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Oct 2023 - Dec 2023 | 5 weeks
MyFoodie Smart Labels + App
To help prevent food spoilage, the Smart Labels display the freshness levels of food items. These devices pair with an app that organizes food items into different categories, notifies users of food expiration dates, provides meal recommendations, and offers grocery shopping support.
Design Research
UI/UX Design
3D CAD Modeling
Project Type /
University Individual Project
Brief
Students will research a critical issue and apply the latest technology to design a product or system that enhances the user experience.
So, Why Is Food Waste an Issue?
Preliminary Research
User Interviews To Find Pain Points
After researching further background statistics on food waste, I conducted several interviews with people who faced this issue.
I interviewed three different people: Peggy (21 years old), Madison (43 years old), and Trang (47 years old).
Preliminary Research
Survey (13 Participants)
I conducted an online survey to determine if other people experienced similar issues to those I interviewed. I had 13 participants fill out the survey.
Key insights I found from the survey:
- Many people experience food spoiling/expiring in their fridges and pantries.
- People throw out over hundreds of dollars worth of expired food every few months.
- Lack of organization, difficulty accessing food items, and forgetfulness in general are the top reasons people leave their food items in their fridge or pantry until they expire/spoil.
Market Study
Finding Products On the Market That Can Prevent Food Waste
Secondary Research
Competitive Analysis Chart
Key features I wanted for my product were durable, compact, tech feature incorporations like NFC and AR, remote access, and notification alerts for users. I made a competitive analysis chart to see whether the products on the market had any of these key features. I discovered that none of them had all 5 features. Since the Samsung Smart Refridgerator had 4 out of 5 features, I decided to test out the product.
Journey Map
User Interaction & Product Analysis
Good Points
- Touchscreen of Smart Fridge is big
- “View Inside” App is simple to use
Pain Points
- The camera views were very limited
- Did not show the back of the fridge or in-between
- Does not properly recognize the food items
- Making food inventory list on app is not easy (too many steps)
Opportunities
- Focus on recognizing individual food items and containers
- Consider adding a label system
- Make app notify users about certain details, like food expiration
Technology Research
Trend: Sustainability
Systems Design with Physical-Digital Integrations
- Physical objects and environments connect with digital technologies.
- Enables enhanced data collection, real-time analytics, and immersive user experiences.
Citation: Global Technology Intellect. “Physical-Digital Integration Market Growth: Scope to 2031.” LinkedIn, 16 July 2023, www.linkedin.com/pulse/physical-digital-integration-market-growth/.
RFID/NFC Connection
- Wireless, contactless data transfer technology that uses tags to store data.
- NFC is an evolution of RFID with advanced features and better security.
Citation: Shayovitch, Moran. “RFID vs NFC - What’s the Difference?” Wireless Links, 19 July 2021, wlius.com/blog/rfid-vs-nfc-whats-the-difference/.
Immersive Media - AR/VR
- VR technology allows people to enter a computer-generated 3D world with devices.
- AR technology interlays computer-generated elements onto the physical world in real time.
Citation: Greenwald, Will. “Augmented Reality (AR) vs. Virtual Reality (VR): What’s the Difference?” PCMAG, 6 June 2023, pcmag.com/news/augmented-reality-ar-vs-virtual-reality-vr-whats-the-difference.
Who Am I Designing For?
Adults (21-55 year olds) who often cook or go grocery shopping and want to make an effort to be more sustainable.
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What’s The Problem?
Many households often forget about what is inside their refrigerators and pantries, which can result in food spoiling and contribute to food waste.
My Goal Is...
To design an innovative solution using technology that helps with kitchen organization and food waste reduction.
4 Product Value Propositions
From 10 Sketch Ideations
During the ideation process, I came up with many different products that could potentially help people stay more organized in the kitchen and prevent them from forgetting about food items in their fridge/pantry. After coming up with 10 sketch ideations, I was able to group them into 4 product value propositions. I created 4 personas based on those value propositions.
Developing MyFoodie App
Creating Flow Charts From 4 Personas
Prototyping MyFoodie App
Based on 4 User Flow Charts
After creating the 4 user flow charts, I began prototyping the MyFoodie App on Figma. I used the wireframes from the persona storyboards as a guide. To showcase the app’s functions, I created different user scenarios for each persona and showed how the app can solve their problems.
I chose orange as the main color for the app because it stimulates appetite and conveys a sense of freshness, which aligns with the app’s focus on food management and tracking freshness levels.
Prototyping Smart Labels
The Fabrication Process
To make the final model of the Smart Label, I 3D printed the pieces. Then, I sprayed the pieces with filler primer. Finally, I cut out the magnets and reusable adhesive and attached them to the pieces.
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