H&M - Recycling Study
(About)
Client:
H&M (with ITAB)
Industry:
Fashion / Sustainability
Role:
User Researcher, UX Designer
Duration:
4 days
Client:
H&M (with ITAB)
Industry:
Fashion / Sustainability
Role:
User Researcher, UX Designer
Duration:
4 days
Client:
H&M (with ITAB)
Industry:
Fashion / Sustainability
Role:
User Researcher, UX Designer
Duration:
4 days
(Process)
(01)
Overview
H&M (with ITAB) wanted to understand how shoppers actually engage with the digital Recycling Bin in store: scanning a QR, donating bags, receiving digital vouchers in the app, and how the furniture performs operationally. I led a 4-day field study across five Amsterdam stores (Key City Initiative), combining intercept interviews, observation, and store staff feedback.
(01)
Overview
H&M (with ITAB) wanted to understand how shoppers actually engage with the digital Recycling Bin in store: scanning a QR, donating bags, receiving digital vouchers in the app, and how the furniture performs operationally. I led a 4-day field study across five Amsterdam stores (Key City Initiative), combining intercept interviews, observation, and store staff feedback.
(01)
Overview
H&M (with ITAB) wanted to understand how shoppers actually engage with the digital Recycling Bin in store: scanning a QR, donating bags, receiving digital vouchers in the app, and how the furniture performs operationally. I led a 4-day field study across five Amsterdam stores (Key City Initiative), combining intercept interviews, observation, and store staff feedback.
(02)
Challenge
Despite strong sustainability intent, real-world use showed friction at the screen and handoff to the app (font size, unclear steps, Wi-Fi, QR timing) and operational pain points (bin fills quickly, slow/reactive scale, lid sometimes obscures the QR). We needed to clarify the journey, reduce scanning failures, and make the unit easier to maintain - while addressing trust and transparency concerns around what happens to donated clothes.
(02)
Challenge
Despite strong sustainability intent, real-world use showed friction at the screen and handoff to the app (font size, unclear steps, Wi-Fi, QR timing) and operational pain points (bin fills quickly, slow/reactive scale, lid sometimes obscures the QR). We needed to clarify the journey, reduce scanning failures, and make the unit easier to maintain - while addressing trust and transparency concerns around what happens to donated clothes.
(02)
Challenge
Despite strong sustainability intent, real-world use showed friction at the screen and handoff to the app (font size, unclear steps, Wi-Fi, QR timing) and operational pain points (bin fills quickly, slow/reactive scale, lid sometimes obscures the QR). We needed to clarify the journey, reduce scanning failures, and make the unit easier to maintain - while addressing trust and transparency concerns around what happens to donated clothes.
(03)
Methods & Key Insights
Methods: - 32 hours on site across 5 stores; 225 shoppers approached, 66 customer interviews, 47 staff interviews; donation sessions observed; questionnaire + notes. - Parallel capture of customer vs staff perspectives (screen comprehension, QR/app flow, hardware/placement), plus store-level comparisons. Key Insights (selected): - Screen & flow: Text often perceived too small; rarely read end-to-end; desire for a step-by-step guide like self-checkout; 6/10 struggle with QR; QR can disappear too quickly; some think the screen is touch. - App handoff: Many don’t know the app is needed for the voucher; store Wi-Fi issues block scanning; staff often resort to scanning a staff card instead. Customers still prefer voucher in app when it works. - Hardware/ops: Lid can cover the QR, scale slow (multi-bag drops), inner container small so the bin fills fast; teams want full-bin notifications. Placement sometimes causes misuse (used as trash). - Sustainability perception: Many think only H&M clothes are allowed; strong desire for transparency (“what happens to my clothes?”) and more in-store education; overall positive sentiment toward the initiative.
(03)
Methods & Key Insights
Methods: - 32 hours on site across 5 stores; 225 shoppers approached, 66 customer interviews, 47 staff interviews; donation sessions observed; questionnaire + notes. - Parallel capture of customer vs staff perspectives (screen comprehension, QR/app flow, hardware/placement), plus store-level comparisons. Key Insights (selected): - Screen & flow: Text often perceived too small; rarely read end-to-end; desire for a step-by-step guide like self-checkout; 6/10 struggle with QR; QR can disappear too quickly; some think the screen is touch. - App handoff: Many don’t know the app is needed for the voucher; store Wi-Fi issues block scanning; staff often resort to scanning a staff card instead. Customers still prefer voucher in app when it works. - Hardware/ops: Lid can cover the QR, scale slow (multi-bag drops), inner container small so the bin fills fast; teams want full-bin notifications. Placement sometimes causes misuse (used as trash). - Sustainability perception: Many think only H&M clothes are allowed; strong desire for transparency (“what happens to my clothes?”) and more in-store education; overall positive sentiment toward the initiative.
(03)
Methods & Key Insights
Methods: - 32 hours on site across 5 stores; 225 shoppers approached, 66 customer interviews, 47 staff interviews; donation sessions observed; questionnaire + notes. - Parallel capture of customer vs staff perspectives (screen comprehension, QR/app flow, hardware/placement), plus store-level comparisons. Key Insights (selected): - Screen & flow: Text often perceived too small; rarely read end-to-end; desire for a step-by-step guide like self-checkout; 6/10 struggle with QR; QR can disappear too quickly; some think the screen is touch. - App handoff: Many don’t know the app is needed for the voucher; store Wi-Fi issues block scanning; staff often resort to scanning a staff card instead. Customers still prefer voucher in app when it works. - Hardware/ops: Lid can cover the QR, scale slow (multi-bag drops), inner container small so the bin fills fast; teams want full-bin notifications. Placement sometimes causes misuse (used as trash). - Sustainability perception: Many think only H&M clothes are allowed; strong desire for transparency (“what happens to my clothes?”) and more in-store education; overall positive sentiment toward the initiative.
(04)
Result & Conclusion
Experience quality validated but blocked by clarity & infra: Customers rated the digital bin 8.4/10 on average; staff 7.3/10 - indicating strong potential if we fix clarity and connectivity. Actionable improvements shipped as recommendations: 1. Screen UX: larger type, persistent 1-2-3 guide, bigger/longer-visible QR, explicit “Use the H&M app to scan” cue. 2. App & infra: store-Wi-Fi checklist; keep voucher handoff resilient; reduce reliance on staff cards. 3. Hardware & ops: move QR out of lid area, larger fitted inner container, add bin-full alerts, review store placement to reduce misuse. 4. Trust & messaging: on-screen transparency module (“what happens to your clothes”), clarify that any brand can be donated. Impact: The study reframed the bin as a service journey (screen ↔ app ↔ ops), not a single device — giving H&M and ITAB a prioritized backlog that addresses behavior, copy, and maintenance holistically.
(04)
Result & Conclusion
Experience quality validated but blocked by clarity & infra: Customers rated the digital bin 8.4/10 on average; staff 7.3/10 - indicating strong potential if we fix clarity and connectivity. Actionable improvements shipped as recommendations: 1. Screen UX: larger type, persistent 1-2-3 guide, bigger/longer-visible QR, explicit “Use the H&M app to scan” cue. 2. App & infra: store-Wi-Fi checklist; keep voucher handoff resilient; reduce reliance on staff cards. 3. Hardware & ops: move QR out of lid area, larger fitted inner container, add bin-full alerts, review store placement to reduce misuse. 4. Trust & messaging: on-screen transparency module (“what happens to your clothes”), clarify that any brand can be donated. Impact: The study reframed the bin as a service journey (screen ↔ app ↔ ops), not a single device — giving H&M and ITAB a prioritized backlog that addresses behavior, copy, and maintenance holistically.
(04)
Result & Conclusion
Experience quality validated but blocked by clarity & infra: Customers rated the digital bin 8.4/10 on average; staff 7.3/10 - indicating strong potential if we fix clarity and connectivity. Actionable improvements shipped as recommendations: 1. Screen UX: larger type, persistent 1-2-3 guide, bigger/longer-visible QR, explicit “Use the H&M app to scan” cue. 2. App & infra: store-Wi-Fi checklist; keep voucher handoff resilient; reduce reliance on staff cards. 3. Hardware & ops: move QR out of lid area, larger fitted inner container, add bin-full alerts, review store placement to reduce misuse. 4. Trust & messaging: on-screen transparency module (“what happens to your clothes”), clarify that any brand can be donated. Impact: The study reframed the bin as a service journey (screen ↔ app ↔ ops), not a single device — giving H&M and ITAB a prioritized backlog that addresses behavior, copy, and maintenance holistically.
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