ABOUT INhabit
The INhabit app is aimed at raising awareness of climate change issues and cultivating an eco-conscious lifestyle through shared family activities. By providing activities and projects with eco-conscious themes, it will educate and cultivate mindfulness—in both kids and their network of family and friends.
The app name INhabit is play on the words “Inhabit” and “Habit,” roughly combining their definitions—“to occupy a regular practice.” My translation, the regular practice is one of developed everyday eco-friendly habits that becomes the norm in one’s occupied lifestyle. The primary target audience for the app is youths or tweens, who have been found through a study to have influence with their parents. I was moved by this finding as presented in the article “Teen Girls Are the Best at Convincing Parents That Climate Change Is Real, Study Finds...findings suggest that intergenerational chats are effective because adults tend to let their guard down when they talk to their kids. Parents may perceive their children as being ideologically-neutral, and the relationship between parent and child is a trustful one...” (Vice News)
App inspirations include Fitbit for its challenges and badges, Asana for its teamwork project management and collaboration, and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) for its creativity and beauty.
How It Works
INhabit posts a new weekly activity or challenge. Upon starting the challenge, the user can choose teammates from their social circle of family and friends within the app and provides a way to chat with the team. As users advance through the activity, the users can take pics of their progress which is collected in a photo album. And badges are awarded upon completion of the project.
The types of activities will change from week to week from planting a garden large or small, composting, recycling and signing petitions. The example in the prototype is an upcycling project to make reusable shopping bags from generously worn clothing. This helps reduce the production and consumption of plastic bags as well as reusing clothing that may normally be tossed out—both which would have ended up in a landfill.
The hamburger menu allows the user to visit the main pages including activity pages, the progress album and awarded badges. A resource page with links to climate change activist websites also is included in the menu.
Watch a video of the prototype.
User Testing Summary/Findings
“The app is user friendly for all ages! Easy to maneuver and very informative!”
“It would be great to show instructional videos for the weekly challenges as well. Would like to see maybe a project calendar shared by the family, this way you can also add environmental community events that the family can engage in as well.”
