Verdo

The Problem

People want to live more sustainably but face confusion, guilt, or cognitive overwhelm. Most climate apps are guilt-heavy or overly technical — presenting raw metrics like "2.3 kg CO₂" that users don't understand, leading to high abandonment. There was a clear product gap: no system combined automatic habit logs with friendly, readable carbon translations.

My Role

This was a self-initiated solo concept project. I owned product research, user archetypes, user journey mapping, and the definition of the minimum viable experience.

Constraints

• Self-directed concept with no client or real database integrations — meaning focus was on strategy, research, and interaction exploration
• The core design challenge: motivate sustainable behaviors positively without resorting to streak pressure or eco-guilt

Process

Insight: People understand "You saved 1 tree," not "2.3 kg CO₂"

The central design reframe of Verdo was translation. I designed cards that mapped abstract carbon numbers into tangible physical comparisons (e.g. "Equivalent to powering a phone for 40 days") to help users visualize impact.

Decision: Two personas, one tension — the Eco Learner vs the Habit Builder

I developed two user archetypes: the Casual Green (wants quick, non-judgmental guidance) and the Consistency Seeker (needs daily reasons to log). The design balanced both by pairing passive ambient summaries with a deeper, opt-in log journal.

Decision: Reject guilt-triggers and streak-pressure mechanics

Many habit systems use aggressive push notifications and streaks that trigger loss-aversion anxiety. I chose a milestone model: logging carbon drops earns tokens used to fund real forestry projects, reinforcing habits with positive social impact.

Outcome

Completed user research and interaction flows. The design files serve as a comprehensive exploration of how translation-focused UI can reduce eco-anxiety and encourage daily user engagement.

Reflection

Designing concepts teaches you the value of bounds: without real engineering constraints, it is easy to over-design features that would be difficult to build.