SeasonEats is a self-driven app project I am creating as part of my online portfolio.
Process
- Ideation
- Research
- Design
- Prototype
Ideation
Problem definition
Living in the West Coast of Canada, there is an abundance of local produce and foods in the warmer seasons. However, in the fall and winter months, buying local and in-season foods become more challenging. This problem didn’t stand out quite as much until my recent time in Italy where I was trying to buy broccoli in June and could not find it. I realized Italians have been born and bred to buy and eat seasonal ingredients all their lives. Heck, most households grow their own crop as well! Of course, Italy differs in their rich agriculture and strong support in their domestic industries.
Most grocery stores and markets in Canada do not necessarily merchandise local and in-season produce in the front of the stores where is it easily accessible and obvious to buyers. With the overwhelming display of products shipped from our neighbouring trade partners such as California, Mexico, Chile and even China, making the right purchases in grocery stores can be difficult.
Eating local seasonal ingredients would solve an overflow of agricultural and economic issues, therefore, to bring us back to the root of the problem, it has to start with our demand for seasonal local products.
To be able to identify the problem areas, I had to think of who the ideal member of the family with the purchasing power is. It would be fair to determine that in most situations, mothers, college students, working professionals, grandmothers (in order of most purchasing power), are the ones making the household purchasing decisions.
Brainstorming
My Goals
After identifying the main problems and the need for resources and information on seasonality, these are my goals for SeasonEats mobile application:
- To provide easily laid out resources for consumers to access while shopping for groceries
- To help redirect the community back to solely purchase ingredients from local producers and farmers and in turn strengthen the local agriculture and economy
- To partner with local farmers and food outlets to highlight their local in-season produce and groceries
- To help consumers understand “Less is More,” in this case, less and (local) choices help make better informed purchasing decisions
Value Proposition
To create a mobile application to help people make in-season and local purchasing decisions. SeasonEats will enable consumers to start to think local and make easier local in-season product choices while shopping. The main components of the mobile app will include:
- An ‘all-year around produce and foods list’
- Map to highlight the nearest local grocery stores and farmer markets
- A recipes tab starting from easy cooking level to encourage people to cook at home
- An incentive program whereby consumers accumulate redeemable points when buying local in-season products
Research
To validate the problem areas I have identified as a local consumer as well as from family members and friends, I wanted to conduct further research from the local community.
I posed some questions on food community groups on social media as well and conducted a simple survey online. Some of the questions I asked are as listed:
- What are your motivators before going to the grocery store to shop?
- What are the important factors when buying food? Factors such as taste, quality, health benefits, price.
- How often do you cook at home?
- Do you consciously try to buy local and in-season produce? If not, why is that?
- What would motivate you to use seasonal ingredients?
Some of the findings were conclusive of the lack of knowledge about food seasonality. As consumers, we tend to base our eating and shopping routine heavily on convenience and price. Time spent shopping and cooking at home have lessened since the mid century as evident of the influx of food delivery apps in recent times.
Knowing the types of foods and ingredients that are at their peak for the season and having them be easily available would help with ease of shopping and eating. An added value of eating seasonal and local foods is money-saving. When foods are the peak of the season, the abundance of supply will bring the costs down. Consumers also know that extra added values such as tastes and quality comes with buying produce and foods that are harvested and grown locally.
According to my research, 85% of consumers desire to practice seasonality but lack the knowledge or how-to to implement in their lifestyles.
Some of the key findings led me to identify one defined potential user, Monica, a stay-at-home mom of three children.
User Journey Map
Having an ideal user for this mobile application allowed me to create a journey map to ideate an identifiable perspective. I was able to discern this user’s goals, emotions, motivations and present opportunities where applicable. This user needed distinctive directions and inspirations for a satisfied experience with using the application. Throughout her journey, there were many opportunities for the app to be useful in achieving her goals. One of the main opportunities that could be presented throughout her journey would be notifications and alerts to keep the user on track and help save time.
Design
For the design of this app, I wanted to convey a fresh, clean and bright look. The idea is give the same impression as one would experience when shopping for fresh foods. We tend to shop for produce and fruits by looking for the right colours and textures. The on-boarding screens welcome users to an array of vegetables and fruits. Graphic icons were used only on elements and food photos are meant to highlight the main components.
Next Steps
- Prototyping with Framer
- Conducting user testing
- Design the map/search and recipe generating elements
Tools used
Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe XD
