Humanely
Lowering barriers to boycotting
📱
iOS app developed in Swift
📱
iOS app developed in Swift
📱
iOS app developed in Swift
🧑🏻
Personal project
🧑🏻
Personal project
🧑🏻
Personal project
People are increasingly tying their consumer choices to their ethics and identity—opting to buy local, support small businesses, and boycott brands they don't agree with. Recent research by OpenText found 88% of global consumers say they prioritize buying from ethically-sourced companies. However, there are barriers to boycotting, including a lack of visibility of product alternatives and complicated brand ownership, making it unclear what to buy and what not to.
These issues inspired me to build Humanely, a mobile app that encourages ethical consumerism by making boycotting easier.
Project specs
This is a personal project—I researched, designed, and developed this app in Swift by myself. This work began in Summer 2022 and continues today.
Project specs
This is a personal project—I researched, designed, and developed this app in Swift by myself. This work began in Summer 2022 and continues today.
Project specs
This is a personal project—I researched, designed, and developed this app in Swift by myself. This work began in Summer 2022 and continues today.
Project specs
This is a personal project—I researched, designed, and developed this app in Swift by myself. This work began in Summer 2022 and continues today.
Solution
An app for ethical consumers
Solution
An app for ethical consumers
Solution
An app for ethical consumers
🌎
The practice of boycotting, simplified
I want the companies I buy from to align with my interests, but it's hard to keep track of multiple movements or companies, especially when it's unclear who owns what brand. I validated these pain points by interviewing 8 conscious consumers. As a result, I designed and developed Humanely to centralize boycotts, making ethical consumption more actionable.
🌎
The practice of boycotting, simplified
I want the companies I buy from to align with my interests, but it's hard to keep track of multiple movements or companies, especially when it's unclear who owns what brand. I validated these pain points by interviewing 8 conscious consumers. As a result, I designed and developed Humanely to centralize boycotts, making ethical consumption more actionable.
🌎
The practice of boycotting, simplified
I want the companies I buy from to align with my interests, but it's hard to keep track of multiple movements or companies, especially when it's unclear who owns what brand. I validated these pain points by interviewing 8 conscious consumers. As a result, I designed and developed Humanely to centralize boycotts, making ethical consumption more actionable.
🌎
The practice of boycotting, simplified
I want the companies I buy from to align with my interests, but it's hard to keep track of multiple movements or companies, especially when it's unclear who owns what brand. I validated these pain points by interviewing 8 conscious consumers. As a result, I designed and developed Humanely to centralize boycotts, making ethical consumption more actionable.
🔨
View interactive prototype
🔨
View interactive prototype
🔨
View interactive prototype
Research
What does ethical consumerism mean?
Process
Interviewing corporations
Research
What does ethical consumerism mean?
Research
What does ethical consumerism mean?
To enable people to be more conscious consumers, I need to understand: what does ethical consumerism mean to different people? How do people learn about campaigns, decide what companies to boycott or support, and how does that choice show up in their spending and social habits?
👥
What do people think and feel about boycotting?
I wrote an interview protocol, making sure to avoid leading questions, and reached out to recruit participants. I asked people both about their practical habits around boycotting, and the high-level emotions they feel before, during, and after it. In the Miro board below, I collected and synthesized insights about consumerism.
👥
What do people think and feel about boycotting?
I wrote an interview protocol, making sure to avoid leading questions, and reached out to recruit participants. I asked people both about their practical habits around boycotting, and the high-level emotions they feel before, during, and after it. In the Miro board below, I collected and synthesized insights about consumerism.
👥
What do people think and feel about boycotting?
I wrote an interview protocol, making sure to avoid leading questions, and reached out to recruit participants. I asked people both about their practical habits around boycotting, and the high-level emotions they feel before, during, and after it. In the Miro board below, I collected and synthesized insights about consumerism.
👥
What do people think and feel about boycotting?
I wrote an interview protocol, making sure to avoid leading questions, and reached out to recruit participants. I asked people both about their practical habits around boycotting, and the high-level emotions they feel before, during, and after it. In the Miro board below, I collected and synthesized insights about consumerism.
📝
What are the existing solutions?
To investigate how people are currently discovering and engaging with boycotts, I looked up any comparable solution or workaround and identified their strengths and pain points.
📝
What are the existing solutions?
To investigate how people are currently discovering and engaging with boycotts, I looked up any comparable solution or workaround and identified their strengths and pain points.
📝
What are the existing solutions?
To investigate how people are currently discovering and engaging with boycotts, I looked up any comparable solution or workaround and identified their strengths and pain points.
📝
What are the existing solutions?
To investigate how people are currently discovering and engaging with boycotts, I looked up any comparable solution or workaround and identified their strengths and pain points.
"Company values on inclusivity and sustainability, including fair trade and the environment, are important to me."
These values are popular lenses through which consumers view companies. How can this aid discovery of new campaigns people care about?
"Company values on inclusivity and sustainability, including fair trade and the environment, are important to me."
These values are popular lenses through which consumers view companies. How can this aid discovery of new campaigns people care about?
"Company values on inclusivity and sustainability, including fair trade and the environment, are important to me."
These values are popular lenses through which consumers view companies. How can this aid discovery of new campaigns people care about?
"Company values on inclusivity and sustainability, including fair trade and the environment, are important to me."
These values are popular lenses through which consumers view companies. How can this aid discovery of new campaigns people care about?
"I talk to my friends about things we DO buy more than what we DON'T buy."
Boycotting isn't the only way to shop consciously—people often want to talk about what brands and companies they're supporting, and why.
"I talk to my friends about things we DO buy more than what we DON'T buy."
Boycotting isn't the only way to shop consciously—people often want to talk about what brands and companies they're supporting, and why.
"I talk to my friends about things we DO buy more than what we DON'T buy."
Boycotting isn't the only way to shop consciously—people often want to talk about what brands and companies they're supporting, and why.
"I talk to my friends about things we DO buy more than what we DON'T buy."
Boycotting isn't the only way to shop consciously—people often want to talk about what brands and companies they're supporting, and why.
"I don't know [which company] owns what, and when I'm in the store, it takes time to look."
Company and brand ownership is obscure information. Finding that information while shopping in person takes people out of their flows.
"I don't know [which company] owns what, and when I'm in the store, it takes time to look."
Company and brand ownership is obscure information. Finding that information while shopping in person takes people out of their flows.
"I don't know [which company] owns what, and when I'm in the store, it takes time to look."
Company and brand ownership is obscure information. Finding that information while shopping in person takes people out of their flows.
"I don't know [which company] owns what, and when I'm in the store, it takes time to look."
Company and brand ownership is obscure information. Finding that information while shopping in person takes people out of their flows.
Process
Defining a v1.0
Process
Translating complexity to usability
Process
Defining a v1.0
Process
Defining a v1.0
In my professional work, I usually empathize with the developer because of my own technical background. This time, I especially understood the technical constraints, since I was both the designer and developer of this personal project! Learning and using SwiftUI at the same time was a challenge, so I knew I had to scope a v1.0 very well to get this project to release ASAP. I wireframed and prototyped several ideas to deliver value based on what I identified in research.
(Figma may take a moment)
View interactive prototype
(Figma may take a moment)
View interactive prototype
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View interactive prototype
🔨
View interactive prototype
🔨
View interactive prototype
Personalization through identity
I designed a robust onboarding flow for users to personalize their feed, reflecting how people represent their values through how they shop. To boost conversion rates as much as possible, I emphasized a sense of progress using the progress bar to keep users invested to complete onboarding.
Personalization through identity
I designed a robust onboarding flow for users to personalize their feed, reflecting how people represent their values through how they shop. To boost conversion rates as much as possible, I emphasized a sense of progress using the progress bar to keep users invested to complete onboarding.
Personalization through identity
I designed a robust onboarding flow for users to personalize their feed, reflecting how people represent their values through how they shop. To boost conversion rates as much as possible, I emphasized a sense of progress using the progress bar to keep users invested to complete onboarding.
Personalization through identity
I designed a robust onboarding flow for users to personalize their feed, reflecting how people represent their values through how they shop. To boost conversion rates as much as possible, I emphasized a sense of progress using the progress bar to keep users invested to complete onboarding.
Personalization through identity
I designed a robust onboarding flow for users to personalize their feed, reflecting how people represent their values through how they shop. To boost conversion rates as much as possible, I emphasized a sense of progress using the progress bar to keep users invested to complete onboarding.
(Figma may take a moment)
View interactive prototype
(Figma may take a moment)
View interactive prototype
(Figma may take a moment)
View interactive prototype
(Figma may take a moment)
View interactive prototype
Discovering campaigns
By quickly representing how campaigns relate to users' interests and values, people can better discover campaigns relevant to them. By offering concise, critical information, users can easily decide if they want to get involved.
Discovering campaigns
By quickly representing how campaigns relate to users' interests and values, people can better discover campaigns relevant to them. By offering concise, critical information, users can easily decide if they want to get involved.
Discovering campaigns
By quickly representing how campaigns relate to users' interests and values, people can better discover campaigns relevant to them. By offering concise, critical information, users can easily decide if they want to get involved.
Discovering campaigns
By quickly representing how campaigns relate to users' interests and values, people can better discover campaigns relevant to them. By offering concise, critical information, users can easily decide if they want to get involved.
Discovering campaigns
By quickly representing how campaigns relate to users' interests and values, people can better discover campaigns relevant to them. By offering concise, critical information, users can easily decide if they want to get involved.
🔨
View interactive prototype
🔨
View interactive prototype
🔨
View interactive prototype
(Figma may take a moment)
View interactive prototype
(Figma may take a moment)
View interactive prototype
(Figma may take a moment)
View interactive prototype
(Figma may take a moment)
View interactive prototype
Meeting users where they're at
One of the major reasons for building Humanely on iOS was to leverage the camera. In research, I had identified in-person conscious shopping as a pain point because of the obscurity of information. I decided to leverage the camera to scan and quickly report to users whether they should boycott, simplifying the flow with actionable insights based on brand and company information.
Meeting users where they're at
One of the major reasons for building Humanely on iOS was to leverage the camera. In research, I had identified in-person conscious shopping as a pain point because of the obscurity of information. I decided to leverage the camera to scan and quickly report to users whether they should boycott, simplifying the flow with actionable insights based on brand and company information.
Meeting users where they're at
One of the major reasons for building Humanely on iOS was to leverage the camera. In research, I had identified in-person conscious shopping as a pain point because of the obscurity of information. I decided to leverage the camera to scan and quickly report to users whether they should boycott, simplifying the flow with actionable insights based on brand and company information.
Meeting users where they're at
One of the major reasons for building Humanely on iOS was to leverage the camera. In research, I had identified in-person conscious shopping as a pain point because of the obscurity of information. I decided to leverage the camera to scan and quickly report to users whether they should boycott, simplifying the flow with actionable insights based on brand and company information.
Meeting users where they're at
One of the major reasons for building Humanely on iOS was to leverage the camera. In research, I had identified in-person conscious shopping as a pain point because of the obscurity of information. I decided to leverage the camera to scan and quickly report to users whether they should boycott, simplifying the flow with actionable insights based on brand and company information.
🔨
View interactive prototype
🔨
View interactive prototype
🔨
View interactive prototype
Process
Reducing scope for high-fi
Process
Reducing scope for high-fi
Process
Reducing scope for high-fi
Process
Reducing scope for high-fi
Because I was learning SwiftUI as I was designing this project, I found both technical and logistical challenges as I built: how would I source and post up-to-date information to initially populate the app? Could I get the camera working, and find a product API to check barcodes against?
Based on these challenges, I iterated to a reduced v1.0 that prioritizes 3 features: a feed of campaigns organized by users' values, profile and sharing features to align with how users want to convey their identity as ethical consumers, and the scanner to make conscious shopping more convenient.
🌱
Visual campaigns, organized by values
In earlier iterations, I found campaigns of only text or text with small images to look clinical, like a catalog. Because I want this app's tone to be passionate and for users to feel impactful, I built large, visual campaign cards. To further emphasize a sense of community, I made the follower count visible from this preview.
🌱
Visual campaigns, organized by values
In earlier iterations, I found campaigns of only text or text with small images to look clinical, like a catalog. Because I want this app's tone to be passionate and for users to feel impactful, I built large, visual campaign cards. To further emphasize a sense of community, I made the follower count visible from this preview.
🌱
Visual campaigns, organized by values
In earlier iterations, I found campaigns of only text or text with small images to look clinical, like a catalog. Because I want this app's tone to be passionate and for users to feel impactful, I built large, visual campaign cards. To further emphasize a sense of community, I made the follower count visible from this preview.
🌱
Visual campaigns, organized by values
In earlier iterations, I found campaigns of only text or text with small images to look clinical, like a catalog. Because I want this app's tone to be passionate and for users to feel impactful, I built large, visual campaign cards. To further emphasize a sense of community, I made the follower count visible from this preview.
📸
Shareable visuals for social media
Humanely isn't a social network—for a v1.0, I know I need to leverage users' existing channels to share information on campaigns. By designing the share flow to be easy and aesthetic, I adapt to users' existing habits. A possible opportunity here would be to brand (likely positive campaign images) with Humanely's logo, to bring new users to the app.
📸
Shareable visuals for social media
Humanely isn't a social network—for a v1.0, I know I need to leverage users' existing channels to share information on campaigns. By designing the share flow to be easy and aesthetic, I adapt to users' existing habits. A possible opportunity here would be to brand (likely positive campaign images) with Humanely's logo, to bring new users to the app.
📸
Shareable visuals for social media
Humanely isn't a social network—for a v1.0, I know I need to leverage users' existing channels to share information on campaigns. By designing the share flow to be easy and aesthetic, I adapt to users' existing habits. A possible opportunity here would be to brand (likely positive campaign images) with Humanely's logo, to bring new users to the app.
📸
Shareable visuals for social media
Humanely isn't a social network—for a v1.0, I know I need to leverage users' existing channels to share information on campaigns. By designing the share flow to be easy and aesthetic, I adapt to users' existing habits. A possible opportunity here would be to brand (likely positive campaign images) with Humanely's logo, to bring new users to the app.
🛒
Empathizing with shoppers
Once I validated the pain point of in-person conscious shopping, I designed the scanner flow to be as direct as possible. Users don't need to spend time on Wikipedia chasing down corporate structures—Humanely tells users directly whether they should boycott or support a product based on the campaigns they've followed. I invested time getting the information hierarchy right here to mirror the shopping user flow.
🛒
Empathizing with shoppers
Once I validated the pain point of in-person conscious shopping, I designed the scanner flow to be as direct as possible. Users don't need to spend time on Wikipedia chasing down corporate structures—Humanely tells users directly whether they should boycott or support a product based on the campaigns they've followed. I invested time getting the information hierarchy right here to mirror the shopping user flow.
🛒
Empathizing with shoppers
Once I validated the pain point of in-person conscious shopping, I designed the scanner flow to be as direct as possible. Users don't need to spend time on Wikipedia chasing down corporate structures—Humanely tells users directly whether they should boycott or support a product based on the campaigns they've followed. I invested time getting the information hierarchy right here to mirror the shopping user flow.
🛒
Empathizing with shoppers
Once I validated the pain point of in-person conscious shopping, I designed the scanner flow to be as direct as possible. Users don't need to spend time on Wikipedia chasing down corporate structures—Humanely tells users directly whether they should boycott or support a product based on the campaigns they've followed. I invested time getting the information hierarchy right here to mirror the shopping user flow.
Process
Continuing work
Process
Continuing work
Process
Continuing work
Process
Continuing work
I've recently completed development on a beta of Humanely with core functionality, and am now working on implementing the share functionality, and the onboarding. On the backend, I'll be building out the database of brands and companies.
I plan to submit Humanely to the App Store for approval in Q1 of 2025! I'm also currently thinking about the product launch, including how to foster organic word-of-mouth growth through social media like Reddit and dedicated platforms like ProductHunt.