Gästrike återvinnare

Case overview
A behavioral design project to improve recycling sorting in public garbage rooms. By transforming everyday waste into beautiful still-life photography, we increased the perceived value of recycling and making correct sorting behavior easier and more intuitive.

Challenge
Gästrike Återvinnare faced a common problem: residents in apartment buildings weren't sorting their recycling correctly in shared garbage rooms. Traditional instructional signage wasn't working. How could we change behavior through design rather than rules?

Thumnail-Recycling

Solution
According to behavioral research and Nudging*, we tend to take something more seriously when we give it value, and one way to create value is through aesthetic appeal. With that in mind I art directed a series of still-life photographs that elevated everyday waste into beautiful compositions. By making garbage visually appealing and giving it artistic value, we nudged people to take recycling more serious – it matters and deserves attention.

*Nudging explained: Nudging is a behavioral design tool that influences behavior by making certain choices easier or more appealing, rather than enforcing rules. In this project, nudging was used to make correct sorting feel more intuitive and visually rewarding.

Deliverables
Art Direction with behavioral design approach
Signage system for implementation across public garbage room, using nudging as a tool

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Created at Beteendelabbet
2018

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