O1
Project Context
Where theming Lived
OVERVIEW
Most people already own e-waste. Almost no one deals with it.
I picked e-waste because the problem is everywhere and the design space is wide open. There is infrastructure to recycle electronics in India. The gap is that people don't use it. Over eight weeks I went from the scale of the problem to a recycler's doorstep, then designed an app that turns a good intention into a booked pickup.
THE GOALS
Find the real barrier.
Why do working recyclers sit idle while phones pile up in drawers?
Design the easy path.
Make responsible disposal faster than the informal option.
Build a brand students trust.
Give a heavy topic a friendly face for a student audience.
O2
The Solution
What did I build?
My Intent Was To Make App Theming Effortless
Rezy: one app to decide what to do with your old tech.
Rezy turns a vague "I should deal with this someday" into a decision you finish in two minutes. It gives every dead or unused device four things to do, and rewards you for picking one.
Every action earns points and adds to a running impact tally, so the first recycle makes the second one easier.
O3
Key Design Decisions
What did I build?
My Intent Was To Make App Theming Effortless
Campaigns inform. Rezy had to make the action happen.
Plenty of e-waste campaigns already tell people to recycle. They inform, then leave you to figure out the rest. Rezy's job is the part they skip: the action. Four findings from research set the rules for how it works.
Insight 01
People find disposal inconvenient, so intent dies before action.
Decision
Disposal has to take only two minutes,
Why
You book a pickup from home in a few taps and choose a slot. Rezy comes to you, the same way the scrap dealer already does.
Insight 01
People don't know where to recycle, or whether it's safe.
Decision
Only show verified centres, with data security and distance up front.
Why
That answers the two quiet fears behind the drawer: where does my device actually go, and what happens to my data.
Insight 01
Users sit on a spectrum, from fix-it-myself to won't-touch-it.
Decision
One app, three doors: DIY guides, guided help, and find-a-pro.
Why
Prateek repairs his own phone, Ishani wants a guided hand, and Ishana just wants a reliable shop. All three get a path that fits.
Insight 01
Awareness campaigns spike, then fade.
Decision
Build in rewards and a visible impact count.
Why
Points and a running tally give a reason to open the app again next week, so recycling once leads to recycling again.
Comparable events got treated differently
O4
Impact
Research
IMPACT
I started with headlines and ended at a recycler's doorstep.
I visited Ecolibrium, a recycler in Ahmedabad that can process 600 tonnes a year and receives about 10, because scrap dealers pay more and reach people first. In my survey, 73% of people said they hold on to old gadgets in case they need them later, and don't know where to take them.
Ecolibrium, Ahmedabad. Free collection, a funding squeeze, and prices that scrap dealers beat every time.
Global precedents. Ghana's cradle-to-grave programme, Singapore's reward bins, Fairphone's repairable hardware.
The city's collection setup. Bins and vans exist. What happens after collection is where the trail goes cold.
O4
Impact
From Insights to
Screens
IMPACT
Flows first, then screens.
I mapped the four modes into user flows and a profile system with rewards, sketched the whole app on paper, and pressure-tested it against three personas before moving to high fidelity.
Ecolibrium, Ahmedabad. Free collection, a funding squeeze, and prices that scrap dealers beat every time.
Global precedents. Ghana's cradle-to-grave programme, Singapore's reward bins, Fairphone's repairable hardware.
The city's collection setup. Bins and vans exist. What happens after collection is where the trail goes cold.