Transforming nutritious food into affordable meal kits
Overview
Food insecurity affects 11.6% of Indiana’s population. Simply Supper, a meal kit delivery service addressing food insecurity by providing self-sufficient meal options by accepting SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits and other EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) services. This service offers easy-to-prepare meals that will be particularly beneficial for many demographics of food-insecure individuals, including the elderly, students, and single parents.
This project was developed for AgriNovus Indiana, a research nonprofit based in Indianapolis.
Problem
Food insecurity is a growing issue in Indiana, affecting a significant portion of the population. According to Feeding America's Map the Meal Gap report for 2021, 11.6% of Indiana's population (about 761,080 individuals) experienced food insecurity in 2019.
How can we empower food-insecure individuals in food deserts with access to nutritious food, improving their lifestyle amid limited local options?
Solution - Simply Supper
Simply Supper, an EBT-accepting, self-sufficient meal kit delivery service, It caters to EBT users, allowing them to utilize their allowances for easy-to-prepare meal kits. Particularly beneficial for senior citizens.
Design Impact
I tested our final prototype with 10 users (senior citizens, food insecure people with EBT cards, and students) to get an insight on how much impact the design will have on their day-to-day life. The results are summarized below:
Users felt overwhelmed by the rate at which we were providing meal kits at their door steps
Senior citizens were able to navigate throughout the application
Users were able to buy personalized meal kits based on their dietary preference
Design Process
The design process followed was: Understand - Research - Analyze - Design - Testing - Present. The approach taken at each stage depended on the goal and what was required at that stage.
Research
Environmental analysis and interviews were conducted as research methods to gain a comprehensive understanding of the market landscape, competitor strategies, and customer needs.
This allowed us to identify gaps, challenges, and opportunities, which in turn informed the design of the product to effectively address the specific requirements of people facing food insecurity.
Why is the issue concerning?
There are 1.6 million tons of food going to waste each year in Indiana, equivalent to 2.6 billion meals that are unsold or uneaten.
Farmers at commercial and local levels battle misfit produce each harvest. Misfit produce — those that have blemishes, an abnormal shape or are overripe makes up about 63 million tons of food waste annually in the US.
Observations
Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana is a vital organization dedicated to fighting hunger in Indiana. They distribute millions of meals annually to those facing food insecurity.
Misfits Market is an online grocery delivery service dedicated to reducing food waste by offering affordable, Customers can enjoy up to 40% off retail prices
Potential
The revenue of the meal kit delivery market is forecast to grow to around 64.4 billion U.S. dollars by 2030
Average Grocery & Food Costs in Indiana: $285.33 per person, per month
Nearly 1 out of 9 Hoosiers face some form of food insecurity
References: https://www.sofi.com/cost-of-living-in-indiana
Unveiling Stakeholders Needs
USER INTERVIEWS
I interviewed people from NGOs / Food Banks / Retail Stores and Farmers to get the perspective of all the stakeholders and to understand the pain points regarding Food Insecurity.
Founder of an NGO
NGOs and food banks seek financial support over material donations for sustainable operations.
Manager at Food Bank
Seniors are vulnerable to food insecurity, often lack nearby access to groceries and transportation.
Manager at Store
Near-expiry items are cheaper at retail stores. EBT cash excludes pre-cooked hot meals.
Farmer
We have to throw away a lof of misfit produce because retail does not accept those.
Defining the customer base
SYNTHESIZE
I conducted a survey to understand the potential customer base, and their awareness, shopping, storage, and wastage patterns. The survey received 46 responses.
We were surprised to find that the survey results showed that the problem affected senior citizens to a greater degree as compared to young adults. While this was not generalizable, it was an interesting aspect to our localized research.
Older adults living at home skip meals due to following reasons :
Inability to obtain or prepare food (disability or functional limitations)
Lack of reliable social support
Lack of reliable transportation
Inability to afford food.
The Human Connection
USER PERSONA
IDEATING AND BRAINSTORMING
The Power of Collective Thinking
I performed 3 brainstorming sessions with my team to find a solution to our problem. This included individual and team brainstorms, as well as one with someone outside of our team. This helped me collect ideas from multiple perspectives. I narrowed down our solution ideas by:
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Filtering out ideas based on economic and technical feasibility.
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Presenting the 2 concept flows to our client to collect their feedback on the 2 ideas.
We used the client’s feedback to iterate on two concepts and came up with our final user flow.
Simply Supper's User Flow
Why meal kits?
users cited it is convenient to use meal kits over traditional groceries.
less greenhouse gas emissions compared to equivalent meals purchased from grocery stores
less cooking time as compared to traditional grocery
meal kit subscribers said they liked trying new and different meal kit recipes.
Gaining the Competitive Edge
COMPETITOR ANALYSIS
Insights I gathered by performing competitor analysis:
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The solution should have a feature to customize the meal kits and to know their preferences.
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Accept SNAP EBT cards as a payment option
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We should focus on affordable and user-friendly meal kits.
Wireframes
User Group
USER TESTING
Senior Citizen
Food Insecure adults with EBT Card
College Students
User Feedback
Including a built-in feedback loop within the app could be valuable. This feature would allow users, especially seniors, to share their experiences and preferences, fostering a sense of ownership and continuous improvement.
Incorporate more visual cues or tutorials within the app to assist seniors who may not be as familiar with technology."
Consider asking user about their dietary preference and allergies.
Presenting Simply Supper
Onboarding
The app's onboarding process is streamlined for user-friendly integration, guiding users effortlessly through key features.
Impact
The incorporation of visual cues enhances accessibility, enabling users to intuitively understand and utilize the app's functionalities.
Personalization
Upon registration, individuals are prompted to specify dietary restrictions, taste preferences, and any allergies.
Impact
This information ensures that every meal kit is tailored to the user's unique tastes and health requirements.
Inner Page
Access detailed nutritional information on the meal kit inner page by simply inputting meal preferences.
Impact
Transparency is maintained by allowing users to review comprehensive details about the ingredients and nutrition values of each meal.
Client's Feedback
- Geoff Zentz, Senior Director of Innovation, AgriNovus Indiana
Looks like a great way to start a new business idea, Also I love how you guys are serving three customer groups
Introduction of using EBT cash on meal kits sounds amazing!
The donate feature is a good idea, even if they donate small amount it will be helpful. Every penny counts!!
Crafting Consistency
I worked on a design system to reduce handoff time. To maintain consistency and ensure efficient design to hand over to the developers, I developed a modular system with reusable components.
Rules implemented for effective UI
NEXT STEPS
Future Scope
IN APP TUTORIAL:
Tutorials or in-app guides to assist seniors in becoming more comfortable with using the app.
VOICE COMMANDS:
Voice-activated commands can enhance accessibility, especially for seniors or individuals with limited mobility.
EXPANDED MEAL OPTIONS
Explore partnerships with nutritionists to diversify meal plans, catering to specific health needs and preferences.
LEARNINGS
Design Journey Reflections
Matching Business & User Needs
It’s a delicate balance trying to ensure your user needs align with the business goals and budget. Through this project I learned the importance of being able to sell your ideas to management and present metrics that management cares about.
Accessible Design
Interdisciplinary Research
Distinct visual elements, readable fonts, and easily recognizable icons enhance accessibility for those with visual impairments.
Gaining insights from farmers, retailers and food bank owners helped us understand different sides of business.
