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Case Study - EcoChef

Service

UX Designer

Client

Brainstation

Duration

1 Week

Date

2023

EcoChef is a smart kitchen tool aimed at young adults, designed to minimize food waste. It tracks fridge contents and suggests meal ideas based on what's available, ensuring no food goes unused. This tool helps users save money and supports sustainability by reducing food waste directly from their kitchens.

Problem Space

Globally, nearly half of all fruits and vegetables produced are wasted annually, with developed and developing countries wasting approximately 670 million and 630 million tonnes of food respectively. This vast amount of waste incurs a staggering economic cost of about $680 billion in developed countries and $310 billion in developing countries, highlighting an urgent need for solutions that reduce food waste and optimize food usage across the globe.

Problem Space

Secondary Research

For the EcoChef project, our team conducted thorough secondary research to better understand the food waste problem. We reviewed relevant articles, analyzed global waste statistics, and studied consumer food habits. This initial research phase allowed us to comprehend the magnitude of the issue and gain essential insights into the environmental and economic impacts of food waste worldwide.

Larger quantities of food than needed are produced.
There is a higher consumer standard of the appearance of food such as size, shape, and color.
The cost of discarding products can be cheaper than using or reusing food.
With the abundance of food a general attitude exists that people can afford to waste food.
Annual consumer waste range from 95-115 kg in Europe and North America.
30% of produce in North America is discarded because it’s not pretty enough.
Larger quantities of food than needed are produced.
There is a higher consumer standard of the appearance of food such as size, shape, and color.
The cost of discarding products can be cheaper than using or reusing food.
With the abundance of food a general attitude exists that people can afford to waste food.
Annual consumer waste range from 95-115 kg in Europe and North America.
30% of produce in North America is discarded because it’s not pretty enough.
Larger quantities of food than needed are produced.
There is a higher consumer standard of the appearance of food such as size, shape, and color.
The cost of discarding products can be cheaper than using or reusing food.
With the abundance of food a general attitude exists that people can afford to waste food.
Annual consumer waste range from 95-115 kg in Europe and North America.
30% of produce in North America is discarded because it’s not pretty enough.
Larger quantities of food than needed are produced.
There is a higher consumer standard of the appearance of food such as size, shape, and color.
The cost of discarding products can be cheaper than using or reusing food.
With the abundance of food a general attitude exists that people can afford to waste food.
Annual consumer waste range from 95-115 kg in Europe and North America.
30% of produce in North America is discarded because it’s not pretty enough.

Larger quantities of food than needed are produced.
There is a higher consumer standard of the appearance of food such as size, shape, and color.
The cost of discarding products can be cheaper
than using or reusing food.
With the abundance of food a general attitude exists that people can afford to waste food.
Annual consumer waste range from 95-115 kg in Europe and North America.
30% of produce in North America is discarded because it’s not pretty enough.
Larger quantities of food than needed are produced.
There is a higher consumer standard of the appearance of food such as size, shape, and color.
The cost of discarding products can be cheaper
than using or reusing food.
With the abundance of food a general attitude exists that people can afford to waste food.
Annual consumer waste range from 95-115 kg in Europe and North America.
30% of produce in North America is discarded because it’s not pretty enough.
Larger quantities of food than needed are produced.
There is a higher consumer standard of the appearance of food such as size, shape, and color.
The cost of discarding products can be cheaper
than using or reusing food.
With the abundance of food a general attitude exists that people can afford to waste food.
Annual consumer waste range from 95-115 kg in Europe and North America.
30% of produce in North America is discarded because it’s not pretty enough.
Larger quantities of food than needed are produced.
There is a higher consumer standard of the appearance of food such as size, shape, and color.
The cost of discarding products can be cheaper
than using or reusing food.
With the abundance of food a general attitude exists that people can afford to waste food.
Annual consumer waste range from 95-115 kg in Europe and North America.
30% of produce in North America is discarded because it’s not pretty enough.

Competitive Analysis

After conducting market research, we analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of EcoChef's competitors. This competitive analysis revealed different strategies brands use to address food waste and meal planning inefficiencies. Using these insights, we were able to refine EcoChef's features, ensuring they are not only competitive but also uniquely tailored to meet user needs effectively.

STRENGTHS

Facilitates the sharing of food and items within local communities
Diverse listings
Simple process of listing and claiming items

WEAKNESSES

Geographic limitations in less populated regions Dependance on user populationVariable item quality

STRENGTHS

Inventory management at home.
Meal planning with existing ingredientsWaste tracking

Inventory management at home.
Meal planning with existing ingredientsWaste tracking

WEAKNESSES

Manual input required
Complexity of tracking and management for some users
Lacks community sharing

STRENGTHS

Collaborates with restaurants, cafes and stores to offer discounted surplus
Provides affordable quality food at reduced prices

WEAKNESSES

Unpredictable inventory
Time-sensitive offers
Limited control over food choices

How might we?

All the insight gathered helps me figure out the key questions my app needs to solve, kicking off the design process with a "How Might We" statement as my guide. This step lets me focus on the main needs of students making career choices, fitting Spark's aim and helping to create solutions that support users in confidently making those first important career decisions.key moment: cooking a meal

How might we encourage young solo shoppers to utilize all of their groceries in order to reduce food waste in North America?

User Journey Mapping

Our team conducted a detailed user journey mapping to trace the entire process of food management from purchasing to disposal. We specifically focused on the "Cook a Meal" stage, identifying it as a critical point where strategic interventions could foster more sustainable cooking behaviors. By enhancing this key stage with tailored features like personalized recipe suggestions and efficient meal planning, EcoChef not only boosts kitchen efficiency but also significantly contributes to environmental sustainability and reduces food waste.

Check the fridge

Make a list

Travel to Grocery Store

Find and cross off items on list

Cook a Meal

Put away groceries

Travel back home

Wait in line and check out

Skip cooking and order take-out

Check fridge again

Identify expired foods

Throw away food waste

Sketching

As a group, we started sketching various layout concepts for the EcoChef and selected the strongest idea to develop further.

Branding

After refining my design for improved usability, I focused on developing the visual identity for my career guidance app. I created a mood board to capture the vibrant, energetic essence I envisioned for the brand, ensuring it stands out from the sterile feel of traditional educational and networking platforms.

clean

calm

gentle

Primary

#003D04

Secondary

#A9CA8D

Accent

#F29A43

Neutral

#FBF8F1

Neutral

#000000

Final Prototype

Lastly, I developed a high-fidelity prototype that seamlessly merges aesthetics and usability of EcoChef.

View Prototype

Key Learnings &
Next Steps

In the development of the EcoChef project, we focused on designing an app to help reduce food waste effectively. The following points emerged as critical learnings from our UX case study:

User Feedback Impact: Incorporating user feedback was essential. It helped us refine the app's functionality, leading to significant behavioral changes among users, particularly in their cooking and shopping habits.

Design and Aesthetics: Choosing a calm and gentle color palette was a strategic decision that enhanced the user interface. This design choice significantly improved user engagement by creating a soothing and inviting environment.

Engagement and Impact: Early engagement metrics have been promising. The app has garnered strong interest from the target demographic, indicating its potential to scale and make a meaningful impact in reducing food waste. These points highlight the importance of responsive design, user feedback, and strategic aesthetics in creating effective solutions that promote sustainable behaviors.

1. Expand User Testing

Conduct broader and more diverse user testing to gather additional insights and refine the app based on varied user experiences and feedback.

2. Enhance Features

An AR cooking aid could allow users to see potential recipes overlaid on the actual ingredients in their fridge or pantry via their phone’s camera, with AI assisting in real-time to assess ingredients and suggest the best use cases.

3. Outreach and Partnerships

Partner with environmental organizations and food industry stakeholders to broaden the app’s reach and impact, increasing awareness and adoption among a wider audience.

Incorporating more features

I intend to integrate new features, such as mentorship and daily shadowing, to broaden the app’s capabilities.

Re-Testing

After incorporating the latest features, I plan to conduct further testing to affirm the usability.

Design for Multiplatform Use

Tailoring Spark for both mobile and computer platforms will enhance the video learning feature, offering a more immersive experience on larger screens.

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