Nuru Ryanga ,
Instructional Design Expert
Crafting impactful learning solutions
As a working mum, I pick up my kids from school in every evening. And every time we pass by a certain spot on our route, one of the kids will scrunch up their cute button nose and say, “Eeewww! This place smells like rotten eggs!”
On one such day, as we passed the landfill spot, I could see the kids scrunching up their noses, through my rearview mirror. But this time, with thoughtful faces, they said, “We need to find a way to get rid of all that garbage.”
My chest swelled up with pride. No longer were they complaining about the problem, they were actively thinking about a solution. And what better method to solve this problem than Design Science?
Previously on the Design Science blog series...
I introduced Design Science in a previous blog post: Design Science – The Origins. But to make sure we are all on the same page, Design Science is a way of solving real-world problems by using scientific principles, creativity, and empathy.
In this blog we explore how we can use Design Science to solve real-life problems like the one earlier described.
Litter Luma
Let’s imagine we are in a rapidly growing urban area called Litter Luma. Garbage collecting companies occasionally collect the waste – plastic mixed with glass, mixed with organic waste - and dump it in an already overflowing landfill close by. As you navigate the streets, you involuntary find yourself ‘playing’ hopscotch to avoid stepping on the waste littering the pavement.
What a dire situation! We can’t just stand by; we must do something! But we must do it systematically to get a sustainable and people-friendly solution.
The Design Science process
(i) Identify the problem
Litter Luma doesn’t have a proper waste management system.
The existing waste management systems in Litter Luma are inefficient, leading to overflowing landfills, littered streets, and environmental pollution. They aren’t equipped to handle the increasing amount of waste generated daily, and this threatens public health and the environment.
None of us are experts in waste management, so we must read, talk to experts, and research other waste management solutions being used elsewhere.
By doing this, we build a knowledge base (KB) - all the information about the problem, and past or current solutions that are attempting to solve it, stored in a structured way.
(ii) Define the objectives
Now, with all this information under our belts, we can make our main objective ‘to develop a smart waste management system for Litter Luma’.
We can even flesh it out a bit and integrate this proposed system with technologies and data-driven (from our knowledge base) solutions to enhance the waste collection, recycling, and disposal processes in Litter Luma.
(iii) Design and develop
Next, we can set about designing an innovation that will help us meet our goal.
Let’s provide enough bins in Litter Luma to reduce littering and encourage proper waste disposal. But where are the best places to put these bins for maximum effect?
Why not use data analytics and geographical mapping, to build a system that identifies the best locations for litter bins based on population density, foot traffic, and waste generation patterns?
Sounds good, but this doesn’t solve the problem of late garbage collection and the overflows that result from that.
To solve this, let's design bins with sensors that can monitor fill levels in real-time. So, when a bin is full, it automatically sends an alert to waste management teams for collection.
(iv) Demonstrate
Our prototype is ready and the only way we can know if it really works, is to test it out.
So, we go to the local authorities of Litter Luma with our product and after all the legalities have been taken care of, we launch our smart waste management system. We integrate our product with their system and then use it to place litter bins at optimal places.
To have enough time to sort out all the chinks in the armour, let's run it for 6 months with monthly monitoring (sort of like a pilot).
While the pilot is running, we closely monitor how our product is performing.
(v) Evaluate
During the test period, we continually identify problematic areas in our solution and modify them to suit the residents of Litter Luma better.
For instance, after placing the bins in optimal places, we discover that the litter in some places hasn’t reduced. We ask the residents why they aren’t using the bins and change the position of the bins based on their feedback. These insights expand our knowledge base and we use them to refine our solution.
(vi) Communicate
6 months later we review the results...
There has been a 40% increase in the use of litter bins by the residents of Litter Luma. We have also recorded a 60% improvement in the timely collection of garbage, by garbage collectors.
After designing an innovative product that solves a real-life problem, we should shout it out loud!
And I think it is high time we changed the name Litter Luma, to Litter-free Luma!
Conclusion
Well done team! Together we have used the Design Science process to create an innovation that has improved the lives of the people of Litter-free Luma by solving their waste management problem.
Let’s rest for now, because, in the final blog of this 3-part series, we will explore the framework we used to build the waste management software itself. Till we meet next...
