Reimagining unused electronics management
CASE STUDY
8 min read
Overview
Hibe is a service that encourages sustainable repurposing of "hibernating" electronics through easy drop-offs at mobile van events, secure data destruction, and partnerships with food couriers and local charities for refurbishment or resale.
Award
Winner of Ford Smart Mobility Challenge
Role
Project Leader, Service Designer
Skills
Service Design
Stakeholder Management
User Research & Prototyping
Lean UX & Futurestate Design Methodologies
Project Duration
February - September 2024
We all have them – old phones, tablets, cameras – tucked away in drawers, gathering dust. Why is it a problem?
After being forgoten, countless small electronics often end up as general waste, harming the environment and missing opportunities for community growth.
These electronics "in hibernation" represent a significant problem, both environmentally and socially. Current UK recycling systems just aren't cutting it with lack of accessibility to electronics disposal options.
Hibe transforms unused electronics into opportunities for positive change, one device at a time.
We're making it easy and rewarding to give those forgotten gadgets a new purpose.
Here's how it works, through the journey of Alex, one of our target users:
In a rapid, week-long sprint, we identified the core problem and crafted a vision for a sustainable Charnwood by 2030.
"It's 2030, Charnwood is the national leader in managing hibernating small to medium-sized electronics, eliminating 80% of those items, and creating a circular economy among the local population"
Futurestate Design Workshop
1
User Stories
1
Ecosystem Gigamapping
1
Assumption based service details
1
Existing competitors struggle to to adress the main customer pain point, by primarily accepting only functional devices.
This limited approach restricts community impact and fails to address the full scope of the problem of less functional devices and limits community impact.
We dove deep to understand people's motivations and connect with key stakeholders.
Our goal was to uncover why people hold onto their electronics and discover what might finally motivate them to let go. We used flyers, a Facebook prototype, and storyboards to guide four prototyping sessions with a repair shop owner, a second-hand shop employee, and two individuals with sentimental attachments to their devices.
Flyer Prototype
1
Interview
1
Card Sorting
1
Constant iteration and validation were key to shaping the Hibe service. Weekly design critiques and retrospectives fueled our rapid progress.
We put our user journey to the test with a MVP at Loughborough Market, in partnership with Charnwood Borough Council.
This event, supporting the Air Ambulance Service, allowed us to directly engage with the public, understand their motivations, and refine our user journey. We explored charity preferences, data migration needs, and user types, gathering invaluable real-world feedback.
47 people approached
Lack of motivation is a key barrier. Real charitable choices of where the donated devices go and post-donation feedback boost it.
Our analysis of prototyping sessions and user engagement highlighted clear trends in user motivations:
Insight #1
Attachment to Small Electronics
People form stronger attachments to small, personal devices (phones, cameras) than to larger appliances. This solidified our focus on small-to-medium electronics.
Insight #2
Choice, Not Rewards, Motivates Users
We learned that users are driven by the choice of where their donated items go, prioritising emotional satisfaction over material incentives.
Insight #3
Charitable Giving Motivates
The ability to support a chosen charity is a powerful motivator for breaking the emotional bond with unused electronics.
Insight #4
Keeping Items “Just in Case”
The primary reason people hold onto electronics isn't sentimentality, but rather the potential for future use, even if that potential is unlikely to be realised.
Switching to face-to-face events
We initially focused on an app for value assessment and mail-in returns. We pivoted to incorporate Hibe Van events after realizing the importance of face-to-face interaction for building trust and community.
Added supporting charities
We moved away from monetary incentives, discovering that users were more motivated by contributing to local charities. We reinvest a portion of our profits back into the Hibe ecosystem.
Changing focus to circular economy
We narrowed our focus to small and medium-sized devices in any condition, recognizing the significant environmental impact and market gap in handling unusable items. We extend product lifespans through repair and refurbishment, and responsibly recycle unusable items for raw materials.
Discarded the value assessment component
We initially planned an app that would assess the monetary value of items. We pivoted to a much more streamlined and convenient solution: integrating directly with the food delivery app - collecting the items along with the food delivery, eliminating the need for separate logistics and maximising convenience.
Hibe's revenue comes from data migration services and a portion of electronics resale, all reinvested to support our mission.
Users can conveniently drop off items at Hibe Van events or through our logistics partner while picking up their food. Devices are then carefully sorted at our warehouse based on functionality.
As a social enterprise, Hibe blends profit and purpose, creating value for all stakeholders.
We support charities, provide a sustainable supply chain for businesses, and foster community engagement across economic, social, psychological, and ecological dimensions.
What I learned from the project
I learned to embrace iteration. At first, I was quite attached to my original ideas, but as the project progressed, I realised the importance of being flexible. Once we began embracing feedback and iterating, the service improved significantly.
Balancing detail with flexibility is key. While planning is important, we occasionally over-focused on certain details. Going forward, I’ll focus more on staying adaptable and responsive to insights as they emerge.
Team synergy really matters. Initially, we had to adjust to different working styles, but we quickly found ways to make the most of each other’s strengths. In future projects, I’d ensure that roles and responsibilities are clearly defined early on to enhance productivity.
Presenting and interacting with stakeholders helped me build confidence. I learned to adapt quickly and appreciate new perspectives, and reinforced how important empathy and openness are when collaborating across teams and disciplines.
