Role
User Experience Designer
Team
Avi Athota, Cinya Lin, Lauren Carlin
Duration
6 Weeks
Overview
As part of our coursework at Georgia Tech, we were tasked to design an app aimed at addressing a UN Sustainable Development Goal. My team, Avi, Cinya, and Lauren, chose #11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.
Originally inspired by a collaboration between the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), which deployed decommissioned railcars off the coast of Savannah, Georgia to create artificial reefs for essential fish habitats, our app builds on this idea by expanding the possibilities of vehicle repurposing. It connects government agencies with community organizations through a searchable database of retired transit vehicles, streamlining their transformation into sustainable assets such as mobile libraries, laundry units for unhoused populations, or artificial reefs. By bridging logistical gaps, our platform empowers local groups to create meaningful, city-level impact while significantly reducing environmental waste.
My personal contributions include:
Helped conducted research into real-world examples of vehicle repurposing, such as reef restoration and mobile community services, to inform app features and user needs
Designed the brand, interface and created wireframes using Figma to visualize the app’s core functionalities
Presented the final prototype to classmates and instructors, highlighting how the platform supports sustainable resource use and sustainable urban development
How might we streamline the repurposing of decommissioned transit vehicles so that these assets can be transformed into sustainable public goods rather than ending up as waste?
Research Objectives
Identify the documentation and compliance requirements for transferring decommissioned vehicles.
Understand which repurposing use cases are most desirable and feasible for community and environmental organizations.
Learn the logistical factors that can influence successful vehicle transfers
User Interviews
Key Insights
From our research, we uncovered three main insights.
Goals
Keeping our research in mind, we made the following goals for our brand redesign:
Include a centralized vehicle database with filters by condition, size, location, and material
Provide vehicle specifications and compliance documentation on each listing.
Implement a matching/recommendation system for project fit.
Use a GIS map interface to highlight proximity and facilitate local reuse.
Design for both ends: government upload portals and community browsing tools.
First, we focused on establishing a clear and concise brand identity to guide our design process.
Mood Board
Next, we began by creating a mood board that explored a visual tone of our brand's values: sustainability, emotional connection, and transparency.
Naming and Sketching
Then I began sketching ideas for branding.
Inspired by MARTA and DNR’s artificial reef project, I designed a logo showing a sunken train slowly reclaimed by coral.
This concept guided the development of the app's name, SecondLife, which reflects the idea of giving these discarded vehicles a renewed purpose.
Final Design
After extensive research, iterative prototyping, and user testing, the following designs showcase the finalized interface of our app. Each screen and interaction reflect the insights from real-world vehicle repurposing projects, our user personas, and use-case scenarios.
These designs aim to make the process of connecting government agencies with community organizations intuitive and efficient, while visually reinforcing the app’s mission of sustainability and community impact.
Screen designs
Reflection
This project strengthened my ability to design for a specific audience. Although it felt uncomfortable conducting research in such unfamiliar industries, diving deeply into the problem space allowed us to gain insights that directly informed our design decisions. The process reinforced the importance of understanding our users’ needs before ideating solutions, ultimately leading to a concept that is both thoughtful and targeted.
Throughout this process, I deepened my understanding of UI and UX principles, strengthening my ability to create interfaces and experiences that are both intuitive and meaningful for users.