In a classic UI/UX assignment, I observed and interviewed users of the plate clearing interface at my university dining hall and used my observations to develop two distinct user personas. Then I storyboarded the user journey of one of these personas.
Interface Overview
The plate clearing station at Brown University’s Sharpe Refectory aims to provide a system for the efficient disposal of food scraps and sorting of dirty dishes for the dining hall clientele. Users interact with this system through a series of various disposal receptacles and collection bins arranged linearly. A recycling and trash can, both with a poster indicating which common items go in each bin, are at the beginning of the line. Then come two compost bins the user can put their food scraps in, then a series of four buckets where users place their dirty utensils, cups/mugs, and plates/bowls, respectively. The whole station contains two such lines.
Sketch of the interface and its components
Understanding Users
As a general rule, I observed two methods of interaction with the compost bins: users either scraped food into the bin or dumped it in. The majority of users scraped their plates, with a higher likelihood to do so when they had utensils to aid them. Users with stacks of many different items often utilized the top/rim of the compost bin to place things while disposing of their food. I noted very few uses of the trash/recycling, both proper and improper, and no one seemed to take time to observe the accompanying posters. While most users moved linearly through the interface (from the compost then to each collection bin, in order) those with many (unorganized) items often went back and forth between the compost bin and collection bins.
Of the six users I interviewed, four said that they typically only clear their plates only once when in the dining hall while the other two said they do it twice. All noted that they often have multiples of items (i.e. more than one plate, many cups, etc.), and that they feel fairly confident in knowing proper disposal. When asked how they chose which line to use, every user commented that they choose the shortest line, and five said they choose the right side if there are no lines; the other chooses the line with the fuller collection bins. The expectation of all the interviewees is that others wait their turn and move linearly through the station. When describing their process, every person used the verb “scrape” in their response. Four of the users expressed frustration with the long lines, being in a rush or feeling rushed, or not knowing how to dispose of things
The Personas
After observing users and talking to them about their experiences, expectations, and thoughts about the plate clearing system, I crafted the following two personas. Each persona is comprised of an empathy map and mental model, and each represents a few overarching trends seen among users.
Storyboard
Having created these personas, I chose one to illustrate a user journey for in the form of a storyboard. In the future, these personas could be used to motivate a redesign of the plate clearing interface that is user-centric and empathetic.
Take-Aways
There is no point in redesigning something if you don't understand how your users interact with it, and that's something this assignment helped emphasize. Users are the heart of it all, so it is imperative that you put yourself in their shoes and keep them central to the process.