Life centred design : Animal Conservation 🪸
Life centred design : Animal Conservation 🪸
The final project showcase was featured on the University of Sydney’s Master Ixd & Electronics Art official website.
Overview
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The conservation of coral reefs. This project outlines the many factors affecting the endangered coral reefs; however, one majorly overlooked factor (wastewater pollution) impacting the endangerment of coral reefs is carefully investigated here. We investigate further into the correlation between wastewater pollution, household products and coral reefs conservation.
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This project covers two major parts; extensive research with both primary and secondary research; a detailed design proposal that encourages the conservation of corals. The approach to this project is Life-Centred Design investigating how we, inhabitants of the earth can live sustainably to aid the recovering of coral reels.
Problem space
Coral reefs are one of the most biologically complex and diverse marine ecosystem on Earth, vital to both the environment and humans yet vulnerable and fragile and are facing extinction. Apart from climate change causing coral bleaching and factors that we thought were too big to us like dredging and coral mining, we found out that our daily spending and practise in household products can in fact make a difference in coral reefs endangerment. In our development stage, we outlined the relation between household products and coral reefs endangerment.
Why coral reefs?
The conservation of coral reefs. This visual report outlines the many factors affecting the endangered coral reefs; however, one majorly overlooked factor (wastewater pollution) impacting the endangerment of coral reefs is carefully investigated here. We investigate futher into the correlation between wastewater pollution, household products and coral reefs conservation.
Who is our audience?
This project focuses on normal, everyday audiences located around the world instead of the proffesionals and experts of marine biology. We believe that we as citizens can offer our biggest help to conserve the endangered coral reefs. This report investigates the different voices of individuals from different aspects of life.
Where was the data collected?
Our data collected are not only limited in the different states in Australia. We tried our best to listen to individuals from other countries. Data collected includes individual around the globe such as Cambodia, the UK, Taiwan, Canada etc.
How was the research carried out?
Apart of preliminary research, surveys and interviews were carried out. Data gathering were mostly done through the internet. Interviews were carried out both face-to-face and via Zoom meetings. Affinity diagram and competitor analysis were also employed later.
Data collection
A total of 52 participants partook in our primary research. We collected 44 surveys using questionnaires and interviewed 8 participants. The research was carried out with some goals in mind; The general population’s knowledge on coral reefs. (The endangerment, the importance of coral reefs.); participants‘ awareness upon land-based pollution in particularly wastewater pollution; what the participants think about the correlation between using unsustainable products and the ocean; what the audience thinks about the notion of coral reef protection; audiences’ thoughts about the hierarchy of animals and the relationship between humans
and corals.
Awareness of the endangerment of coral reefs
59% concerned about coral reefs conservation
77% are not doing anything in their ability to tackle on coral reefs conservation
78% thinks the threatened or endangered coral reefs is an important issue
69% have noticed an increase of coral reef and ocean awareness campaigns in the past years
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Only 30% of the 26 (59%) participants who are concerned or very concerned about the coral reefs conservation are doing something to about the conservation of coral reefs.
25 (83%) out of the 30 participants who have noticed an increase in coral reefs awareness think the threatened or endangerment of coral reefs is an important issue to them.
8 out of the 10 participants who are tackling upon the conservation of coral reefs are participants who have noticed the increase of coral reefs awareness in the past years.
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There is a lack of consistency between the participants who are concerned about coral reefs conservation and actually doing something to help.
It can be seen that campaigns and ads about raising coral reefs awareness can have a positive result to the participation of coral reefs conservation.
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How might we increase the visibility of coral reefs awareness campaign so to increase participations in coral reefs conservation?
Awareness and measures of wastewater pollution
77% don’t know where their household sewage went
86% is not doing something in their power to tackle upon the issue of
wastewater pollution
86% thinks that wastewater pollution has a major impact on coral reefs and
marine biodiversity
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86% think that wastewater pollution has a major impact on coral reefs
Only 31% of the 86% participants who think wastewater pollution has a huge impact knew where their household sewage went.
Only 5 of the 38 participants who think wastewater pollution has a major impact on coral reefs are doing something to tackle on the issue of wastewater pollution.
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The consistency of the participants who think wastewater pollution has a major impact on the endangerment of coral reefs and actually tackling on the wastewater pollution issue is nearly zero.
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Why isn’t there any actions done to tackle upon wastewater pollution despite the knowledge? What are the obstacles affecting their actions and behaviour?
Sustainable vs normal household products
86% is aware of the harsh chemicals contained in the majority of
household products
Only 23% chooses sustainable products (SHP) over normal household products while 86% occasionally choose SHP
Price is the highest factor affecting their choice while purchasing household products. Other factors are habit, accessibility, brand reputation and others.
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86% participants are aware of the harsh chemicals in a majority of household products.
Only 10 participants (26% of the 86%) choose SHP over normal household products everytime and almost everytime.
Price is a major influence when choosing household products. 33 responses on price factor.
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While SHPs in the markets are often pricier than normal household products, this could be a factor affecting the reluctancy of buying SHPs.
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How can we tackle on price, habit and accessibility while increasing the use of SHPs so to promote coral reefs conservation?
Data synthesis
With the data collected through interviews and questionnaires, we synthesised the data using affinity mapping, variable method and personas. The data for affinity mapping derives from the interview transcripts, from raw data to synthesising, we use first-person pronouns to exhibit empathy to the users.
Affinity mapping
this is just an excerpt, you wouldn’t want to see the whole thing
Identified problems → 5 Why’s → 3 pillars
People don’t know the use of household products threatens coral reefs. They would choose normal household products than sustainable household product. How can we educate people about the impacts of household products to coral reefs?
1 why's
Because it’s an unpopular topic, to link household products to coral reefs.
2 why's
Because they don’t see the connections between them.
3 why's
Because not many people are interested or conscious in knowing details of their household products.
4 why's
Because there isn’t enough awareness like campaigns teaching about this.
5 why's
Because we focus on other factors instead of this.
Participants know that wastewater pollution is threatening reefs but aren’t doing anything to help. How can we make aware of their daily household habits and actions so to encourage conscious spending and practise?
1 why's
Because they are not aware of their influence on wastewater pollution.
2 why's
Because they think industrial wastewater is the only reason contributing to wastewater pollution.
3 why's
Because they are not aware of that daily household usage is also responsible to wastewater pollution.
4 why's
Because they don’t know that chemicals go down to the sewage system will end up in the oceans.
5 why's
Because there isn’t enough awareness, education about our sewage system and wastewater treatment plants.
Most participants would allocate funds into marine life conservation in comparing to household pets and land wildlife conservations if they were given a portion of money but only 10 were actually participating. How can we diminish the dissonance so to encourage participations?
1 why's
Because they think marine life isn’t getting enough attention comparing to other animal conservation.
2 why's
Because they think there are people who will do something to help eventually.
3 why's
Because it’s not their job to care about marine life, it’s too complex to care.
4 why's
Because it’s hard to relate to them.
5 why's
Because they’re far from us, we wouldn’t feel their importance in comparing to nearer land-lived animals.
User needs & 3 pillars
How can we educate users of the importance of SHPs on coral reefs conservation so to encourage SHPs spending?
How can we encourage human empathy on coral reefs so to increase participations in coral reefs conservation?
How can we inform the public on the relation between our sewage system and the threatening of reefs so to encourage conscious actions (spending and habits)?
Personas
Design
From the 3 pillars and personas, we identified our main goals. With these goals, we have a clearer picture of designing the right Human-Centered Interaction for our users. The design process comes with 3 rounds of iteration; first one with 4 design concepts; using the Decision Matrices (Tomitsch et al., 2021) method we have our next iterations picking 2 design concepts to move forward; after iterating and refining the 2 concepts, usability testing was held and we came out with a final design concept and resolution.
Application & methods
Sketches | Mind-mapping | Decision matrices | Storyboards | Paper prototypes | Think- aloud protocol | Usability testing | Observation | Pre + post experience questionnaires & interviews | Mockups | Hifi prototype | Persona storyboards
Storyboards
Final prototype
and reflections - cause ya know life’s a mirror
Discussion
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Our design is of novel from the lens of promoting sustainable household products to tackle on coral reefs endangerment. There isn’t any campaign that addresses this issue from the perspective of household products but us.
Our design is of novel from the lens of immersive experience. Despite its prevalence, our design allows users to experience undersea in their environment with educational visuals and voice-over introduction merely using their devices.
Our design is of novel from the lens of coral reefs participation, which allows user to directly participate in coral reefs protection using the 3D coral design feature. Users can customise their own coral and we’ll send their designs to labs that are currently designing 3D corals by scientists and implementing them into the ocean.
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Throughout the iterations process, we find that methods like 5 Whys and decision matrix are really useful. Through 5 Whys we were able to look at the issues from our user’s lens, this has helped us to properly identify the root causes and establish criteria for our design development.
As for decision matrix, it was a useful tool to compare the different designs against our identified goals and needs. We think that these methods make a good combination.
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We find that user-testing is a very important step providing invaluable insights and feedback. Through user-testing, we were able to gain important feedback that were easily overlooked so to refine on our design concepts.
However, participants who partook our user-testing didn’t go through a screen test, which purpose is to match user’s personalities, goals and needs to our identified personas. Although we gained some insights, participants don’t fully reflect on our identified personas. Hence, their responses cannot be fully relied on.
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We discovered that even though government websites have briefly outlined that our daily household products can damage coral reefs and that studies have also proved that household products can damage coral reefs, counteractions are still not being promoted and regulated.
Most of the actions done to protect coral reefs are either donations or pledges. Despite the initiatives such as reefs-save personal care products, there aren’t any sustainable household products that are formulated or advertised as reefs-save household products.
Any last word…
This report has carefully covered the problem space with extensive research, issues to be addressed, design process that includes ideation, iterative process, user-testings, design precedence and reflections.
The lack of empathy towards species that are distant and cognitive dissimilar to us is justified; hence, we decided to ignite human empathy towards coral reefs in our design concepts.
Despite the lack of awarenss on the impact of household products to marine ecosystem, we initiated a final concept that will address on this occurrence.
Sewage system process is often overlooked and disregarded yet we initiated a design that will educate on the relation between our sewage system and coral reefs, and will encourage users to be consious of what they drain.
We encourage household product companies and organisations to look into this issue because we believe that we can help in coral conservation through our tiny daily actions.
Next steps…
In order to gain valid insights from our user personas so to make relevant design improvements, another user-testing should be carried out. This time with screenings that reflect best to our personas’ goals and needs.
Hire developers to turn our design into AR-ready.
Gather real- time live footage of coral reefs so to add into the AR.
Collaborate with supermarkets to gain fundings and product deals as we’re promoting their sustainable household products also attracting users to visit their stores.
Collaborate with on-going lab scientists that are designing 3D corals for reefs preservation and nurturing. 3D coral design is currently limited to experts only as we’re initiating a 3D coral design function, cooperating with them is neccessary.
Collaborate with not-for-profit organisations that are promoting coral reefs conservations for fundings and up-to-date conservation-related findings as our design has a function where users can donate to reputable organisations.
Propose to local council for the installation of kiosks and receive related SOP.
Install kiosks at CBD hotspot according to the density heat map (Microburbs, 2021).
— thank you —