Design thinking lecture

Systemic Approach to Reducing Single-Use Drink Containers on Campus

• Purpose: Move beyond encouraging individual behavior to creating a campus-wide system that makes sustainable choices the easiest option.
• Initial focus: Reducing single-use drink containers on campus.
• Key shift (from affinity mapping and secondary research): The issue is less about individual willpower and more about the systems that shape student behavior.

Primary Research Findings (Interviews)

• Most students already carry a reusable water bottle because it saves money and avoids the need to wash it on campus.
• Reusable coffee cups present a bigger challenge:
  • They are heavy.
  • They are often forgotten at home.
  • They are inconvenient to wash on campus.
  • They can feel less sanitary than a single-use cup that you can throw away.
• Single-use containers are perceived as cleaner, lighter, and more convenient.
• Incentives:
  • Some students respond positively to monetary incentives, but they prefer more than just a discount.
  • They want rewards such as points or small gifts (e.g., stickers, merch).
  • They want a solution that is simple, hygienic, and easy to use across a large campus.
• Design and usability preferences:
  • Whatever concept is introduced should be simple, hygienic, and easy to use.
  • It should be highly visible and easy to access across the campus.
  • The system should be easy to use and maintain hygiene.

Insights from Secondary Research and Theoretical Frameworks

• Sustainability and habit change require systemic support, not just individual effort.
• UN perspective: meaningful progress requires systematic support.
• Atomic Habits reference (as noted in transcripts): habits stick when supported by the right environment and system.
• Implication: Lasting behavior change comes from the surrounding environment and the structures that support it, not from exhortation alone.

Reframing the Project Brief

• Before: Focus on encouraging reusable cup use.
• Now: Explore a systemic, campus-wide solution that supports students in reducing reliance on single-use drink containers.
• Desired outcome: A combination of convenient return and reuse options, incentives, and accessibility that works across the entire campus.

Behavioral Observations and Interpretations from Interviews

• Some framing in the transcript emphasizes ‘connected’ themes: "Behavior. We connected. We connected. Connected." (suggesting emphasis on linking data and insights across sources).
• Assumptions about water safety: Some interview fragments indicate students assume tap water is safe.
• Reiteration of core findings:
  • Most students carry a reusable bottle due to cost savings and avoidance of on-campus washing.
  • Reusable cups are heavier, easily forgotten, and inconvenient to wash on campus.
  • Single-use cups are perceived as cleaner and lighter, and thus more ingrained as the default choice.
• Incentives and rewards preferences:
  • While some respondents respond positively to monetary incentives, the preference leans toward non-monetary rewards such as points, merch, and stickers.
  • Rewards are valued when they are tangible (points, merch, stickers) and visible.
• Design requirements highlighted in interviews:
  • The solution must be simple to use.
  • It must be hygienic.
  • It must be highly visible.
  • It must be easy to use across a large campus.
• User experience emphasis:
  • The system should be easy to use, hygienic, and visible, reinforcing the habit as a second nature.
  • The solution should promote a sustainable choice as a default, or ‘second nature’ option.
• Conceptual emphasis:
  • Returning and reusing options should be convenient and seamlessly integrated into campus life.
  • There is a push toward ensuring the system is part of everyday routines, not an extra burden.
  • The concept should be easy to implement at scale with clear visibility to users.

Core Design Principles and Requirements

• Simple to use: The system should not add friction to daily routines.
• Hygienic: Hygiene is a critical concern for user adoption.
• Highly visible: The presence and benefits of the system should be obvious to students and staff.
• Campus-wide accessibility: Solutions must work across multiple buildings, venues, and times.
• Return and reuse options: Clear, convenient pathways for returning and reusing containers.
• Incentives that feel meaningful: Points, rewards, and merch that students value beyond monetary discounts.
• Environmental alignment: The system should reinforce the habit of choosing reusable options as the default.

Connections to Foundational Principles and Real-World Relevance

• The project aligns with systems thinking: changing outcomes requires changing the environment, not just nudging individuals.
• Behavior change literature (Atomic Habits) supports that habit formation relies on the right context and structures.
• Real-world relevance: A campus-wide approach can significantly reduce waste from single-use containers and model scalable, sustainable behavior for broader communities.

Ethical, Philosophical, and Practical Implications (as implied by transcript)

• Equity and access: Ensure the system benefits all students, including those with limited financial means or dietary restrictions.
• Privacy and data usage: If digital rewards or tracking are involved, safeguard student privacy and avoid intrusive data collection.
• Avoiding unintended burdens: The system should not create new barriers for students who forget a cup or cannot participate in the rewards program.
• Transparency: Clear communication about how the system works, how rewards are earned, and how returned containers are processed.

Connections to Previous Lectures and Foundational Concepts

• Reinforces the principle that behavior is shaped by the environment and supporting systems, not just intrinsic motivation.
• Validates the idea that sustainability initiatives must be designed as integrated systems, echoing broader theories of behavior change and organizational design.
• Demonstrates translating research into a reframed brief: moving from individual action prompts to systemic infrastructure.

Summary of Key Takeaways and Suggested Next Steps

• Key takeaway: Lasting reduction in single-use containers requires a campus-wide system that makes reuse the easiest and most rewarding option.
• Immediate actions to explore:
  • Map current waste flows and identify high-traffic locations for return and reuse stations.
  • Design incentive structures that balance visibility, appeal, and fairness (points, merch, stickers).
  • Develop hygiene and sanitation protocols for reusable containers and return stations.
  • Ensure the solution is simple to use, highly visible, and easy to access across the campus.
  • Pilot a scalable prototype in selected buildings before campus-wide deployment.
• Future considerations: Evaluate costs, logistics, maintenance, and potential partnerships with vendors or campus services to sustain the program.

Illustrative Quotations and Phrases from the Transcript (for reference)

• "Most students already carry a reusable water bottle… saves money and avoids the need to wash it off campus."
• "Reusable coffee cups are a much bigger challenge. They’re heavy; often forgotten at home; inconvenient to wash on campus; feels less sanitary than a single-use cup."
• "Single-use containers are seen as cleaner, lighter, and more convenient."
• "They want rewards or points or a little free gift… a solution that is simple, hygienic, and easy to use across a really large campus."
• "Meaningful progress requires systematic support" (UN perspective).
• "Habit sticks when supported by the right environment and system" (Atomic Habits reference).
• "Just encouraging people to bring their own reusable cup is really not enough. It needs to be a structure in place that makes sustainable choices the easiest and most convenient option."
• "We are reframing our project brief… campus-wide solution that supports students in reducing reliance on single cup drink containers through convenient, incentive, and accessible return and reuse options."
• "It needs to be simple. It needs to be visible. It needs to be highly visible. It needs to be hygienic. And easy to use across the campus."
• "Lasting behavior change will come from the environment and support… second nature to use."