Back

UI UX

Product Innovation

Sustainability

Circular Design

Redbull Basement 2024

Digital Product design which placed Top 50 out of 110,000 AI Startups at a global Redbull competition.

Design

Brief

Create a design solution to address a contemporary design challenge using Circular Design.

Type of work

HYBRID

Timeline

2 Months

Role

Product Designer

Deliverables

100 Page Report
prototypes
graded presentations
startup Pitch video

100 Page Report
prototypes
graded presentations
startup Pitch video

The

Problem

Australia uses 1.84 billion single-use cups annually, with only 1% entering recycling processes. Festivals contribute significantly to this waste problem.

Exploratory Research

Auto Ethnography

I attended a sold-out music festival to understand the user journey firsthand.

Competitor Analysis

I analysed existing solutions in this space, weighing their pros and cons to inform my decisions.

Contextual Inquiry

Observed and spoke to festival-goers and event staff in their natural environment, focusing on how they interact with drink cups and waste disposal systems.

"How might we reduce plastic waste at large events for fans and event organisers so that we create a zero waste event experience?"

User

Persona

Designing for this user required balancing tangible incentives with feasible innovation.

“I want my festival experience to be fun, hassle-free, and good for the planet.” • AI Generated Image

Identifies as a music lover and festival-goer.

Age 28.

College-educated.

Lives in a metropolitan city.

Works a 9-to-5 job, loves spending weekends at live music events.

Attends at least 3 major music festivals every year.

Identifies as a music lover and festival-goer.

Age 28.

College-educated.

Lives in a metropolitan city.

Works a 9-to-5 job, loves spending weekends at live music events.

Attends at least 3 major music festivals every year.

ABOUT THE USER

Active on social media, often posts about festival experiences.

Frequently looks for unique festival merchandise.

Uses event apps to plan festival schedules.

Enjoys camping and being part of festival communities.

Takes lots of photos/videos at festivals and shares them on platforms like Instagram.

BEHAVIOURS / ACTIVITIES

Seamless ways to handle festival logistics.

Opportunities to earn rewards or exclusive perks at festivals.

Wants to stay informed about new artists and upcoming festivals.

Enjoys showing off exclusive or sustainable merchandise to friends.

Connect with new people and artist experiences at concerts.

NEEDS/GOALS

Pain Points

Business Needs

High Waste Management Costs

Significant cleanup and disposal costs due to non-recyclable single-use cups.

Lack of Measurable Impact

Difficulty showcasing sustainability impact to stakeholders.

Inefficient Return Processes

Operational inefficiencies in managing reusable cup returns.

Customer Needs

Lack of Motivation to Return Cups

Festival-goers feel uninspired to return cups due to minimal rewards.

Too Much Effort to Find Return Stations

Unintuitive and time-consuming return systems discourage participation.

Desire for Tangible Rewards

Users want immediate rewards like free refills or festival perks for their efforts.

Sketches & Rapid Ideation

Feasibility: Can this feature be easily implemented within existing festival operations?

Desirability: Will users engage with this feature, and does it align with their goals?
Viability: Does this feature have a sustainable cost structure and potential for long-term adoption?

Feasibility: Can this feature be easily implemented within existing festival operations?

Desirability: Will users engage with this feature, and does it align with their goals?
Viability: Does this feature have a sustainable cost structure and potential for long-term adoption?

High Feasibility, High Desirability, High Viability.

NFC-enabled cups for fast, frictionless returns.
Gamified rewards tied to sustainability goals.
Personalised impact tracking for user engagement.

Mapping out the CupLink System

Iterating on the CupLink System

Supporting Evidence

Studies show that 72% of event attendees are more likely to engage in sustainability programs when incentivized with tangible rewards (Eventbrite, 2021)

Eventbrite

2021

Paper Prototyping

I found a regular plastic cup and put an NFC sticker on it with a paper sleeve to test this concept.

User Testing methods

Revealed insights about subconscious

behaviours in waste disposal habits

and attitudes towards reused items.

Cultural Probes

Showed spontaneous idea generation and gave insight into potential community-driven motivations for adoption.

Focus Groups

Identified unclear signage, confusing app flows, or uncertainties around the reward system.

Persona-Based
Walkthroughs

Wireframing

The physical and digital artefacts were prototyped simultaneously.

Better Rewards and Perks.
The rewards are nice, but I’d like to see more exclusive or unique perks.
Explicit Bin Locations.
Users like the map feature but suggest making its easier to find bins.
Clarify Point Redemption.
Users found the rewards section appealing but wanted clearer instructions on point redemption.
Better Rewards and Perks.
The rewards are nice, but I’d like to see more exclusive or unique perks.
Explicit Bin Locations.
Users like the map feature but suggest making its easier to find bins.
Clarify Point Redemption.
Users found the rewards section appealing but wanted clearer instructions on point redemption.
Better Rewards and Perks.
The rewards are nice, but I’d like to see more exclusive or unique perks.
Explicit Bin Locations.
Users like the map feature but suggest making its easier to find bins.
Clarify Point Redemption.
Users found the rewards section appealing but wanted clearer instructions on point redemption.
Better Rewards and Perks.
The rewards are nice, but I’d like to see more exclusive or unique perks.
Explicit Bin Locations.
Users like the map feature but suggest making its easier to find bins.
Clarify Point Redemption.
Users found the rewards section appealing but wanted clearer instructions on point redemption.

Clarify Point Redemption.
Users found the rewards section appealing but wanted clearer instructions on point redemption.
Clarify Point Redemption.
Users found the rewards section appealing but wanted clearer instructions on point redemption.
Clarify Point Redemption.
Users found the rewards section appealing but wanted clearer instructions on point redemption.
Clarify Point Redemption.
Users found the rewards section appealing but wanted clearer instructions on point redemption.

High Fidelity Prototyping

The Mobile UI was prioritised for the Hi-Fi prototype due to time constraints.

Thermochromic Ink

Cups paid for by Ads (inspired by FreeWater®)

"I love the colour changing ink! I would just take it home and use it at that point. It’s like a piece of memorabilia."

User Feedback

from focus groups

Final Solution

This project scored a 94% mark in my Masters Degree.

View Prototype

Try Coded MVP

I put this in a Global RedBull startup competition.

I put prototype in a Global RedBull startup competition.

CupLink placed Top 50 worldwide out of 110,000 AI startups at RedBull Basement 2024.

I got 100 signups on my waitlist in a few days and coded an MVP using AI to show traction.

CupLink placed Top 50 worldwide out of 110,000 startups. Our video scored a 9/10.

I got 100 signups on my waitlist in a few days and coded an MVP using AI to show traction.

Reflecting on my Values as a Designer.

Innovative. I constantly seek out new and better ways to solve problems.

Collaboration. I work as a team to achieve our goals and celebrate our successes.

Empathy. I put myself in the shoes of my users to understand their needs.

Diversity and inclusion. I believe in building a diverse and inclusive experience.

Customer obsession. I am passionate about helping customers achieve their goal.

Transparency. I believe in communicating openly and honestly with everyone.

Part 2: Testing

Highlight NFC Functionality.

Users liked the reward feature but mentioned the instructions could be more visually engaging to draw attention to the NFC tag.

Concerns of Hygiene with Reusing cups.

Users were concerned about hygiene and potential damage to cups—suggested a quality check system to remove damaged cups.

Keeping a Streak.

Users said they wanted to see progress over time - like a streak counter, to stay motivated.

Identified unclear signage, confusing app flows, or uncertainties around the reward system.

Quickly generated new ideas and gave insight into potential community-driven motivations for adoption.

Revealed insights about subconscious

behaviours in waste disposal habits

and attitudes towards reused items.

User Research & Testing

Cultural Probes

Focus Groups

Persona-Based
Walkthroughs

[contact]

Looking to hire?

Get in touch

Add me on socials
Add me on socials
Add me on socials
Add me on socials
Add me on socials

[contact]

Looking to hire?

Get in touch

Add me on socials
Add me on socials
Add me on socials
Add me on socials
Add me on socials

Mapping out the CupLink System

Iterating on the CupLink System

Supporting Evidence

Supporting Evidence

Studies show that 72% of event attendees are more likely to engage in sustainability programs when incentivized with tangible rewards (Eventbrite, 2021)

Eventbrite

Paper Prototyping

Paper Prototyping

I found a regular plastic cup and put an NFC sticker on it with a paper sleeve to test this concept.

Better Rewards and Perks.

Explicit Bin Locations.

Clarify Point Redemption.

Clarify Point Redemption.