Meal Finder
Problem
Solution
Washtenaw County needs a quality solution to address food insecurity by directly offering food access to individuals in need. This is a community which is involved in supporting its members, as demonstrated by organizations such as Ann Arbor based Food Gatherers. However it is far from offering equal access, especially in areas with larger populations affected by food insecurity such as Ypsilanti.
With the help of the app, Meal Finder, surplus food will be donated each day by local restaurants and businesses to the citizens in need who live in Washtenaw community
Background
After conducting background research on food insecurity in Washtenaw County, I discovered that many households that experienced food insecurity did not qualify for federal nutrition programs and visited their local food banks and other food programs for extra support.
In 2021, Feeding America projected that 42,450 individuals experienced food insecurity in Washtenaw County, including 6,090 children.
2021 Food Insecurity Projections
Potential Solutions
After conducting initial research, we discussed several possible solutions:
A nutrition application for individuals who are unaware of quality food to have suggestions to eat healthy on a budget
A couponing and discounts application for individuals on a fixed budget to buy healthy food
An information kiosk application to help individuals find nearby soup kitchens/food pantries on a given night with food in stock
An application that matches restaurants and stores with surplus food with individuals and families that face food insecurity (Solution Selected)
Which individuals are impacted?
Only helps those who can afford to consistently buy food
Helps individuals who are shopping on a budget to eat healthy food but again has constrained of being able to purchase food as well as usually prepare meals which is a luxury of time and accessibility to a kitchen
Helps to target a broader group by connecting individuals to soup kitchens. However, it increases dependency and pressure on the few non-profits of Washtenaw County and does not address the issue of limited food supply.
Helps to target a broader group by allowing individuals and their families to access healthy food without the cost of purchasing it, thus preventing wastage by allocating excess supply to the people in need of the local community
(Solution Selected)
Digital Prototype
Based on the solution we selected as a team, I created a high-fidelity user interface that incorporates a minimalistic design consistent with other food delivery apps, in order to meet user’s expectations for consistency and standards.
After users choose their desired restaurant, they can order from a variety of available food listed by the restaurant.
Next, users can utilize a map feature that is implemented within the application to find the restaurant:
Lastly, I added features for the restaurants themselves, so that they can upload and update the type and quantity of food items that are available:
Takeaways
This project allowed me to gain more knowledge in UX/UI design skills by using prototyping tools such as Framer. I also learned about different design strategies for user interfaces by following Jakob Nielsen's Heuristics and the Laws of UX. In addition, I was able to gain skills in communication and collaboration while working with a group of students.
If I had more time, I would have:
conducted user research through surveys and interviews
designed personas
conducted usability testing