Transforming Food Sustainability by Utilizing Cosmetically Imperfect Produce and Recycling Organic Waste
Transforming Food Sustainability by Utilizing Cosmetically Imperfect Produce and Recycling Organic Waste
Tackle food loss problem by creating a sustainable ecosystem
Tackle food loss problem by creating a sustainable ecosystem
Project Overview
Project Overview
What is Greener?
What is Greener?
Greener is a mobile app that helps users reduce food waste by allowing them to purchase discounted, edible produce rejected by supermarkets for cosmetic standards.
Additionally, it provides users with the opportunity to recycle their organic waste into fodder, promoting sustainable practices.
Additionally, it provides users with the opportunity to recycle their organic waste into fodder, promoting sustainable practices.
My Role
My Role
Experience Designer
Experience Designer
Platform
Platform
Sustainability-Driven E-commerce
Sustainability-Driven E-commerce
Responsibilities
Responsibilities
Research, UI Design, User Testing
Research, UI Design, User Testing
Timeline
Timeline
8 Weeks
8 Weeks
Team
Team
Ami Sanghvi, Ching-Min Tseng & Medhavi Thakur
Achuta Anekal
Arati Ghimire
Sarowar Hossain
Sandy Tawfik
Tools
Tools
Figma, Figjam, Google Forms, Google Docs, Google Meet
Figma, Figjam, Google Forms, Google Docs, Google Meet
Problem context
Problem context
"Preserving the environment is a pressing responsibility for everyone, yet adopting sustainable practices isn't always simple."
"Preserving the environment is a pressing responsibility for everyone, yet adopting sustainable practices isn't always simple."
🥕 Cosmetic Imperfections → Food Waste
🥕 Cosmetic Imperfections → Food Waste
Millions of pounds of edible food are discarded yearly just because it doesn’t look perfect, despite being equally nutritious.
Millions of pounds of edible food are discarded yearly just because it doesn’t look perfect, despite being equally nutritious.
♻️ Organic Waste → Missed Potential
♻️ Organic Waste → Missed Potential
Most household organic waste ends up in landfills instead of being reused due to lack of lack of tools & infrastructure.
Most household organic waste ends up in landfills instead of being reused due to lack of lack of tools & infrastructure.
Key Features
Key Features
Before calling out the research findings, visual design and user testing following are the key features of Greener
Before calling out the research findings, visual design and user testing following are the key features of Greener
Secondary Research
Secondary Research
The Bigger Problem
The Bigger Problem
Secondary research was conducted to understand the broader context of food and organic waste using credible sources. It helped validate the problem, uncover behavioral patterns, and inform the direction of the design solution.
Secondary research was conducted to understand the broader context of food and organic waste using credible sources. It helped validate the problem, uncover behavioral patterns, and inform the direction of the design solution.
30–40% Food Waste
30–40% Food Waste
Over 20 lbs of edible food per person is wasted monthly in the U.S.
Over 20 lbs of edible food per person is wasted monthly in the U.S.
-USDA
-USDA
Methane Emissions
Methane Emissions
Organic waste mismanagement leads to potent greenhouse gas release.
Organic waste mismanagement leads to potent greenhouse gas release.
-EPA
-EPA
Cosmetic Pricing
Cosmetic Pricing
Consumers pay more for appearances than nutrition in the store.
Consumers pay more for appearances than nutrition in the store.
-FAO
-FAO
User Research
User Research
To understand the pain points and design navigation for the application we decided on using different research method’s which will help us move forward.
To understand the pain points and design navigation for the application we decided on using different research method’s which will help us move forward.
Interviews
Interviews
Interviews were conducted with 2 students, 2 farmers, and 4 environmentally conscious family members to uncover key pain points across both production and consumption stages of the food cycle.
Interviews were conducted with 2 students, 2 farmers, and 4 environmentally conscious family members to uncover key pain points across both production and consumption stages of the food cycle.
🧑🌾 Problem from Farmers
🧑🌾 Problem from Farmers
A significant amount of harvested produce goes to waste due to lack of buyers.
A significant amount of harvested produce goes to waste due to lack of buyers.
Retailers often reject imperfect-looking produce, regardless of its quality.
Retailers often reject imperfect-looking produce, regardless of its quality.
Soil quality issues and lack of resources hinder the growth of market-ready crops.
Soil quality issues and lack of resources hinder the growth of market-ready crops.
Food waste leads to the loss of labor, time, water, and other valuable farming resources.
Food waste leads to the loss of labor, time, water, and other valuable farming resources.
🛒 Problem from Consumers
🛒 Problem from Consumers
Consumers often over-purchase food in bulk, leading to spoilage.
Consumers often over-purchase food in bulk, leading to spoilage.
Lack of knowledge about proper storage shortens the shelf life of food.
Lack of knowledge about proper storage shortens the shelf life of food.
Edible items are discarded simply for not looking “perfect.”
Edible items are discarded simply for not looking “perfect.”
Leftovers or excess food is often wasted due to a lack of ideas for reuse.
Leftovers or excess food is often wasted due to a lack of ideas for reuse.
Turning Insights into Ideas: Brainstorming & Affinity Mapping
Turning Insights into Ideas: Brainstorming & Affinity Mapping
Using insights gathered from interviews, key user needs and challenges were organized into thematic categories. This helped identify potential features that could effectively address user pain points around food waste, access, and storage.
Using insights gathered from interviews, key user needs and challenges were organized into thematic categories. This helped identify potential features that could effectively address user pain points around food waste, access, and storage.
Key Insights (after Interviews + Affinity Mapping)
Key Insights (after Interviews + Affinity Mapping)
Thematic analysis, affinity mapping and Interview revealed three major opportunity areas that guided our design direction.
Thematic analysis, affinity mapping and Interview revealed three major opportunity areas that guided our design direction.
🍎 Consumer Preferences
🍎 Consumer Preferences
Many consumers are open to buying produce that looks imperfect—especially when it's more affordable—highlighting a shift toward value over appearance.
Many consumers are open to buying produce that looks imperfect—especially when it's more affordable—highlighting a shift toward value over appearance.
⚠️ Waste Awareness Gap
⚠️ Waste Awareness Gap
There’s a general lack of awareness around how organic waste can be recycled or repurposed, pointing to a need for education and accessible solutions.
There’s a general lack of awareness around how organic waste can be recycled or repurposed, pointing to a need for education and accessible solutions.
❄️ Storage & Planning Challenges
❄️ Storage & Planning Challenges
Users struggle with storing food properly and planning meals, leading to avoidable waste and missed opportunities to reuse leftovers.
Users struggle with storing food properly and planning meals, leading to avoidable waste and missed opportunities to reuse leftovers.
Competitive analysis
Competitive analysis
Understanding how existing solutions approach food waste and where Greener stands out.
Understanding how existing solutions approach food waste and where Greener stands out.
Imperfect Foods
Delivers cosmetically imperfect produce through a traditional online grocery interface.
Delivers cosmetically imperfect produce through a traditional online grocery interface.
Misfit Market
Offers discounted surplus and high-quality food items from sustainable sources.
Offers discounted surplus and high-quality food items from sustainable sources.
Our ‘How Might We’ Moment
Our ‘How Might We’ Moment
How might we enable consumers to access affordable, cosmetically imperfect produce and facilitate organic waste recycling to promote economic and environmental sustainability?
How might we enable consumers to access affordable, cosmetically imperfect produce and facilitate organic waste recycling to promote economic and environmental sustainability?
Target Audience
Target Audience
Who Are We Designing For?
Who Are We Designing For?
Understanding who we’re designing for was essential. It allowed us to tailor Greener’s features to meet the unique needs, values, and challenges of different user groups.
Understanding who we’re designing for was essential. It allowed us to tailor Greener’s features to meet the unique needs, values, and challenges of different user groups.
👩🏻🎓
👩🏻🎓
Students & Families
Students & Families
Individuals seeking affordable food options due to limited budgets and rising grocery costs.
Individuals seeking affordable food options due to limited budgets and rising grocery costs.
🌱
🌱
Environmentalist
Environmentalist
Users motivated to reduce their ecological footprint through sustainable choices.
Users motivated to reduce their ecological footprint through sustainable choices.
👩🏻🌾
👩🏻🌾
Farmers
Farmers
Producers facing financial loss from unsold, cosmetically imperfect yet edible crops.
Producers facing financial loss from unsold, cosmetically imperfect yet edible crops.
Problem space and solutions
Problem space and solutions
🥕 Farm to Waste
🥕 Farm to Waste
Problem
Problem
Farmers lose income from rejected imperfect produce
Farmers lose income from rejected imperfect produce
Consumers overbuy based on visual appeal, leading to waste
Consumers overbuy based on visual appeal, leading to waste
Solution from Greener
Solution from Greener
Collect and sell imperfect produce at discounted rates
Collect and sell imperfect produce at discounted rates
Encourage mindful buying by focusing on value, not appearance
Encourage mindful buying by focusing on value, not appearance
♻️ Recycling Barriers
♻️ Recycling Barriers
Problem
Problem
Consumers lack awareness of how to store, reuse, or recycle food
Consumers lack awareness of how to store, reuse, or recycle food
Organic waste often ends up in landfills
Organic waste often ends up in landfills
Solution from Greener
Solution from Greener
Build a community for sharing tips, storage hacks, and reuse ideas.
Build a community for sharing tips, storage hacks, and reuse ideas.
Provide compost bags and reward users for recycling efforts.
Provide compost bags and reward users for recycling efforts.
Visual Solution for the Application
Visual Solution for the Application
LO-FI Sketches
LO-FI Sketches
Our strategy involves launching physical stores that sell cosmetically imperfect produce at affordable prices. Customers receive reusable eco-friendly bags to collect organic waste, which is later recycled into farm fodder, creating a closed-loop system that reduces both consumer and agricultural waste.
Our strategy involves launching physical stores that sell cosmetically imperfect produce at affordable prices. Customers receive reusable eco-friendly bags to collect organic waste, which is later recycled into farm fodder, creating a closed-loop system that reduces both consumer and agricultural waste.
Usability testing
To evaluate usability, we conducted two rounds of testing: a Think-Aloud session to observe real-time interactions, and a System Usability Scale (SUS) to capture user satisfaction. The goal was to understand ease of use, clarity, and areas for refinement.
Test 1 : Think-Aloud Session
We conducted cognitive walkthroughs with 4 participants to age range from 21 to 25 and frequent users of shopping apps.
Task 1: Add a carrot to your shopping list
Task 2: Read a tip article, save it, and find it in the saved articles
Problem 1
Difficulty understanding the waste segregation process.
Solution
Added a detailed explanation page on store operations and waste segregation.
Problem 1
Confusion over the shopping list feature since online shopping is not available.
Solution
Conducted an in-person test run to simulate shopping experience with real-time produce updates.
Test 2 : SUS
Test 2 : SUS
The data revealed consistent results across all participants, highlighting few areas of improvement. This collective feedback informs ongoing refinement efforts to enhance the overall effectiveness of the idea.
The data revealed consistent results across all participants, highlighting few areas of improvement. This collective feedback informs ongoing refinement efforts to enhance the overall effectiveness of the idea.
Participants found the app intuitive, with high usability scores indicating a positive user experience. Feedback highlighted the need for clearer guidance on the recycling process.
Participants found the app intuitive, with high usability scores indicating a positive user experience. Feedback highlighted the need for clearer guidance on the recycling process.
High-Fidility Design
High-Fidility Design
After identifying solutions to the key challenges, we shifted our focus to developing High-fidelity designs and building interactive prototypes to bring the concept to life.
After identifying solutions to the key challenges, we shifted our focus to developing High-fidelity designs and building interactive prototypes to bring the concept to life.
Finding Near by Store
Finding Near by Store
Users can quickly locate nearby stores by entering their zip code.
Users can quickly locate nearby stores by entering their zip code.
Smart Shopping List
Smart Shopping List
Users can scan produce, add items to a shopping list, edit it, and check them off to reuse the list in future visits.
Users can scan produce, add items to a shopping list, edit it, and check them off to reuse the list in future visits.
Tips & Tricks
Tips & Tricks
Users can explore a community page filled with storage tips and leftover recipe ideas shared by others.
They can also contribute their own tips by submitting a quick and easy form.
Users can explore a community page filled with storage tips and leftover recipe ideas shared by others.
They can also contribute their own tips by submitting a quick and easy form.
Membership
Membership
Users create a profile that lets them scan a QR code when dropping off food waste to earn incentives on future purchases. This gamified system promotes composting and supports farmers.
The platform also offers step-by-step guidance on how the process works.
Users create a profile that lets them scan a QR code when dropping off food waste to earn incentives on future purchases. This gamified system promotes composting and supports farmers.
The platform also offers step-by-step guidance on how the process works.
Key Takeaways
Key Takeaways
01
Maintaining a structured design process and staying focused on real challenges allowed me to deliver efficiently without compromising quality.
Maintaining a structured design process and staying focused on real challenges allowed me to deliver efficiently without compromising quality.
02
I stayed intentional with scope, prioritizing timely delivery and high standards over feature creep.
I stayed intentional with scope, prioritizing timely delivery and high standards over feature creep.
03
While I could relate to users as a student, I ensured objectivity through thorough user research to validate every design decision.
While I could relate to users as a student, I ensured objectivity through thorough user research to validate every design decision.
If I had more time
If I had more time
I would proliferate the concept of organic waste management and providing recycling bins at multiple locations.
I would proliferate the concept of organic waste management and providing recycling bins at multiple locations.
I would introduce a recipe feature that can guide users to cook food with limited food items instead of discarding them.
I would introduce a recipe feature that can guide users to cook food with limited food items instead of discarding them.
View my Other Projects
Let's join forces and create design magic!
Together, we'll make pixels dance and users smile.😎
Let's join forces and create design magic!
Together, we'll make pixels dance and users smile.😎