schoon strand scheveningen
Sparked by insights from a prior BeachBot project, I initiated and led the 8-week collaboration project with Rijkswaterstaat.
The project had two focuses.
Raise awareness of small litter (e.g., cigarette butts, microplastics)
Explore persuasive design strategies that could positively influence beach visitors’ behaviour on Scheveningen Beach.
Timeline
2023Client
Rijkswaterstaat
Role
LecturerContext
Over an 8-week course, 16 first-year UX Design students worked within a shared design brief while developing diverse interventions ranging from physical infrastructure to digital nudges.
As Lecturer, I facilitated client communication, structured the design process, and guided students throughout the full design cycle.
Problem Definition
Background
As beach visitor numbers increased, so did the cost and operational burden of waste management. Although trash bins were available, litter problems persisted.
This suggested that the issue was not infrastructure availability alone, but behavioural patterns.
Key Observations
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Students conducted:
2 observations, 2 user interviews, and 14 surveys per student (on average)
Persona development for different user groups: young adults, families, smokers, group visitors
Data synthesis into 6.5 key insights per student (on average)
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Research conducted by students revealed:
a behaviour-intent gap caused by weak environmental cues
peer influence strongly shaping littering behaviour
infrastructure design failing to support responsible actions
positive motivation outperforming punishment
different user groups requiring tailored interventions
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Key user groups identified:
young adults influenced by social norms
smokers with high environmental impact but low awareness
families with children offering opportunities for long-term behaviour change
group visitors showing diffused responsibility
core problem
How might we motivate beach visitors to keep the beach clean through positive, engaging, and context-sensitive design interventions?
OKRs & Hypothesis
Objectives
Increase awareness and responsible behaviour among beach visitors
Deliver diverse persuasive design concepts within a shared design brief
Explore interventions that balance behavioural influence and real-world feasibility
Key Results
Deliver 16 diverse design outcomes across physical and digital intervention formats.
Ensure each student completes the full design process including research, prototyping, and testing.
Generate concepts strong enough to be considered for real-world implementation by stakeholders.
I hypothesised that:
Hypothesis 1
Behavioural Design
Positive and playful interventions would be more effective than guilt-based messaging.
Hypothesis 2
Contextual Design
Solutions tailored to specific user groups would increase behavioural impact.
Hypothesis 3
Process
Structured feedback loops and persuasive design experimentation would improve design quality and strategic thinking.
Approach
My role extended beyond teaching design tools.
I focused on:
facilitating client alignment and clarifying design goals
guiding students in behavioural analysis and journey mapping
leading workshops on persuasive design through experiments
providing personalised feedback based on weekly performance tracking
encouraging exploration across physical and digital interventions
Key Strategic Direction
Treat behavioural change as a design problem rather than a communication problem.
process
Students followed an iterative design process.
Average per student:
2 observations
2 interviews
14 surveys
persona development across key user groups
synthesis into an average of 6.5 key insights per student
Iteration structure:
2 rounds of mid-stage testing
2 rounds of prototyping
4 feedback loops
Overview: Design Directions
Results
16 final design outcomes
mainly emerged in 3 directions:
direction 1
Interactive Bins + Playful Cues
custom bins with feedback mechanisms
sensory or gamified interactions
playful behavioural triggers
direction 2
Digital Touchpoints + Social Persuasion
apps and AR layers
storytelling-driven clean-up challenges
persuasive user flows across touchpoints
direction 3
Game & Interactive design for children and families
installations and games encouraging family participation
inclusive experiences considering group dynamics
educational play as behaviour reinforcement
Reflection
As a Lecturer:
My role increasingly resembled that of a product owner, requiring flexibility in guidance depending on each student’s approach.
Structured facilitation enabled diverse outcomes while maintaining alignment with client needs.
Key Learnings:
Behavioural change requires contextual understanding rather than one-size-fits-all solutions.
Persuasive design works best when positive motivation replaces punishment.
Quantitative tracking should be incorporated earlier to measure impact more clearly.
Capturing client constraints early is essential, especially when infrastructure feasibility is involved.
Most importantly:
Designing behavioural change means balancing environmental context, user psychology, and practical implementation constraints
multiple concepts considered for implementation by the Municipality of The Hague
increased student engagement with environmental issues
successful alignment between client expectations and student outcome
