The service design inspiration 006: From kitchen to boxes
In our digital age we are constantly looking at the next technological leap forward. Food is no exception and with the phenomenon of food delivery it forces us to think back to the physical space. Our lifestyle is affected and accommodated by our work environment and personal habits. With people moving toward a more personalized way of living, food is going beyond the efficiency and speed of distribution, moving with people into experiences they could enjoy.
Hello, we are two enthusiastic service designers who love to dive into the world of products and services. We are here to share with you our service design explorations and inspirations which we think could be helpful for all of us to develop and innovate.
For this topic we wanted to see the broad spectrum of services that bring food to people, in the various moments that make up their days. We explored food delivery as they serve from individuals to groups of people.
Let’s go and take a look at some interesting services related to smart food delivery!
Kitch
A kitchen distributed throughout the city
What problem are they solving?
Kitch brings together the best chefs and restaurants of the town creating a multi-kitchen special experience. This way in one order people can mix and match various delicious dishes from various kitchens, specially designed for home eating.
Who is it for?
For the people who want to experience the best food at home.
2 things we liked!
- The well curated menu which spreads across various kitchens in town
- A community of chefs and restaurants which work together for unique eat at home offers
We wish…
Kitch would have offered home delivery as currently you have to pick up the order from the Kitch.
Service Design Inspiration.
Kitch is a great example of how to combine pre-existing offerings (in this case restaurants and chefs) in a unique way. The focus is on the great curation more than anything else.
Context jam
(where we take a concept from the service and place it in a different context)
ABC is a fitness and wellness service. They are known for their curated weekly fitness activities. Where users get to experience diverse activities in different well known studios and gyms while managing everything from ABC itself.
Starship
A delivery robot
What problem are they solving?
With the network of robots, Starship is on the journey to be an autonomous delivery solution. With a fleet of small robots on wheels, Starship delivers food, groceries to you, while you can track the progress on the way.
Who is it for?
More for the organisations who want to fulfill a high number of local deliveries.
2 things we liked!
- A complete autonomous delivery solution
- Directly from the shop to you without any contact in between
We wish…
Starship will get creative with the solutions beyond replacing the human delivery people by robots, as they have great potential of deploying the robot network.
Service Design Inspiration.
Starship’s ability to have the network of robots running around a city is a great example of creating a technological ecosystem. This way they open up multiple possibilities of artificial intelligence and automation way beyond just a pod delivering stuff.
Context jam
(where we take a concept from the service and place it in a different context)
ABC is a network of autonomous food trucks on wheels. By understanding the live demand on the platform, the trucks position themselves at the best spots at the right time to reach as many people as possible with their hot and delicious food.
Deliveroo for Business
Workplace food as workplace experience.
What problem are they solving?
A modern canteen for employees must provide great variety while having to compete with take away options. Deliveroo for Business is a service that offers organizations the convenience of an already organized system, both from a logistics perspective and as a digital touchpoint, while sourcing food from local restaurants.
Who is it for?
Organizations that want to outsource the workplace food system while guaranteeing individual choices for employees.
2 things we liked!
- Variety of choices for the employees while following the budget of the organization.
- The service builds up from already established restaurants and providers, creating a whole new sustainable revenue stream.
We wish…
The service addressed the need for big offices to fulfill a large number of orders at a time while reducing the number of delivery people coming to the office itself.
Service Design Inspiration.
Deliveroo for Business showed us how adjusting a functional service to a different kind of consumer, can create a whole new service. Shifting the focus of existing resources.
Context jam
(where we take a concept from the service and place it in a different context)
ABC is a company that rents electric bicycles through stations around the city. By creating a Business program for companies to install private charging stations, they are able to use ABC service to adopt a bike-at-work incentive for their employees.
Jafflechutes
A float down eatery with parachutes!
What problem are they solving?
Jaffelchute offers a very unique way of delivering food. With the kitchen on top of the building, they send the sandwiches down with parachutes. Customers have to place the order online and pay via paypal and stand at the landing spot at a given time.
Who is it for?
For the people who want to have a super cool sandwich delivery experience with friends to talk about.
2 things we liked!
- A service with no direct human interactions yet interesting.
- Turning a kitchen with a window on any floor of the building into a restaurant.
We wish…
The service offered a way to reuse the parachutes avoiding the potential mess on the landing spot.
Service Design Inspiration.
Jafflechutes have created a unique pickup solution. With this interaction, customers are the one responsible for the pickup on time, while Jafflechute doesn’t have to maintain front end human service.
Context jam
(where we take a concept from the service and place it in a different context)
ABC is an urban farming solution which focuses on the farming and not the harvesting and delivery. People who want fresh vegetables need to book the time and the type of vegetables. After reaching the farm, ABC gives them access to specific farm spots, where customers harvest the grown veggies by themselves.
Freshippo by Alibaba
Supermarket reimagined as a meeting point for online and offline.
What problem are they solving?
People desire to choose certain items in person.To integrate delivery of food with an experience of selection and enjoyment, Freshippo provides spaces across the city that allow people to choose their food and get it cooked on the spot, while leaving open the possibility to deliver it if you live close enough.
Who is it for?
People who want freshly cooked food while selecting what goes in.
2 things we liked!
- Closes the delivery system circle, it is a supermarket/restaurant/delivery.
- Shops are specialized for meals and people’s needs depending on their location. Eg. breakfast in metro stations’ shops.
We wish…
The service kept the identity of local shops, without branding them directly under new establishments, consequently preserving neighborhoods.
Service Design Inspiration.
Freshippo has shown us how specializing offers and giving people the choice to personalize their experience can lead to the inclusion of the service in their daily lives.
Context jam
(where we take a concept from the service and place it in a different context)
ABC is a company which provides stationaries to offices. By studying the demand from specific offices ABC is able to prepare and send weekly customized supplies to them. Making ABC the integral yet invisible part of the office.
Our big takeaway
Food delivery and food access have become a relevant topic of discussion in recent times. As we were unable to move around our cities, food delivery became a way to re-explore our own neighborhoods that we take for granted. Food has become an experience and its delivery is rapidly becoming much more than a process. The way it is delivered, informs the consumers and reflects the values of the service. Choosing what to eat and how it is delivered will become deciding factors for people in making their own choices. Hence, when it comes to new products and services, equal importance needs to be given to the first interaction points (e.g. delivery, on boarding, etc.) as they make a strong impression.
About Authors
Sebastiano Gobbo
Service Designer, problem solver and work-shopper, enthusiastic about reading and travelling.
Follow him: Linkedin, Personal Website, Instagram.
Suyog Sunil Risbud aka The fun Indian guy
A creative solo-entrepreneur. Service designer, musician, filmmaker, podcaster!
Follow him: Linkedin, Youtube, Instagram, Spotify, Personal Website
