This observational research study was conducted at Arizona State University as a final project for Qualitative Research 501. Using non-participant observation, I wanted to see why garbage cans were being used instead of recycling bins to dispose of recyclable materials. The slides above incorporate the late Paul Rothstein’s a(x4) method of design research.
In an effort to better understand the user experience, I looked at the 4 a’s: actors, activities, artifacts, and atmosphere. This helped me to build a snapshot of the key (ab)users in this scenario and to better organize my field notes and observations. Actionable design insights were recommended to make the bins more convenient, memorable, and fun.