The team went above and beyond for the second phase of the project by further analyzing and interpreting the data from our research. In order to facilitate moving forward in the design process, the team decided to use the collected data to develop personas representing possible groups of people that the research focus area affects. These personas would help guide the direction of the project and keep the team on the right track.
Persona 1:
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Matt is 21 years old. He is a very busy college student in his senior year, majoring in Mechanical Engineering. Matt is applying to and interviewing for several jobs in the industry and is still waiting to hear back. He is looking forward to securing a job with a good entry level salary.
Like 94.8% of respondents of the survey, Matt does not know exactly which types of plastics are recyclable and which are not. Also, Matt does not always recycle like 79.2% of the respondents.
Matt drinks pod-style coffee multiple times a week, often before running to his 8 am classes. Like approximately 79% of respondents who used pod style coffee, he throws the pod with everything it contains in the trash. Matt is unaware of how to properly recycle a pod, he also thinks it takes too much time to do that. On the other hand, he is a little concerned when he hears about the amount of waste that coffee pods create.
Persona 2:
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Steve is 30 years old and he works at a big construction engineering firm. He is a very hardworking employee and he is also trying to achieve work-life balance.
Unlike most people, Steve understands exactly the plastic recycling process and which types of plastics are, and are not recyclable. He knows that coffee pods can be an obstacle to recycling plastics.
Steve does not use pod-style coffee makers because he is trying to decrease pod waste. He uses the French press machine which he keeps in his office, however, he wishes there was a faster and more convenient way to make coffee which was also sustainable. He is not always able to adjust the brewing time and the flavor of his coffee, and wishes he could use an automatic machine without contributing to the huge amount of pod waste.