Project overview
What is Greener?
My Role
Research, Design, Prototyping, and Usability Testing
Timeline
3 Months
Team Members
4 HCI Students
Tools
Figma (For design)
Figjam (For discussion)
Problem context
“Preserving the environment is a pressing responsibility for everyone, yet adopting sustainable practices isn't always simple.”
So why is this problem important?
Households discard 31.9% of their food annually, costing $240 billion
— Research Paper
Avoidable household food waste emits 1.2 tons annually and 16.9 kg Co2 weekly
— Research Paper
Households are responsible to 70% of food waste after it leaves the farm gate.
— Research Paper
Competitive analysis
Before we jump into the research, we wanted to see what other platform’s are doing to solve this problem.
Imperfect Foods
Despite having produce delivered from the farmers and fighting for the right cause the UI and functionality feels like any other online grocery like Walmart, kroger etc.
Misfit Market
This is similar to imperfect goods, however instead of cosmetically challenged food they provide high quality foods from the farmers.
Our target audience
So...
How can we effectively address the challenge of food waste by benefiting both consumers and farmers?
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.
Research method 1 - Interviews
Interview was conducted with 2 Students, 2 Farmers, and 4 Family members who is also environmentalist. Through this we can better understanding of how how to create a narrative for this application's personas and user journeys.
Problem from farmers
Many produce goods go to waste.
Merchant don’t usually take the imperfect
produce.
Soil amendments issues that is hindering the
cultivation of high-quality crops.
When food is wasted, it results in the
loss of labor, time, water, and other
resources invested in its production.
Problem from consumers
Shoppers tend to buy food in the larger
quantity.
Uncertain about the optimal storage methods
to prolong the shelf life of certain goods.
Disposing of edible food that does not meet
cosmetic standards.
Unused food stored in the refrigerator without
clarity on how to effectively repurpose it.
Research method 2 - Brainstorming & affinity mapping
Based on the insights gathered from the interviews, we opted to categorize the data according to various headings to better comprehend which features would be most effective in mitigating the challenges users encounter.
Research method 3 - Paper prototyping
Following the brainstorming session, we opted to create paper prototypes and test them with a selected group of users. This approach proved instrumental in uncovering design challenges and refining the interface to enhance user-friendliness. The prototype demonstrated some key features.
Problem space and solutions
Framers feel that their imperfect goods are going to waste which led to huge amount of food loss along with their labor and other cost.
We plan to develop a solution where in our store will collect cosmetically imperfect food from farmers and offer them for sale at discounted prices.
User tend to buy foods impulsive manner and let it go to waste.
By Selling imperfect goods may reduce impulsive buying among consumers because they are less visually appealing and may not meet traditional standards of attractiveness, thus prompting consumers to make more deliberate purchasing decisions.
Consumers may lack knowledge about optimal food storage methods for extending longevity or how to creatively use leftover ingredients to prepare various recipes.
Solution would be build a community where people and share and looks at tips and tricks for all of these.
Recycling organic waste is an issue when you don’t know how?
Store will provide the bag to store the organic waste.. when full they can bring back the waste and get incentives in exchange helping both farmers and consumers gain something.
Usability testing
We conducted cognitive walkthroughs with 4 participants to assess whether users found our concept easy to comprehend and apply within the application.
Task 1: Add a carrot to your shopping list
Task 2: Read a tip article, save it, and find it in the saved articles
Question: Why do I have to checklist when I have already added in the shopping cart
Answer: It is for when you visit the store to see you collected everything and to make the new list for next time to ease up
the process.
Question: Users were puzzled by the option to create a shopping list, as they couldn't shop online.
Answer: As a designer, I explained that we initiated an in-person test run to enhance the user shopping experience by providing real-time updates on available produce, rather than altering the design.
Test 2 : SUS
All participants, aged between 21 and 25 and predominantly students, were recruited for the study. After using the app and familiarizing themselves with its features, they were queried about their experiences. Overall, participants found the application easy to navigate and intuitive.
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.
High fidility design
Following the identification of solutions to encountered challenges, our efforts pivoted towards the creation of high-fidelity designs and prototypes.
Finding near by store
User can easily find store that are near them just by adding their zip code.
Scanning and adding item in a shopping list
Users can scan available produce in the store, view them in a list, add them to their shopping list, edit as needed, and check them off to create a new shopping list after a last purchase.
Tip's and tricks
When user need help with storing process and tips to create recipe for leftover they can search in the tips "Community" page where different user had shared their tips.
User can also upload their tips and tricks in the community by filling easy and short form.
Membership
Users have a membership, known as a "Profile," where they can scan a QR code when they drop off their food waste to receive incentives for their next purchase. This gamified approach encourages users to engage in composting and support farmers.
Additionally, the platform provides guidance to users on how this process works.
Key takeaways
01
Through disciplined design processes and a deep commitment to addressing design challenges, rapid production is achievable without compromising quality.
02
Despite the constant temptation to broaden the project's scope, I exercised restraint and prioritized timely delivery of quality work.
03
As a student on a tight budget, I empathized with the pain points and challenges firsthand, which informed my design process however, I was not biased and explored more in user research.
If I had more time
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.
View my other projects