GreenPal
System Design Concept & App - Toyota Logistic Design Competition 2024
Project Overview
Project Duration
4 Months: September – December 2023
The Problem
The Toyota Logistic Design competition wanted designers to come up with ideas for how circular economy principles can be applied to logistics. Where waste is brought down to a minimum, and resources are used to create as little negative impact on the environment as possible.
The Goal
The challenge is to reimagine pallets, making them more sustainable, while also exploring how an innovative pallet tracking system could influence and improve the entire shipping process
My Role
All UX Design roles in a product design process and the design of the system
Responsibilities
Empathizing, Research & Interviews, Wireframing & App/System Design
Tools
Miro, Figma, Blender
USER RESEARCH REVEALED THAT…
Every day, pallets play a crucial role in global transportation of goods.
There are major logistical challenges and unsustainable waste associated with the pallet solutions in logistics today.
Research Revealed Three Major Pain Points..
Recycling
Current pallets pose recycling challenges, especially wooden ones with nails that must be removed before recycling. Other types of pallets face difficulties reaching recycling facilities, leading to increased waste and environmental strain.
Weight
Modern pallets are excessively heavy, causing logistical inefficiencies and increasing transportation costs.
Disputes
Current pallets contribute to ownership disputes due to a lack of standardized tracking systems, leading to logistical delays and increased operational costs.
How This Came To Light
Research
Insight into how the logistics industry worked, so desktop research on the topic was performed.
Field insight
Research lead us to understand how complex the logistic industry is, so the group needed to talk with professionals in the field. This way, the group could piece everything together and look deeper into real issues the user group experienced
User Group
By contacting professionals in the logistics industry, these were some insights:
1. Most Factories today outsource transportation of goods to other companies working only in the logistics area.
2. There are four parts: The manufacturer, the forward agency, the drivers and the costumer.
Todays System
After the research was done, the system of today got mapped out.
PESTEL-Analysis
Materials
Corrugated cardboard Pallets: Advantages and disadvantages
Pallet Manufacturing
Introducing GreenPal Corrugated Cardboard Pallets – a more durable, easily transportable, and eco-friendly alternative to traditional wooden pallets.
The highly recyclable nature of cardboard will not only improve the sustainability of pallets, but also lower their costs.
The pallets offer enhanced customisation over other pallets, allowing you to configure your own designs and feature your company’s brand and logos without hurting recyclability.
Each pallet is equipped with QR codes for convenient scanning using the dedicated GreenPal app.
GreenPal Application
With the GreenPal app, managing the lifecycle of companies GreenPal pallets becomes effortless. Once a company profile is set up, registering the new GreenPal pallets are a breeze – simply scan the QR codes using the app.
When a GreenPal pallet reaches its end-of-life, another quick QR code scan notifies owners of its expiration, suggesting a replacement. Companies can gain insights into their recycling contributions and identify other pallet owners.
Incentive to become part of the system: GreenPal Certification:
Attaining GreenPal Certification transforms companies into a vital partner within a larger community network. This emblem serves as a visible testament to companies ongoing environmental commitment, persisting as long as they continue their contributions.
Everyone involved plays a crucial role in the system, and will be rewarded by getting every pallet that gets sent to recycling counted, creating a collective commitment to sustainability.
The emblem will renew after each period of activity. They can download this emblem through the app and showcase it on their website.
Future System:
Future Business Model
The Concept
App High-Fidelity Prototype
Future System Pitch:
Takeaways
Impact
If the project would be further developed, it could have a significant impact on the environment. It would encourage recycling by offering incentives to individuals and businesses, fostering a sustainable approach to pallet management. It would also help companies adopt greener practices in pallet management, contributing to a more environmentally responsible corporate image.
What I Learned
I learnt a lot during this project. This project made me further develop my skills in designing, especially focusing on system design in this project. I also learned a lot about how to design for sustainability, give incentives for companies to adopt greener practices for the future.