 years old, varying height, some users have disabilities.
2. Task they now perform (old task): People throw the garbage without separate the trash first or they have to separate the trash manually. Trashcan is only to put away trash. There is no way to get refund for plastic bottle, can and glass from the trashcan.
3. Task that are desired: The trashcan can separate the trash automatically. It can give refund for plastic bottle, can, and glass trash. It can give motivation for people to do recycling.
4. How the task are learned. The customer needs to learn how the new trashcan (“jackpot recycler”) works. The customer can learn how to operate the machine from instruction on the machine itself. They also can learn from previous experience of throwing trash and using a slot machine. There is no need to do any training beforehand. The machine must be simple and it needs to be similar with old trashcan and ordinary slot machine so that people can use it easily.
5. Where the task is performed: Around the campus area, preferably an area where there are a lot of people passing by. Effects on environment: sound can be disturbing, so don’t put the machine in a classroom or near area where people needs to be quiet (alternative: make the slot machine soundless). So we prefer to put it outside or inside a cafeteria where people don’t mind with the noise from the machine. Effect on other people: there might be a queue for people who want to throw their trash because using this machine took more time than the old trashcan.
6. Relationship between user & data: Personal data – users can use any jackpot recycling machine, material that they recycle is identified by the machine Common data – payout rules (i.e. 777 offers the best payout but has the lowest chance to get, most users will not get an immediate payout, although the expected value of playing this game is positive over long periods) There is no need for sensitive data or for remote access of the data
7. Other tools: Only other tools right now are community recycling centers, sparse recycling bins located throughout the city, and their personal recycling bins located in their homes. Other “tools” to promote recycling in the future might include “smart” trash cans that separate one’s trash and automatically transports trash to the trash incinerator and recyclable materials to the recycling center.
8. Communication between customers: Because the jackpot recycler is a one person game, inter-customer communication is not as relevant in this context. However, increased usage of the jackpot recycler might have a “viral marketing” effect and promote awareness of recycling and increase recycling rates.
9. Frequency of task performance: The decision to throw away the trash is performed each time. However, the decision to sort out the trash requires a more environmentally aware student. Based on informal interviews, we estimate that only half of current college students recycle. Out of the students that do recycle, there are active recyclers (recycle more than 80% of the time) and passive recyclers (recycle only occasionally, less than 80% of the time). Although our users do not play slots regularly, we assume that they are experienced enough in playing this simple game from past experience.
10. Time constraints: Most college students want convenience in recycling; they do not want to spend more than 5 minutes recycling their cans and bottles (based on interviews). However, when asked about playing games, most would be willing to spend anywhere from 20-45 minutes. Therefore, because we bring a new “game” element to recycling, we assume that students would be willing to relax their current tight constraints on recycling activities.
11. When things go wrong: The jackpot recycler is a relatively simple game to play. However, a student might have confusion about how much payout they might expect over the long run since the amounts are random. Therefore, we will provide the payout ratios of each of the different slot combinations so that they can make an optimal decision on their time. In an event that the slot machines runs out of coins to dispense, we will have to have a backup system that prints out a receipt for the user so that they can redeem the receipt at a future date at a local recycling center.
[edit] Sketches and User Interface Design
