Mapping the app's pages and content

In the initial sketches for the app's layout, the idea was to split the content into 4 areas. Eco, Personal, Maps and Learn.

Eco

This page provides the user with relevant information on how to be green or to improve on their habits. 

Content

Tips
Forum
News

Tips will be Apple generated suggestions regarding to different areas of improvement such as Energy, Recycling or Water for example. These tips however need to be refreshed every so often to prevent them becoming stale and repetitive to the user.

The Forum is a space where users can provide suggestions to other Apple Eco users where a straightforward voting system determines the helpfulness of each suggestion. Just having a voting system prevents the app from becoming overly complicated.

News provides a timeline of whatever's happening concerning climate change through the users curated media outlets. This feature could work in tangent with Apples own News app.

Personal

This section is where the user tracks their green efficiency. Through their input, it provides an overall rating that not only gives them an idea of how eco they are but it generates an incentive from the user to use the app as it gives a visual representation of their progress. Part of the reason being green is a difficult habit to practice is because its effects are hard to see. Having an immediate visual presentation of their efforts will hopefully provide a reason to keep going.  

Content

Energy usage
Transport
CO2 saved

Figuring out what to track in order to determine the user's overall rating proved to be difficult as measuring eco efficiency is rather abstract. It isn't necessarily determined on set parameters and doesn't require someone to constantly be green daily. Thus this section was eventually removed to just having a rating system based on a series of questions as evidenced in the previous post.

Maps

This section presents users with green alternatives around their area such as recycling centres, electrical car charging points and local markets where produce are locally sourced for example. In keeping this feature appropriate 'eco', only walking and biking options are available for travelling. This will help the user get used to adopting a greener lifestyle. Users can then add their own green locations for their habits such as restaurants that use sustainable produce for example.  

Learn

This section is meant to inform the user of Apple's environmental responsibilities and to bring them onto their recycling program. Informing users on Apple's environmental efforts will hopefully encourage them to follow suit and to support companies that are more ethical in their practices. 

However, after much deliberation with forming the app's content, the layout has been simplified since, delivering a more streamlined experience. One such difference is changing it from a daily tracker to a cumulative progress report.

Below is the refined outline of the app's content and pages.

With the removal of the personal tracker, the app is simplified into the minimum amount of 3 pages. 

Efficiency gives the user an overall eco rating, Learn provides information on climate change issues and Location lets users know where to be green.

This is a breakdown of the Efficiency tab with 4 main areas as represented by the WWF questionnaire. Users fill in these questions and the app produces a rating in each section and the overall. The questions are relatively simple to allow a broad range of users to answer as well as to make the app easy and quick to use. 

In Learn, it is all about educating the reader on climate change from Apple, news outlets and users themselves.

Location helps users locate their green amenities and directions.