Brainstorm design concepts
Based on the design requirements, we sketched out our ideas using Crazy 8’s ideation methods. Each one of us wrote down 8 ideas within 8 minutes, and then put them together, elaborated our own ideas and built up better ones upon each others’. Finally, we came up with 2 selected ideas and made storyboards for them to help us understand better.
Crazy 8’s
Here’s 8 sketched-out ideas we found most effective and interesting. Ideation is really to be diverging and creative, which I enjoyed a lot. Though sketched ideas might not be the perfect ones, it’s a good approach to learn possible solution that covered details or aspects you didn’t think about. They could be added or combined with others to get the a better version of idea.

PhoneHub

A smart nightstand that also acts as a one-stop shop that provides re-use services.

Memory bot

A personalized character that guides users to walk through their phone memory.

Recycle map

A toolkit bag that guides users to disassemble their phone and build it to an exhibit.

NFT for retiring phones

Creating unique, “non-fungible” digital copies of users past devices as NFTs.

Multi-player recycle game

A multi-player game that utilize gamification mechanisms to lead people to recycle.

Trade-in after transfer

Present trade-in price based on traceable phone information after the data transfer.

Way to new home

A gamified animation of data transmission that shows data moving from one to the other.

Photo slideshow

A slideshow of photos during data transfer that provides user with a sense of “farewell”.

PhoneHub

PhoneHub is a smart nightstand that also acts as a device to facilitate recycling-optimized data transfer process for smartphones. It allows users to selectively transfer their data. PhoneHub also assists users in relieving emotional attachment to their old phones by storing key user memories locally in PhoneHub, which can be played back in the future. Lastly, PhoneHub helps users carry out re-use practices by recommending suitable strategies for their retiring phones.



Smartphone Off-Boarding

Smartphone off-boarding is a series of system built-in features that aim to support old device re-use experience. It helped users reflect on their memory during the data transfer process. It routes people to different re-use options after transfer. Also, it provides users a place to check out old device status and to see their personal impact. The off-boarding is incorporated within the smartphone system to reduce privacy concerns and make it trustworthy.

Storyboards of 2 selected ideas

The final selected ideas came from the combination of small ideas. The "Smartphone Off-Boarding" is the combination of "Memory Bot" and "Photo Slideshow". The "PhoneHub" comes from "PhoneHub" itself and "Trade-in after transfer". Every idea has its value. We believe good ideas are not perfect when it first came out.

PhoneHub

A smart nightstand that also acts as a one-stop shop that provides re-use services.

Memory bot

A personalized character that guides users to walk through their phone memory.

Recycle map

A toolkit bag that guides users to disassemble their phone and build it to an exhibit.

NFT for retiring phones

Creating unique, “non-fungible” digital copies of users past devices as NFTs.

Multi-player recycle game

A multi-player game that utilize gamification mechanisms to lead people to recycle.

Trade-in after transfer

Present trade-in price based on traceable phone information after the data transfer.

Way to new home

A gamified animation of data transmission that shows data moving from one to the other.

Photo slideshow

A slideshow of photos during data transfer that provides user with a sense of “farewell”.

Functional Design Requirements
Reflection on data
Users express their emotional attachment to their old phones and describe how they feel about this connection. The solution should help user reflect the data of the old phone and emotionally detach the old phone.
Provide re-use options
Users think the current trade-in price doesn’t match the value of their old phones. While most of them are open to learning other re-use ways such as donating or recycling. The solution should route users to different re-use options other than trade-in.
Device management
Users express the interest in collecting old phone models. They feel accomplished to show their collections to people. The solution should offer a space contained previous devices (either physical or digital) for users to review.
Non-functional Design Requirements
Encouragement
The research findings revealed factors that keep users from re-using their old phones, such as emotional attachment and unfamiliarity of re-use options . The solution should tackle these issues while forming a sense of encouragement to participate in re-use and circular economy.
Trustworthiness
Users are concerned about their data privacy and data completeness in data transmission. To alleviate these concerns which may hinder off-boarding and re-use, the solution should inform the data transfer process in a nonintrusive way.
Efficiency
The research shows that users are unaware and “lazy” to search re-use approaches. Also, they prefer a smooth and fast transition from the old phone to the new phone. The solution should be easy to understand and efficient to use.
Functional Design Requirements
Reflection on data
Users express their emotional attachment to their old phones and describe how they feel about this connection. The solution should help user reflect the data of the old phone and emotionally detach the old phone.
Provide re-use options
Users think the current trade-in price doesn’t match the value of their old phones. While most of them are open to learning other re-use ways such as donating or recycling. The solution should route users to different re-use options other than trade-in.
Device management
Users express the interest in collecting old phone models. They feel accomplished to show their collections to people. The solution should offer a space contained previous devices (either physical or digital) for users to review.
Non-functional Design Requirements
Encouragement
The research findings revealed factors that keep users from re-using their old phones, such as emotional attachment and unfamiliarity of re-use options . The solution should tackle these issues while forming a sense of encouragement to participate in re-use and circular economy.
Trustworthiness
Users are concerned about their data privacy and data completeness in data transmission. To alleviate these concerns which may hinder off-boarding and re-use, the solution should inform the data transfer process in a nonintrusive way.
Efficiency
The research shows that users are unaware and “lazy” to search re-use approaches. Also, they prefer a smooth and fast transition from the old phone to the new phone. The solution should be easy to understand and efficient to use.

1

4
2
5
3
6

1

4
2
5
3
6
Seek opportunities
from chaos.
Old phone
Old phone
New phone
Data Transfer
Onboarding
Old phone life journey
This gap is too long
Data Wiping Out
Sell
Throw
away
Stockpile
Give
away
Donate

Compared to onboarding, the old phone life journey is complicated and scattered which causes low motivation and leads to stockpiling.

How did we establish design requirements?
We used a human centered research approach by first conducting preliminary research to narrow down the problem space and target user group, then interviews with users from different area around the world to understand problem context and issues. Finally, we gathered and analyzed qualitative data to understand potential user needs.

33

Survey responses

5

Unstructured user interviews for pilot research

5

Unstructured user interviews for pilot research

1

Industry expert consultation

14

Semi-structured interviews with users around the world

107

Sticky notes for Affinity Mapping

29

Insights out of 5 categories for qualitative coding

Key findings from analyzing interview notes

We synced qualitative data gathered from interviews and grouped them based on their affinities to find out patterns. Specifically, we used mapping and coding in different research stage according to different data size. The high level mapping notes and high frequency coding elements are selected to inform and guide design decisions.

Users would become emotionally attached to their old phones.
Users expressed emotionally attached to their old phones in terms of personal data, memorable events, personal settings, and smartphone itself.
1
Establish Design Requirements
An Off-Boarding experience incorporated within the smartphone onboarding process while user transferring their data from the old phone to the new phone.
Users would consider re-use options they are not familiar with other than trading for financial benefit.

Users are open to re-use options such as recycle and donate, although they do not know how to process. Current trade-in plans do not meet users’ expectation on financial benefit.

2
Users find the data transmission process to be long and worrisome.

Users feel like it takes a long time to transfer data from their old to their new phones and feel worried about if the data being transferred completely.

4
Users feel accomplished in collecting old phones.
One of the reason some users keep their old phones is because they feel accomplished collecting them. Also, collecting “artifacts” that have small financial value is worthier than a trade-in.
3
Key findings from current system
We ran the tasks analysis to review existing user approaches, and then mapping out current system journey to locate the key issues and design opportunities.
Hierarchical Task Analysis
Affinity mapping results
Qualitative coding results
What is Smartphone Off-Boarding?
Smartphone Off-Boarding is a series of features designed to help users emotionally detach their old phone and route them to different re-use options. It is designed to shorten the user action gap between stockpiling and re-use, hence supporting the sustainable environment and circular economy in general.
What are the problems?
We know how to design On-Boarding experience for purchasing and using new devices, but we did not consider the device experience at the end of their lifecycle, which lead to device stockpiling and the increase of e-waste. The following are three issues stop users from giving away their old devices.

What’s the solution?

An Off-Boarding experience incorporated within the smartphone onboarding process while user transferring their data from the old phone to the new phone. Including Including memory reflection, providing different re-use options, and history devices management.

Project Journey
Define problem space
Defining project goals
Expected methods
Forming project
schedule
Panel review 1
Define
Research
Survey
User interviews
Task analysis
Affinity mapping
Qualitative coding
Generate
research findings
Design
Define design
requirements
Ideation session
Sketching ideas
Storyboading
Panel review 2
Wireframing
Prototype design
Evaluation
User-based testing
Reflection
Took lead

Played an important role

Emotional Attachment

Emotional attachment to old phones contribute to the higher stockpiling possibility.

Recycle Unawareness

Users are unaware of re-use options and approaches such as recycle, which require a lot extra time and effort to implement.

Feedback Deficiency

There are currently no such ways or feedback for users to check out their old phones and how they contribute if traded in or recycled.
Project Journey
Define problem space
Defining project goals
Expected methods
Forming project
schedule
Panel review 1
Define
Research
Survey
User interviews
Task analysis
Affinity mapping
Qualitative coding
Generate
research findings
Design
Define design
requirements
Ideation session
Sketching ideas
Storyboading
Panel review 2
Wireframing
Prototype design
Evaluation
User-based testing
Reflection
Took lead

Played an important role

Device Off-Boarding

Supporting the Re-User Experience

We know how to design On-Boarding experience for purchasing and using new devices, but we did not consider the experience for devices at the end of their lifecycle, which lead to device stockpiling and increase of e-waste.

Role

Design: Concept sketches, wireframing, storyboarding, High-fidelity prototype

Research: Semi-structured interview, affinity mapping, task-based user testing

Duration

14 weeks

Aug, 2022

Dec, 2022

Tools

Figma

Notion

Qualtrics

Miro

Team

Kenneth Chen

Leah Cho

Haisley Kim

Yukio You

OVERVIEW

RESEARCH

IDEATION

DESIGN

EVALUATION

REFLECTION

History Devices

History Devices is a space combined with current in-use and past devices It helps keep users informed about their device status, environmental impact, reports (Flashback) and allow them to take actions on stockpiled phones. By providing past devices’ information, it gives users’ more confidence to “reuse” old ones.

Re-Use Options

Three of re-use options including trade-in, recycle, and donate are provided on the old phone during the data updating process on new phone. Each option includes step by step guidance from backing up to making mail appointment to erasing data. This process provides users instructions and shortcuts to each re-use option, and make re-use action more accessible.

Flashback

The system will generate a personal device report according to different old phone data, such as photos and screen time, and provide it in a narrative way to the user during the data transmission process. It gives users a easy and fun way to reflect on their memory of using the old phone. Flashback helps form a sense of closure of the old journey and the beginning of new journey.

User journey
Hi-fi prototype
Start on-boarding
Data transfer
Data updating
Check out history devices and impact
Refer to reuse process
Erase data
Data transfer
Memory flashback
Old phone
New phone
Ongoing user action
New features
Blue Text
Waiting time
Flow
Set up a high level prompt in a storytelling way to form a sense of tableau.

Identify prompt frame and break it into different themes. Then extract key words to represent each theme.

Date
Travel
People
Work
Health
You spent a memorable time living and learning the world with the phone. During the past X year, you explored tons of new places and new experiences. You made a lot of new friends and had a great time with them. While you were busying with your work, you also tried to live with a healthier life. Even though sometimes you had to work till late...
Break down into different themes,

2

Create a narrative prompt,
1
Generate several correlated scenarios for each theme and attached them with related phone datas. In these way, we are able to have theme and content for each page.
Design visual and interaction for each scenario based on the theme and data using Memoji.
Data &
Content
Scenarios
Themes
Date
Phone activated date
Activated record
Location
Date
Location
Photos
Contacts
Messages Facetime
Contacts
Messages
Photos
Screen time
Apps
Sleep
Screen time
Fitness
Visited cities
Festival
New friends
Stay up late
Eyestrain
Work out
Closest friend
Travel
People
Work
Health
Generate scenarios based on themes,
3
Design interface for each scenario using Memoji.
4
Phone activated data
Visited cities
Festival
New friends
Closest friend
Stay up late
Work out
Eyestrain

How did I design the Flashback?

👇🏼

User Testing
We conducted task-based evaluation with four participants separately to learn about the effectiveness of our design and satisfaction of the feature. Users are asked to think aloud during the tasks to share their pleasure and frustration. We synced our design from web end to phone end and used 2 phones to respectively represent old and new phone to simulate the realistic situation.
Task-based testing
40 minutes/session
4 participants
Figma prototypes
Task 1
Check out the Flashback during data transmission
Users found Flashback nonintrusive to the native data transfer experience as an add-on feature. Overall it is fun and enjoyable to see the report.

Users suggested it’d be more effective to help detach emotion if there is interaction that shows memory transfer from old phone to new phone.

Task 2
Select and walk through one of the re-use methods.
It’s reasonable to see these re-use options after data transmission which make them more likely to take action at the moment.
Current descriptions for each option are not clear enough for users to understand clearly. They wish to see more context.
Task 3
Browse History Devices and check out reused devices’ status
Feel interested that they can see history devices and their environment impact. It makes users feel accomplished.

The entrance of History Devices is confused. It is hard to recall difference when current devices and the "Device History" lead to the same page.

Task-based testing

Original prototype

Iteration

Original prototype

Iteration

Iteration

Reflection &

Next steps

During the implementation of a user-centric design process, it is essential to ensure alignment with business requirements for optimal outcomes.

Continue iterating and furthering the Environmental Impact section is to achieve a comprehensive off-boarding user journey.

This project has provided me with valuable insights into translating user research findings into design requirements and solutions, enabling the creation of reasonable and traceable design decisions. Additionally, it lets me realize that the design process must consider business objectives as they are one of the crucial stakeholders, given that the design is based on the iOS system and should align with their business objectives.

Due to limited time, we were only able to design a minimum viable product to demonstrate crucial parts of the concept. In next phase, I will redesign the re-use process to be more informative and extend the environment impact page to provide users with a complete, integrated off-boarding experience. Also, I will set up a detailed user testing plan for Flashback feature to understand its usability for emotional detachment purpose.

@ 2023 by Yukio You

yukioa2z@gmail.com

YUKIO YOU

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