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Meet Dana, a Navy veteran turned eco-warrior, and Kylee, a Stanford student bridging cultural teachings and sustainability. Discover impactful ways to encourage sustainable habits through creative experiments and informative approaches. Join the movement for a greener future!
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povs, hmws, & prototypes: incentives in sustainability
pov one We met Dana, a Global Operations Manager for the Navy and former Navy fighter pilot. We were amazed to realize that his experience actually seeing waste in the water as a fighter pilot so deeply touched him that he hasn’t wavered in his environmentally sustainable habits. It would be game-changing if we could bring the same sentiment and visual impact Dana experienced then to other aspects of his sustainable habits.
HMW make the connection between the land and the effects of sustainability more explicit?
experience prototype one We made a poster and staked out in Tresidder for an hour to see if people 1. Would notice it, 2. Would stop and read it, and 3. Would correctly sort their trash. Assumption: Being exposed to direct effects coupled with low-stakes measures to act sustainably makes people more likely to act sustainability.
results Control Period: Without trash impact sign Correct Sorting: 8 Incorrect Sorting: 8 Test Period: With trash impact sign Correct Sorting: 9 Incorrect Sorting: 3
unpacking This experience prototype partially confirmed our assumption. We found that when people read the sign they took more time to be intentional about their trash sorting. We also found that many times when people threw their trash in the wrong place when the sign was up, it was because they didn’t know the proper bin. There’s a question of intent vs. impact where it seems like people want to be sustainable in small ways but aren’t sure how.
pov two We met Kylee, an environmentally indifferent Stanford junior majoring in Human Biology who is also a co-chair for the Stanford Powwow. We were amazed to realize that despite her Native teachings of respecting what the land provides, visitors to the Powwow failed to make that connection with sorting their trash into recycling and compost. It would be game-changing if we could help Powwow enforce these rules and make the connection between land and sustainability more salient.
HMW inspire an entire community to follow environmental decisions in a regimented, top-down manner?
experience prototype two We collected research on the carbon footprint of different food items based on the options at Tresidder and approached someone interested and asked them if this new information helped inform them of their decision. Assumption: People, when given information, will be more likely to reduce the harm that they commit in the same way they avoid unhealthy foods.
results We interviewed a Stanford student from Florida who didn’t think of themselves as environmentally conscious. Before, she said she would originally would go to CoHo since it was what was closest to her here; after she read the fact on Styrofoam containers being terrible for the environment, which seemed the most actionable to her, she decided she would go to Subway instead. As she said, “it’s not the best option, but it’s better.”
unpacking This experience prototype confirmed our assumption. Notwithstanding the sample size, she seemed genuinely shocked by the facts presented, and it was a sort of just-in-time reinforcement to act more sustainably. However, she did mention she couldn’t see referring to a fact sheet in the long term, which begs the question of how we can reinforce this habit in the long-term.
pov three We met Ashley, a beauty aesthetician at the Sephora in Stanford Shopping Center. We were amazed to realize that despite knowing the harmful effects of certain chemicals and compounds in makeup, she still sells and recommends these products to her clientele. It would be game-changing if she had the environmental knowledge of products more readily available.
experience prototype three CoHo has silverware and plasticware, but majority of people go for plasticware. We created an aesthetically-pleasing sign and observed the impact. Assumption: People will want to be a part of the larger or more morally-aligned group.
results Control Period: Without silverware sign Plastic: 5 Silverware: 2 Test Period: With silverware sign Plastic: 4 Silverware: 10
unpacking This experience prototype confirmed our assumption. We found that people all read the sign and choose silverware more frequently after reading the sign. Only those with takeout took plastic forks once the sign was on display. This is with the exception of one participant who took both silverware and plasticware.
First, a step back. After receiving feedback from our experience prototypes, we decided to go back to the drawing board & test one more experience prototype.
Experience (re)prototyping. We approached an international student on their way to Tresidder and served as their “virtual assistant,” asking aloud what options were there. We prompted him to ask about the carbon footprint of different food places.
“There’s something fun about interacting with a personality… I listen to them.” –– Eyasu, Stanford student
thanks! CS 377E Gream Team
