International Ergonomics Conference HWWE 2014

Exploring biogenic waste management through user centered design process and social practice transformation in public systems through Design Thinking and

Macroergonomic approach. (DT-MEAD)

Amit Kundal *, Dr. Jayanta Chatterjee **.

* PhD Student, Design Programme, IIT Kanpur, Kanpur, India.** Professor IME Department, Design Programme IIT Kanpur, Kanpur, India.

ABSTRACT

This paper is based on select dimensions of ongoing research on biogenic waste management in urban communities. The paper also explores emerging area of research on user centric systems oriented macro ergonomics analysis and design (MEAD) as a catalyst of an organic self-sustaining trans-theoretical model for complex social practice transformation. This can contribute to institutionalization of innovative green practices in urban utilities.

Disposal of biogenic domestic waste of large campuses, urban communities or in service organizations like hotel, hostels, restaurant’s, that are far away from the landfill site pose complex problems as cities expand and population density continue to increase. Technical solutions based on waste segregation at origin and at every stage are available but often the implementations are tardy because the solutions are technically robust but lack social empathy and user centricity. Macro ergonomics analysis based systems approach implemented through Design Thinking based product-process innovation can vastly improve the outcome, particularly if such innovations are co-created with users and influencers.

Keywords - Biogenic, Design Thinking, Food waste, Macro ergonomics, Waste management

International Ergonomics Conference HWWE 2014

1. INTRODUCTION The socio-cultural and technological problems that designers need to perceive engage with and respond to are growing in complexity and scope. India’s growth story has created the escalating problem of domestic and industrial waste. The main driver for domestic waste is the rapid urbanization that is slated to change India from a largely rural to a majority urban country in the next decade.

Disposal of biogenic domestic waste of large campuses, urban communities or in service organizations like hotel, hostels, restaurant’s, that are far away from the landfill site is one of the most difficult system service and operational problems faced in any large city. With and increasing no of household growing the nature of the problem in growing more and more complex every year. Large scale institutes like IIT’S also face the same set of issues where waste disposal and its supply chain leads to economic damages and also more importantly environmental hazards. The volume of waste generated in IIT Kanpur campus is increasing with new infrastructure being built in campus for facilitating new members of the community and maintain state of the art facilities. A solution is needed to overcome this complex problem. This research is done for redesigning the meaning of waste by developing a Product-Service-Business approach with empathy and user centricity.

2.METHODOLOGY

This research will be using Design thinking through Design probes and stages of Macro Ergonomic Analysis and Design (MEAD). MEAD is one of the macro ergonomic methods that consist of stages used for assessing and improving the work systems.

Three criteria can be gleaned for selecting an effective work system design approach:

A. Joint design:

The approach should be human centered and require design of the personnel subsystem jointly with that of the technological subsystem. Further, as part of the approach’s human-centeredness, it should allow for extensive employee participation throughout the design process.

B. Humanized task approach:

The function and task allocation process should first consider whether there is a need for a human to perform a given function or task before making the allocation to humans or machines.

C. Consider the system’s sociotechnical characteristics:

The approach should systematically evaluate the organization’s sociotechnical system characteristics and then integrate them into the work system’s design.

2.1 Assumptions developed as we explored

Better-designed containers/ kitchen bins will encourage segregated garbage collection. Effective collection in the domestic unit will enhance the efficiency of the community system. The composting route has a higher probability of success as opposed to biogas etc. because user can directly participate in co creating the solution.

2.2 Social Structure of Indian Urban Population

Urbanization process leads to concentration of non-agricultural population in urban areas where the sizes of family are not only smaller but many of them are migrants who live alone in their house. The per capita expenditure on food items in urban areas as a whole is almost 46 percent higher than rural counterpart. The share of food in consumer expenditure was 44.4 percent in urban India and 57 percent in rural India. Simultaneously, almost all of the urban dwellers are net food buyers and they also have higher purchasing power than rural area. They undervalue the cost, effort and requirements foodstuffs. They do not know how to use food items efficiently. Therefore many of them buy too much food and contribute to the household food waste. Many rich Indians do not eat the previous day's food and they either give leftovers to their servant or throw it into the dustbin. Some times a family with small children throws out much of the uneaten leftover fresh food as many of them refuse to eat the prepared meal. WRAP’s research suggests that the influence of children on food waste is significant. Shopping trips with our children tend to lead to over-purchasing due to pester power and those of us with young children prefer to over rather than under-purchase, so that

International Ergonomics Conference HWWE 2014

we don’t m run out of provisions. Waste handling in urban India is also done with the help of domestic workers. It is widely considered a social taboo to handle waste on your own. Lot of people in urban India employee someone who handle their waste and hence are not part of the entire waste management cycle and also are unaware about economic viability waste can generate.

2.3. Why Design Thinking and Macroergonomic approach (DT-MEAD).

Characteristics of the waste management problems exhibit wicked problem properties because there are many stake holder, many agents/ actors and their problem views are quite different and often volatile.

Design thinking is ability to recognize patterns in complex situations, and construct ideas that are empathetic to the user. Design thinking with an integrated approach of the design process looks to solve and understand complex domain like waste management. A macro ergonomic approach focuses on the human, the organization, the environment, and the machine as a more ample system, not restricting itself to questions relating to the workplace (Hendrick and Keiner 2002). MEAD was originally designed to evaluate workplaces. In this study this method will be applied to study product use as well.

As we are addressing a complex issue of waste, the social behavior of the user is a significant contributor to the research and findings and A unification of both domains Design Thinking (DT) and Macroergonomic Analysis Design (MEAD) leads to a coherent conclusion, where MEAD help in developing a logical system with the attitude and behavior of the user as its core and DT helps in empathetically connecting the dots in a system to form patterns and deliver solution.

2.4 DT MEAD Transtheoretical model of design inspired change.

Solving issues related to waste and its components require solving lot of behavioral issues. Design Thinking and products well design can foster in addressing such challenges. A well-designed bin will encourage people to segregate waste and over a period of time it will become a behavioral change over generations.

It is an emerging area of research interest on product design and user interface design as catalyst for an organic self-sustaining trans-theoretical model for complex social practice transformation. Design Affordance and Design semiotics play an important role in social practice transformation.

Transtheoretical Model of Change, by Prochaska & DiClemente, 1983

2.5 Investigating through the medium of Design Probe

Design probes are an approach of user-centered design for understanding human phenomena and exploring design opportunities. The literature and the experiences from several probe studies suggest three features describing the probes in this book (Mattelmäki 2005). The first emphasizes the user’s active role in recording the material. The second and the third show similarities with the characteristics of applied ethnography (Sanders 2002). Probes are based on user participation by means of self-documentation. The users or potential users collect and document the material, working as active participants in the user-centered design process. They explore new opportunities rather than solve problems that are known already. Probes are meant to support both the designers and the users in their interpretations and creativity. They are used to ask the users to experiment, express and explicate their experiences. The probe process intending dialogue emphasizes discussion at both tuning in probing and interpretation stage. Meeting, workshops, brainstorming sessions were conducted to encourage the dialogue. In this research probes are used throughout the design process to facilitate discussions and dialogue with the users and potential users.

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Probes: Mattelmäki 2005

Figure 1: Applied probe in a composting pilot project setting at IIT Kanpur

3. Stages of Macro Ergonomic Analysis and Design (MEAD)

3.1. Defining the Design Framework of the System Environment and Organization.

The current waste management system in IIT Kanpur is shown in Fig. 2, which consists of input, process, and output.

3.2. Defining the Design Framework of the pilot project of composting its implementation and working.

3.3. Defining the Type and Setting the Performance Expectation of the Work System

It is found that the problems faced by Institutes works department and external agency affects the performance of this work system. These problems are as following:

Transportation Facilities of waste for external and internal commuting.

Human resource for waste handling.

The Increase in the quantity of total collected waste.

Budget for funding for all the waste management activities.

User participation.

Enforcement through awareness.

3.4. Define Operation Units and Work Process

Fig. below shows the operation units and the details of the work processes, actors, goals, and facilities used for each operation units. The operations units of waste management are divided into four units, namely:

International Ergonomics Conference HWWE 2014

Waste disposed by residents.

Waste collected at waste bins.

Waste transported to facility.

Waste is processed.

4. RESEARCH STUDY ANALYSES.

Design Probes and MEAD method used in data collection is proven to be able to assess work systems starting form macro-scale in this case is waste management system. It also then suggests an effective solution that could be done in micro-scale, which in this case is redesigning the product service system based composting solution. The stages in Design Process assures that the new case of composting solution bin is effective and innovative, which also solves the needs of residents in IIT Kanpur and similarly other large institutes, apartment’s, hotels and other facilities.

In Study I, 26 participants were observed and conversations were initiated and recorded over a period of three months to explore their perceptions and attitudes towards food waste, revealing the most wasted food types and reasons for food wastage. The findings of Study I were clustered under four phases of food handling: acquisition, preparation, consumption and storage. With the help of study I, the food waste problem in domestic kitchens and user behavior became clear.

The attitudes that we have towards purchasing food can influence the way we shop and how much food we waste at home. Most respondents indicated that they feel guilty when they waste food (82%). Although most respondents (79%) claimed they thought about how much food they would use, just 57% indicated that they are careful about buying foods that they know will be used. This suggests a disparity between thinking about how much will be

used and following through with the corresponding purchasing behavior.

Most respondents (70%) indicated they only buy the amount of fruit and vegetables they need, while 15% indicated they buy the best value fruit and vegetables even if it is more than what they need.

Individuals can waste food intentionally and unintentionally. Study was devised to discern the behaviors of individuals falling into these two categories. However, some individuals may not be aware of what they waste, whilst others may not waste any food at all. We tried to divide participant’s behaviors into intentional and unintentional food wasting. Afterwards, the participants were asked several questions to learn whether food wastage is really a problem according to their perception.

5. A STEP TO SUSTAINABLE COMPOSTING SOLUTION FOR INDIAN CONSUMER

Based on the results from the previous chapter and from the knowledge generated from literature and users from the previous chapters a three-way solution for Indian market was envisaged. Indian household are not used to self-motivated segregation for successful composting activity, hence it was important to construct entire system around the composting so as to ensure that composting becomes a part of everyday activity.

Below is the illustration and 3 dimensions of the proposed direction to look in the issue of food waste and its behavior.

5.1 The three parts to consider for a successful composting system in India

A) Inside

Problem: Waste separation

Discussion: A bio bin to promote awareness and encourage waste separation.

Design can provide a direction of the use of the bin through pictures and illustrations. Materials like charcoal powder can be used to reduce smell from the bin. Color-coding in many cases has been adapted successfully for encouraging segregation,

International Ergonomics Conference HWWE 2014

Use of space in refrence to indian kitchen layout is and important area to focus.

B) Outside

Problem: A composter that is suitable for India

Discussion: Design to fit India’s climate. Less insulation, cheaper materials and manufacturing, and wheels. A Caretaker to look after composting process and monitor waste separation.

C) Awareness

Problem: People lack awareness to what composting is. This leads to problems with waste separation. Once educated, people embrace the idea and are excited about the concept.

Discussion: A composting campaign that has a recall value with posters, stationery and shirts to constantly remind people about composting.

5.2 Information for education

Education and information initiatives need to be promoted at the consumer level in order to prevent and reduce food waste, with particular reference to food culture, food preparation, and the correct ways of reusing and preserving food.

6. Conclusions

Food waste is a stream with multiple social, economical and environmental implications generated throughout the life cycle stages of food. The cultural and social aspects of food waste can be addressed effectively by putting design thinking into action. Design Thinking can be used as a tool to solve complex issues like food waste. The role of the households in the generation of food waste is very important. Therefore, in order to demonstrate its potential, quantification of the household food waste benefits is required.

Composting is often implemented for the wrong reasons. It can make large profits, may be it will not solve all solid waste management problems. Incentives, such as the converting you waste into an economic inflow rather that out flow to are needed to be addressed to set up composting projects, which can be sustained on a long-term basis. Composting should be considered as part of a larger educational strategy for educating Indian consumer about the process and benefits, so it can

be adopted within the culture of Indian community supported with appropriate technology and developed with empathy.

The habit of the Indian citizen is the major cause of the waste handling system. This is because we are not able to put their garbage in the proper places. One of the solutions for this problem is by improving its technical support, in this case the composting system. Using the Kano Model, a new improved rubbish bin is made to solve the needs. With some additional features, such as the color coding, signs of waste segregation, differentiation in locating disposal holes, different types of container lids, types of trash bag hooks, the swing feature of the bin, and the ideal information media of a rubbish bin, this re-designed composting service is suitable for improving the municipal waste management system in IIT Kanpur

7 Limitations and future direction of study

Same methodology can be applied in understanding bigger and complex systems like hostels; hotels and new probes can be developed to enhance the process and solution domain. Understanding the sociological and cultural attitude of people towards waste and reduction of source. After the compost is created from biogenic domestic waste an economically feasible system has to build for sustainability.

International Ergonomics Conference HWWE 2014

References :

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2 Akolkar, A.B. (2005). Status of Solid Waste Management in India, Implementation Status of Municipal Solid Wastes, Management and Handling Rules 2000, Central Pollution Control Board, New Delhi

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