Thesis project Better World Index
A thesis project that makes a difference
Yueming and Yiqian had heard about us at Together Tech, both through a student fair and through alumni from their master's program Interaction Design and Technologies, which they both studied at Chalmers University of Technology. During the winter of 2022, we had a degree project that piqued their interest, which focused on measuring sustainability impact through the development of a user-friendly web application with front-end development and UX design.
Sustainability was actually the reason why Yiqian chose to study in Sweden in addition to her continued development in UX design. Sustainability also interested Yueming and that she could focus on her passion for front-end development. Their first impression of Together Tech was a welcoming organization that cherishes diversity in the company!
Development of a web application to measure sustainability impact
At Together Tech, we use a method called Better World Index (BWi), to evaluate whether our projects contribute to the UN's global sustainability goals. Yueming and Yiqian were tasked with creating a user-friendly web application based on our existing BWi measurement system, which was previously used in the form of an Excel sheet. They conducted extensive fact-finding in sustainability and UX Design, with consultations with our sustainability experts to understand the structure of the BWI system.
Developmentprocess
A central part of their project was to understand the working methods and needs of our Business Unit Managers, who are users of the tool, and their wishes for the new application. Through interviews and a workshop, they gained insights into the users' needs and wishes. They followed the Design Sprint Methodology, a six-phase method created by Google. Yiqian created prototypes in Figma based on their sketches, and Yueming then developed the web application using JavaScript and React libraries.
Insights and lessons learned about sustainability and user-centered development
For Yueming and Yiqian, sustainability was a relatively new topic they explored during their degree project, highlighting its complexity and the interplay between the different global sustainability goals. By working in an organization, they gained insights that differed from school projects, such as that the users had limited time and required adaptations in the method of the thesis. During the development of the application, it was important to have close contact with the clients during the implementation of the design and to take into account the needs of both the users and the clients.
Having weekly support from mentors with expertise in UX design and front-end development, along with guidance from their leader Annika von Hofsten and from our sustainability experts, they highly valued. Thank you Yueming and Yiqian for creating a more user-friendly system, which our Business Unit Managers can use to measure sustainability in assignments and projects, your efforts promote sustainability and a better world!
