FRIDGE FOR ALL
Case Study
A Reimagined Community Fridge Experience
Aaron Lord (PM), Geoffrey Kuhns, Monet Hopkins, Nicole Stewart
INITIAL BRAINSTORM
WHAT IS A COMMUNITY FRIDGE?
It is a grassroots response to the dire food insecurity crisis. These fridges take a decentralized approach, as they are often maintained by a network of volunteers and community members. Food is primarily donated by individuals or food rescue organizations and can be sourced from a variety of places.
OUR PROCESS
EMPATHIZE
DEFINE
EXPLORE
PROTOTYPE
TEST
Understand our users' needs and keep them at the center of all design decisions
Explore potential solutions to our problem
Keep our objectives in mind to create an impactful design
Test early and often to get helpful suggestions and feedback from real people to improve iterations
Use insights from research to determine unmet needs and thr right problem to solve
EMPATHIZE
USER TESTING PLAN
PROTO PERSONAS
IN NEED
GROCERY STORE MANAGER
VOLUNTEER
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
ETHNOGRAPHIC RESEARCH
USER INSIGHTS
FRIDGE ACCESS IS A SIMPLE, DELIGHTFUL PROCESS AS LONG AS THERE ARE ITEMS TO TAKE.
THERE'S A GAP IN THE HOLISTIC UNDERSTANDING OF OPERATIONAL NEEDS.
ORGS MUST HELP A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH VERY FEW RESOURCES AND RELY ON DONATIONS AND VOLUNTEERS.
PEOPLE CAN RELY ON THEIR COMMUNITY WHEN THEY ARE IN NEED, NOT THE GOVERNMENT.
PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO HELP WHEN THEY'RE ABLE TO DO IT INDEPENDENTLY AND WITHOUT A TON OF LOGISTICS.
RESEARCH FINDINGS
FOOD PANTRIES ARE NOT ABLE TO STOCK FRESH PRODUCE RELIABLY.
POVERTY IS UNPREDICTABLE, SO PEOPLE IN NEED RELY ON FLEXIBLE SOLUTIONS.
PEOPLE IN NEED ALREADY RELY ON THEIR COMMUNITIES FOR SUPPORT.
DEFINE
MEET LILY
FRIEND OF THE FRIDGE
MEET BECCA
NEIGHBOR IN NEED
HOW MIGHT WE..
.. keep the fridge stocked and donors engaged ?
THE OPPORTUNITY
On-demand access to healthy food through community support
EXPLORE
SOLVING WORLD HUNGER
UBER FOR HEALTHY FOOD
DRONE DROPS
ICE CREAM STYLE TRUCK
IDEATION
OUR SOLUTION
INTERACTIVE SMART FRIDGE
RESPONSIVE WEBSITE
TEXT UPDATES
VALUE PROPOSITION
Fridge For All is reimagining the community fridge to help target the inconsistencies and logistical issues the food insecure face when trying to find their next meal.
WE'RE BETTER BECAUSE:
Our smart fridge tracks what's in stock through a kiosk, allowing donors to leave what they can and neighbors to take what they need.
Notifications keep those in need updated on what's in stock and let donors know what items are needed.
USER JOURNEY
PROTOTYPE
LO-FI WIREFRAMES
LO-FI WIREFRAMES
DESIGN INSPIRATION
STYLE TILE
LOW- TO MID-FIDELITY
FRIDGE WIREFRAMES
WEBSITE WIREFRAMES
USER TESTING
Problem: It wasn't clear that our page was focused on information for users in need, not for all users.
Solution: Add an introduction and change how people navigate to this page from the homepage and hamburger menu.
WEBSITE TESTING: PROBLEM 1
Problem: Users who wanted to donate didn't have a clear picture of where or how to donate food items.
Solution: We added a map and steps on how to donate to better explain how to get involved.
WEBSITE TESTING: PROBLEM 2
Problem: Users couldn't tell how many of each item were in their cart.
Solution: We changed up the design of the basket page to allow people to adjust item quantity and easily remove items.
FRIDGE KIOSK TESTING: PROBLEM 1
Problem: Users wanted to see how many items they could add to their basket
Solution: We added error states to let users know when they were reaching the fridge's limit
FRIDGE KIOSK TESTING: PROBLEM 2
FINAL ITERATIONS (FOR NOW)
THE WEBSITE
THE FRIDGE
FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS
The face of hunger is fluid
Tough conversations = growth and creativity
Phone before food
It's ambitious to create several touchpoints to enhance an experience
Systemic racism plays a big role in food injustice
Solving world hunger? “It's not profitable"
Documenting as you go is the way to go!
KEY TAKEAWAYS