About The Project
Guiding Consumers Toward Sustainable Tech Decisions
Second Cycle is a conceptual web resource that helps consumers reduce e-waste by deciding whether to repair, reuse, or replace their old and broken devices.
Client
Conceptual / Self-directed
Service
UX Research & Design
Date
June 2026
My Role
UX Researcher & Project Coordinator
As part of my role in the project, I was a part of every aspect, including:
Secondary Research
Primary Research & Prototype Testing
Prototype Design (Primary Pages)
Presentation Design
Research Operation and Coordination
Project Management and Coordination
My primary role focused on research design, planning, coordination, and project management from March to June 2026.
Project Overview
Project Overview
Second Cycle was a self-directed concept developed by a five-person team under the studio name Five of Hearts Co. The goal was to design a consumer-facing resource that makes sustainable device decisions easier to understand and act on.
The Challenge
Overproduction and overconsumption of electronics are driving a rapid rise in e-waste. When a device breaks or ages out, most consumers don't understand the options in front of them — repair, trade-in, refurbishment, recycling — and default to buying new. Short device lifespans, manufacturer repair barriers, and limited public education all deepen the problem.
The Question
How do people decide what to do with an old or broken device, and can a guided tool nudge them toward more sustainable choices?
The Timeline: ~2 Months
We completed the majority of the project over roughly two months:
Understanding the problem — 2 weeks.
Defining insights — 3 weeks.
Ideating and designing — 2 weeks.
Testing the prototype — 1 week.
Research & Methodology
We used generative, mixed-methods research: literature reviews and secondary research, followed by user interviews with contextual inquiry and qualitative questioning. We then ran an in-class digital journey mapping activity with 7 participants to observe how people actually search for and decide on solutions.
Data Analysis & Synthesis
We synthesized our data through coding and tagging transcripts, thematic analysis, and affinity mapping, surfacing 8 themes that we narrowed to 4 major findings. These fed persona development, user journey mapping, and a competitor analysis of 7 products to identify gaps in the market. We then used a feature matrix and a 2x2 impact/effort prioritization to define the core feature set.
What We Produced
A design system and mid-to-hi-fi Figma prototype spanning the home page, Recommender tool, results page, tech blog, community forum, repair guides, and a repair shop and recycling center locator.
The "Recommender" diagnostic tool — a three-step flow (device details, issue, and user priorities) that returns personalized repair, reuse, and replacement guidance with pros and cons, a match score, and estimated cost.
A usability test and findings summary from prototype testing with 10 participants.
Key Highlights
Our Findings
From our generative research, four findings held across a total of eight themes:
Cost above all — financial impact drove decisions regardless of sustainability awareness.
Transparency and trust — users needed trustworthy sources before considering options.
Repair when feasible — people preferred repair when it was economical and convenient.
Convenience matters more — e-waste and sustainability were low priorities unless incentivized.
Prototype testing (a Useberry click test with qualitative questions, 9 of 10 sessions completed) added a sharper signal:
All 9 participants first-clicked the Recommender tool to decide what to do with a broken device.
Only 2 of 9 understood the site's full purpose; most missed the recycling and sustainability angle.
8 of 9 said they would use the site, though one described the design as outdated.
Our Recommendations
Clarify the site's purpose and sustainability mission at first glance.
Make e-waste, recycling, and refurbishment options more visible and noticeable.
Add requested functionality — more location filters and a dedicated zip-code search.
Evaluate an AI summary feature carefully, weighing usefulness against the risk of undermining the site's primary purpose.
The Next Step
As a concept in progress, our current focus is a second design iteration based on testing feedback, followed by another round of usability testing before any move toward a live build. Immediate next steps include discussing findings as a team, reviewing current and additional features, and assessing the ethics of an AI summary.
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