Problem
Designing a carbon footprint tracking feature for a travel app that helps people reduce their carbon footprint is an important problem to address because flying is a major contributor to global carbon emissions, and there is a growing need for more sustainable travel options. By providing users with information about carbon emissions and alternative modes of transportation, and by offering carbon offsetting options, the feature could help reduce travel's environmental impact and make it easier for people to make more sustainable choices. This is particularly relevant in the current context, where concerns about climate change and the need for rapid, unprecedented lifestyle change are at the forefront of public discourse. By addressing this problem, you can help to make a positive impact on the environment and contribute to the global effort to reduce carbon emissions.
Challenge
Design a carbon footprint tracking feature for a travel app that helps people reduce their carbon footprint.
List of Problems and Challenges
LACK OF ACCURATE OR COMPREHENSIVE DATA: It may be difficult to obtain accurate and comprehensive data about carbon emissions from different flights or transportation options, which could make it challenging to provide users with accurate and useful information.
USER BEHAVIOR CHANGE: It can be difficult to motivate people to change their behaviour, particularly when it comes to something as ingrained as travel habits. It may be challenging to persuade users to consider alternative modes of transportation or to offset their carbon emissions.
COMPLEXITY: Offsetting carbon emissions or finding more sustainable travel options can be complex and time-consuming. It may be challenging to design a feature that makes these options easy and convenient for users.
COST: Offsetting carbon emissions or choosing alternative modes of transportation may be perceived as more expensive by some users. It may be challenging to design a feature that makes these options accessible and affordable for a wide range of users.
COMPETITION: There may be other apps or services that offer similar features, and it could be challenging to differentiate your product and attract users.
LEGAL AND REGULATORY ISSUES: There may be legal or regulatory issues to consider when offering carbon offsetting options or providing information about carbon emissions, such as consumer protection laws or environmental regulations.
A few additional potential problems and challenges
USER TRUST: Some users may be sceptical of carbon offsetting or may be unfamiliar with the concept. It may be challenging to design a feature that inspires trust and confidence in users, and that effectively communicates the benefits and impact of offsetting.
USER ENGAGEMENT: It may be challenging to design a feature that is engaging and useful to users over the long term. You will need to consider how to keep users engaged and motivated to continue using the feature and reduce their carbon footprint.
TECHNICAL CHALLENGES: There may be technical challenges involved in integrating carbon offsetting options or other sustainability data into the flight search feature. You will need to consider how to design a feature that is reliable and easy to use, and that integrates seamlessly with the rest of the app.
MARKETING AND PROMOTION: It may be challenging to effectively promote and market the flight search feature to your target audience. You will need to consider how to effectively communicate the value and benefits of the feature to potential users, and how to stand out in a crowded market.
Summary
Flying contributes around 2.5% of global emissions, and with upwards of 50,000 planes expected to take to the skies by 2040, there is a growing need for more sustainable travel options. Some people are adopting a “flexitarian” approach to flying, reducing the number of flights they take, while others are offsetting their carbon emissions through investment in clean energy projects or by flying less.
Background
It is an important problem to address because flying is a major contributor to global carbon emissions, and there is a growing need for more sustainable travel options. By providing users with information about carbon emissions and alternative modes of transportation, and by offering carbon offsetting options, the feature could help to reduce the environmental impact of travel and make it easier for people to make more sustainable choices. This is particularly relevant in the current context, where concerns about climate change and the need for rapid, unprecedented change in lifestyles are at the forefront of public discourse. By addressing this problem, we can help to make a positive impact on the environment and contribute to the global effort to reduce carbon emissions.
Ideation Phase
Who could be the Audience?
The audience for this feature would include travellers who are concerned about the environmental impact of their travel, frequent flyers who want to reduce their carbon footprint, and environmentally-conscious individuals who want to make more sustainable travel choices. Potential motivations for using this feature could include a desire to reduce one’s carbon footprint and make a positive impact on the environment, a sense of personal responsibility for reducing one’s impact on climate change, and a desire to be more environmentally conscious in one’s daily life. Fears or concerns could include the perceived cost or inconvenience of alternative modes of transportation, a lack of knowledge about how to offset carbon emissions or find more sustainable travel options, and a fear of being judged by others for not flying.
CATEGORIES OF PEOPLE: The target audience for this feature could include a range of travellers, including business travellers, leisure travellers, eco-conscious travellers, and frequent flyers.
MOTIVATIONS AND FEARS: Potential motivations for using this feature could include a desire to reduce one’s carbon footprint and make a positive impact on the environment, a sense of personal responsibility for reducing one’s impact on climate change, and a desire to be more environmentally-conscious in one’s daily life. Fears or concerns could include the perceived cost or inconvenience of alternative modes of transportation, a lack of knowledge about how to offset carbon emissions or find more sustainable travel options, and a fear of being judged by others for not flying.
POTENTIAL SITUATIONS: People may face the problem of trying to reduce their carbon footprint when planning or booking travel, or when considering how to offset the emissions from past flights.
DIGITAL PRODUCTS: The carbon footprint tracking feature could be offered as a feature within a flight tickets app. Additionally, it could also be offered as a standalone app, or as a feature within other types of apps or digital products, such as a personal finance app or a wellness app. The feature could also be offered as a website or through other digital channels, such as email or social media.
Research
Rachel, 25 and David, 35
PERSONA 1: Rachel, 25 Rachel is a recent college graduate who is passionate about environmental issues and wants to reduce her carbon footprint. She frequently travels for work and leisure and is always looking for ways to make her travel more sustainable. Rachel is tech-savvy and loves trying out new apps and tools that can help her live a more sustainable lifestyle.
PERSONA 2: David, 35 David is a busy executive who travels frequently for work. He is conscious of the environmental impact of his travel, but often feels like he doesn’t have the time or resources to make more sustainable choices. David is looking for an easy and convenient way to offset his carbon emissions from travel and would be interested in an app that could help him do this quickly and efficiently.
Interview
Interview with Rachel, 25
Affinity Diagram
Affinity Diagram
💡 Users like Rachel would be interested in a flight search feature that displays carbon emissions estimates and offers offsetting options.
Users like Rachel would appreciate recommendations for alternative modes of transportation with lower carbon emissions.
Users like Rachel prefer to receive information about sustainability through in-app resources and social media.
Competitive background
Competitive background
**ATMOSFAIR **This is a carbon offsetting platform that allows users to offset the emissions from their flights, as well as from other activities such as driving and heating their homes. The platform provides users with a flight calculator that estimates the carbon emissions of a particular flight and allows them to offset these emissions by purchasing carbon credits.
**CARBON CONSCIOUS TRAVEL **A personal blog focused on raising awareness about different ways to travel, how to reduce carbon footprint, and giving suggestions from personal experiences.
**ECO ACT **EcoAct is an international climate consultancy and project developer, helping businesses and organizations succeed in their climate ambitions. Simplifying the challenges and complexities involved, we help you deliver sustainable business solutions for a low-carbon world.
**CLIMATE IMPACT PARTNERS **ClimateCare is a profit-for-purpose environmental and social impact company known for its role in providing carbon offset services, with a particular focus on using carbon and other results-based finance to support its ‘Climate+Care Projects’.
**CAPTURE **is a carbon footprint tracker that helps you learn more about your carbon emissions and carbon footprint from your daily lifestyle. Capture can help you towards achieving a sustainable lifestyle, whether through sustainable travel, reducing your dietary carbon footprint, or removing CO2 by offsetting the CO2 emissions you can’t avoid.
**AERIAL **is the easiest, most accurate way to manage your carbon footprint and sustainable lifestyle. We automatically track your emissions, give you an effortless way to offset them, and offer exclusive insights into how you can live sustainably.
**EARTH HERO **makes acting on climate change easily. It helps you take positive practical action in response to the climate emergency while discovering more satisfying ways to live. Earth Hero connects you to a global movement rising to the interconnected crises of climate change and rapid species loss. Choose from personalized actions in areas such as travel, food, energy, and advocacy. Compare your emissions reduction with science-based recommendations for a liveable planet.
**KLIMA **offers a simple way to live a carbon-neutral lifestyle. By calculating your carbon footprint and investing in climate projects that capture or prevent carbon emissions, you can offset 100% of your CO2e emissions in just a few minutes. In addition to offsetting your emissions, you can also learn how to reduce your carbon footprint and see the positive impact of your efforts.
Features
The carbon footprint calculator feature allows users to input information about their flight (such as distance, aircraft type, and class) and calculate the carbon emissions of the flight. This helps users understand the environmental impact of their travel and make more informed decisions. Carbon offsetting, offered by several competitors, involves purchasing carbon credits or investing in sustainability projects to offset the carbon emissions of flights. This can help users reduce the environmental impact of their travel and mitigate their carbon footprint. Some competitors offer features to help users find and book more sustainable travel options, such as lower-emission flights or alternative modes of transportation. Carbon footprint tracking features allow users to track their carbon emissions and carbon footprint over time, helping them understand their overall environmental impact and identify opportunities to make more sustainable choices. Educational resources provided by several competitors offer information on how to offset carbon emissions, choose more sustainable travel options, and make other lifestyle changes to reduce environmental impact.
Design ideas
Introducing a new idea of the Carbon Footprint Tracking feature for Flighty — you can track the environmental impact of your flights and make more sustainable travel choices. It will be possible to check the carbon emissions associated with each flight right in the app and compare them to alternatives, giving you the information you need to make more eco-friendly decisions.
Not only will this feature benefit the environment, but it will also be beneficial for passengers, who are becoming increasingly conscious of their impact on the planet.
note that this feature is not implemented in production. Design references were from the Aerial app
Additionally, this feature will also set the app apart from competitors and attract more users who are interested in sustainable travel. It could also help the company to position itself as a socially responsible app that cares about the environment and attract more loyal customers and sponsors.