Today, we are generating unprecedented levels of waste, causing significant harm to our enviroment. In response to this growing crisis, the goal of this project is:
To maximize the number of sustainble actions taken by consumers, and understand motivations behind these actions in order to support and empower individuals to make enviromentally concious choices.
What‘s Earthly?
Earthly is an application that aims to motivate and encourage users to participate more in sustainable practices and activities.
This can be done easily by allowing the user to participate in these geo-based challanges such as tree planting, waste collection, and less meat consumption to earn Karma Points, which can be used to get discounts from eco-friendly brands.
Research Methods
A Preliminary Survey was conducted among people from the target group 15-45 years old, to better understand thier consumer habits and their interest in sustainable products. In addition, the survey discovers users opinion about Earthly, and its ability to encourage sustainble habits on a greater scale. These surveys was distributed among people face to face to ensure the validity of their answers.
90%
Found reward systems effective
70%
Found Earthly‘s purpose effective
70%
Don‘t buy sustainable products due to high prices.
In-depth interviews
In-depth interviews with sustainability experts from design, architecture, and retail explore how these industries impact global waste. Since design influences broader systems, insights from architecture and retail reveal complexities and opportunities for more sustainable solutions.
User Demographics
This product is designed for young and middle aged people who are environmentally conscious and aware about sustainability (ages 15-45). It also targets users who are aware about the problem and seek more education about the topic.
User Personas
Felix, 28 Years old from Berlin
Occupation: Marketing Specialist
Goals: Reduce carbon footprint, Participate in community driven environmental initiatives.
Motivation: Aligns with his eco-concious lifestyle, enjoys competing in challanges. Loves the concept of gamification.
Painpoints: Feels overwhelmed by the lack of clear information on product sustainability. Finds it hard to stay motivated without external incentives.
* Note that the images of these users are not the real images of the users interviewed, due to confidentiality reasons. These images are sample images downloaded from Freepik.com
Nina, 35 Years old from Berlin
Occupation: Performance Engineer
Goals: Wants to minimize her environmental impact without drastic lifestyle changes.
Motivation: Wants to make the planet better for future generations. Finds the idea of earning rewards for sustainble actions appealing.
Painpoints: Feels sustainability efforts are time consuming and complicated. Lacks knowledge about eco-friendly products or practices.
* Note that the images of these users are not the real images of the users interviewed, due to confidentiality reasons. These images are sample images downloaded from Freepik.com
Lotte, 23 Years old from Berlin
Occupation: Student
Goals: Stay on top of eco- trends. Use tech to simplify sustainable living.
Motivation: Enjoys competing in challanges with friends. Wants to discover eco-friendly brands.
Painpoints: Limited student budget for eco-friendly products. Needs user friendly data visualization to track progress.
* Note that the images of these users are not the real images of the users interviewed, due to confidentiality reasons. These images are sample images downloaded from Freepik.com
Profile
Choose your avatar, shape your green identity.
You can choose an avatar to represent yourself in the app. Set your bio to share a little about your eco-style or goals. Together, your avatar and bio make your profile unique and show off your sustainable journey.
Geo-based Challenges
Participate in Daily Eco-Friendly Actions to Earn Karma Points
Karma Points are rewards you earn in Earthly every time you take a sustainable action, like reducing waste, choosing eco-friendly transport, or joining challenges. The more Karma Points you collect, the more you unlock discounts, badges, and impact rewards while tracking your personal contribution to the planet.
Shop & Wallet
Karma in Action: Earn, Save, and Spend for the Planet
Earthly Shop is where you can redeem your Karma Points for eco-friendly rewards — from sustainable products to meal discounts and exclusive green experiences. Every purchase supports ethical brands and helps you live more sustainably.
The Earthly Wallet stores all the coupons you’ve purchased with Karma Points from the Store. Each coupon comes with a unique QR code that you can simply scan at checkout when purchasing from that brand.
Earthly calculates your carbon footprint by first having you complete a short questionnaire about your lifestyle, travel, and consumption habits. It can also link to your purchases from supported brands to estimate the emissions of the products you buy. This gives you a personalized view of your environmental impact and helps you make smarter, more sustainable choices.
Carbon Footprint Calculator
Calculate your Carbon Footprint
Product Scan
Scan & See Your Impact
Earthly lets you scan products in-store to see their environmental impact. The app reads the product’s data and provides a detailed carbon footprint report. This helps you make informed, eco-friendly choices before you buy.
Explore Page
Discover & Go Green
Earthly’s Explore Page lets you discover new eco-friendly actions, challenges, and sustainable brands. Browse content, see trending activities, and find inspiration to reduce your carbon footprint. It’s your hub for learning and connecting with the green community.
Educational Content
Learn & Act for the Planet
Earthly’s Green Education feature offers articles and videos about sustainability, climate action, and eco-friendly living. Learn tips, explore insights, and deepen your understanding of how to reduce your impact. It’s your go-to resource for eco-knowledge.
Communities & Friends
Connect, Compete, Make an Impact
Earthly lets you connect with like-minded people by joining communities and adding friends. Compare progress on leaderboards, share achievements, and motivate each other to take sustainable actions. Together, you can make a bigger difference for the planet.
Further Development of Earthly
Entering the Carbon Trade Market
Carbon Credit Trading lets companies and governments buy and sell emission permits, allowing those under their limits to sell credits to those exceeding them. The UN Environment Programme (2025) distinguishes between voluntary markets, where companies offset their footprint, and compliance markets, tied to regulations. Earthly targets the voluntary market, empowering individuals and businesses to offset emissions and track their sustainability impact.
Design System
For Earthly, the chosen typefaces — K2D Bold and Helvetica Neue (Bold 45 and Light 45) — reflect the initiative’s focus on clarity and simplicity. Their clean, modern lines create a straightforward visual language that is easy to read and approachable, aligning with Earthly’s mission to make sustainable living accessible to everyone. The balance between bold weights for emphasis and lighter styles for readability reinforces both impact and harmony within the design system.
Color Palette
The color palette for Earthly reflects its mission of promoting environmental initiatives and sustainable living. Different tones of green form the core identity, symbolizing nature, growth, and eco-consciousness. Soft beige and clean white serve as neutral backgrounds, ensuring clarity, balance, and readability while keeping the focus on the content. Vibrant orange accents are used for challenges, adding energy and motivation to inspire users to take action.
Earthly is still a work in progress, with new features and refinements underway. Sign-ups will be opening soon, inviting early users to join the journey toward more sustainable living. This project continues to evolve, and the upcoming launch will bring the full vision to life.
