Climate-tech · Fintech · 2025
Carbon Wallet
A consumer climate-tech product that makes carbon footprint tracking, offsetting, and rewards easier to understand.
Overview
Project overview
Carbon Wallet helps everyday people understand and reduce their carbon footprint. I designed a system that translates abstract emissions data into clear, motivating actions.
01
The problem
Carbon is invisible and intimidating. Existing tools either over-simplified to the point of being meaningless or buried users in charts they couldn't act on.
02
My role
I owned product and UI design — defining the data model with engineering, designing the visual language, and building an interactive prototype for user testing.
03
Who we designed for
Climate-conscious individuals aged 22–40 who want to act but feel overwhelmed by guilt-driven, jargon-heavy sustainability apps.
04
Research
- Diary study with 9 participants over two weeks.
- Card sorting to define meaningful footprint categories.
- Reviewed peer-reviewed methodology for emissions estimates.
- A/B concept tests on framing: 'reduce' vs 'reward'.
05
Key insights
Positive framing outperformed guilt-based messaging 3:1.
Users trusted the number more when the method was visible.
Small, repeatable actions sustained engagement better than big pledges.
A 'wallet' metaphor made carbon feel ownable and trackable.
06
Design decisions
Carbon as a balance
Framed emissions as a balance you actively manage — earn green credits, spend on verified offsets.
Readable data viz
Designed a restrained chart system: one hero metric, progressive disclosure for detail seekers.
Streaks that respect users
Gentle nudges and streaks that reward consistency without manipulative dark patterns.
07
Final solution
A warm, trustworthy wallet interface where the headline footprint, weekly trends, and verified offset marketplace live together — turning climate anxiety into momentum.
Impact
The impact
4.8★
Average store rating
2.3×
Weekly active engagement
61%
Took a low-carbon action
Reflection
What I learned
- Transparency of method built more trust than a prettier dashboard ever could.
- Designing for hope, not guilt, fundamentally changed retention.
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