Composting as Interior Design
Emmi Parviainen, Ellinor Lagerström, Preben Hansen · 2017
Could recycling become an interesting activity instead of a compulsive requirement? 20 participants in Stockholm, Sweden participated in a study to determine why recycling is still a problem on an individual scale. The designers of the project were the users themselves with facilitators guiding them throughout the five phases of the participatory design project; contextual inquiry, future workshop, low-fi and hi-fi prototyping, and evaluation. The final design is an indoor compost that helps the user see the effects of recycling on a more personal level. We argue for the importance of creating a deeper connection between the design and the user by showing how an artefact can achieve the desired behaviour when associated with emotions. In this case, recycling can bring a user closer to nature.