ECGO - Project Overview
Rethinking Ecgo’s Core Interaction – From Confusion to Motivation
Ecgo, a recycling app with a clean interface, was facing an engagement problem. Despite its sleek design, the app had only 43% user retention over the past year. I joined the team to investigate why users weren’t sticking around—and what we could do to create a more meaningful experience.
This case study focuses on a key part of the Ecgo journey:
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Adding an item to the app
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Learning whether it’s recyclable
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Earning rewards for positive sustainable actions​
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My Role & Actions
I led the UX research and design strategy for this feature set.:
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Conducted user research and mapped the user journey.
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Facilitated design workshops with end users to co create user journeys.
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Identified breakdowns in how users submitted and learned about items
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Helped reposition Ecgo’s offering to educate and incentivize users, not just track recycling
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Redesigned the interface to provide immediate feedback, bite-sized learning, and rewards tied to positive action​
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The Outcome
The updated flow gave users a reason to return: learn something new, take the right action, and get rewarded for it. Helped bring focus on MVP to make it minimal loveable product.
Team
CEO, Ecgo
Software Engineer,
Marketing Interns
UX Researcher/Designer
Durations
16 weeks
Tools
Google Meet
Figma
FigJam
Illustrator,
Lottie
Background - Current Journey
How does Ecgo help students recycle?
The student downloads the app
Clicks the picture of the items they want to recycle
The item material is auto-filled, and the student selects relevant tags.
Earns points and learns about nearby recycling station to drop the item
The student redeems points using gift cards.
The Problem
43% drop in retention rate led to conducting UX Research of the product.
After noticing a drop in retention after a year, the CEO initiated a user survey that revealed several issues—one being the lack of reminders to use the app, which was quickly addressed with push notifications. I was then brought in to conduct user research to uncover deeper usability issues.
UX Research
01. Discovered misalignment in product journey and users’ mental models.
While conducting usability tests with end users, we found that the first time users are confused once they submit the item in the app for recycling. We got questions like "What happens next?" , "Do I need to visit the recycling station to recycle?" "How would you know that I actually recycle?" and "How long do I need to wait to get points?"
Ben - New User
Clicks
Enters Details
Points + Location
Submission under Review
10 pts
Points are awarded
Ben is confused:
Should Ben wait to recycle after the review?
How will ecgo know that I recycled the item? ​
02. Two types of 'Pre-Recycling' behaviors observed while using app.
The data analysis and interviews with existing app users informed that there are 2 'Pre-Recycling' behavioral patterns. The users expected the review process to quicken to learn about whether their item is recyclable or not. They questioned that whether the points were worth the effort and if it can be increased.
The Collector
I collect the items that needs to be recycles. I dedicate the time to add the item to the app and recycle all at once.
Pain Point - It is tough to visit the location with all the items to recycle.
The On-the Go
After having a meal, I look for items that I can recycle on the go.
Pain Point - I have to plan my route to submit recyclables to the mentioned recycling station.
03. Incentivizing users for their positive actions to boost recycling.
Users are not just interested in recycling—they want to understand why certain items aren’t recyclable. The current reward system focuses only on photo submissions, missing the opportunity to educate. Shifting toward rewarding learning can better motivate sustainable behavior.
Ben
Clicks
Enters Details
10 pts
Points are awarded
New Rewards Experience:
Rewards for getting eco-education.
Anna
Clicks
Enters Details
Learn(Guess) if the item is recyclable or not
5pts
Points are awarded
Rewards for Recycling
Anna
Recycle
10 pts
Points are awarded
04. 78% users mentioned that they were frustrated when app did not show correct material prediction.
The survey and user interviews suggested that users were frustrated with item submission on the app. Technical and usability pain points surfaced.
Current Interface
1. The Material Prediction using an AI model; however, the predictions were often inaccurate due to limitations in the training data. Users had no authority to correct the predictions and were forced to restart the process entirely.
2. The Labels:
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First-time users were unaware that green indicated recyclable items and red indicated non-recyclable ones.​
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"I hope that I can find the item on here because sometimes I can’t seem to find it in the search bar so I have to pick some label similar to it."​
"I want to make sure that I label the item correctly so I can get points!"
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Users wanted to learn why an Item is not recyclable.​
"I wish whatever was redded out offered with an explanation."​
1. AI Material Prediction: User couldn't change predicted material
2. Labels: The labels had random names which users were forced to pick.
3. Multi item/image submission
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The user could submit one item at a time and had to repeat the process all over again. ​​
"Please make it possible to submit multiple photos under a single tag rather than having to take a picture and tag every one."​
Click here to learn about the current journey Pain Points
New Problem
How might we enhance the item submission experience of recycling app by educating users on what to recycle?
The team shifted the business focus from simply encouraging recycling to educating users about recycling. As a result, users began earning points for learning, not just recycling—rewarding the behavior, not just the action.
The new user flow for Ecgo App
Ideation
Quick UI wireframes were created to test with internal stakeholders to understand feature viability.
The ideas were brainstormed and 3 quick wireframes were created to test out with internal stakeholders. Given that we had limited resources (capability, funds and finance) in the team decisions were made accordingly. The feature marked with a 'star' is chose to develop further.
Ideating through wireframes for 'Adding Items' to the App.
Concept 1
Adding the capability to add item quantity in the image to speed up the submission process.
Concept 3
Changing the photo input to adding multiple photos in one session.
Updating inputs for all items at once.
Concept 2
The UX Research had informed that users found it difficult to find the relevant label so tried graphics instead.
Concept 4
Summary of items in the session.
Adding AI generative to search items. Material input through text
The result generates relevant items to pick from
Wireframes for 'Adding item to the bin'.
Selecting the right bin
Drag the item into the correct bin
Design
Designing the ‘Add Item’ and Bin Selection Interface
The design reveals design decisions taken in consideration to team resources, timelines and changing business goals.
Step 1: Add Items
Material Selection: Choose 1 of 3 or Add 'Other'
Due to limited AI accuracy, we now show the top 3 predictions instead of just one.
Addressing Cultural Nuances in UX Labels
UX research revealed that users—particularly international students—interpreted labels differently, leading to confusion. To address this, we integrated visuals with text to improve clarity and reduce misinterpretation.
Multiple photos + Item Quantity
Ability to upload multiple photos at once, with support for entering item quantities.
This will help train our image processing model.
Step 2: Item Saving
Item Status – Saving Items
This page enables collectors to gather their items within the app and take action on them all at once. It also provides guidance for disposing of each specific item properly.
