5. objectives
Must reduce consumer food waste
Must fit seamlessly and consistently
into the habits of the user
Must increase the value and
pleasurable experience of food
7. storage
fridge &
freezer
user
counter
& table
home
grocery store
user
display
cart
basket
dish
Fridges have been getting
larger, people do not like to see
“white space” in a fridge.
Freezer items are
often forgotten,
and unlabeled.
Reducing plate
size can reduce
food waste by
around 20%.
Food is often not
stored in the best
way, reducing shelf
life. eg. lettuce in
water lasts longer
than in fridge.
Shopping carts
were only invented
in the mid 1930’s
and have been
getting larger.
Baskets have been getting
larger, and now are often
on wheels.
More food on display
often equals more
sales, so stores will
“stack to sell”. This
damages produce.
False bottoms are
sometimes used.
Package deals lead to
people buying more than
they need.
online
bags
problem space
components & opportunities
8. Presented at Ontario Climate
Symposium - Got feedback from
people interested in climate:
policy makers, chefs, engineers
Harpist -
entertainment
experience?
Coupons - 2
people age 60+
looked at them
within 30 minutes
Grocery display-
perfect pods for
identical shape/size
“natural ”
“organic”
“local”
Free fruit for kids-
good will, under-
ripe bananas
Discount mushroom
bag on top of loose
mushroom pile.
Slightly more
reusable shopping
bags than plastic
bags, almost even
Italian sausage making
thanksgiving ritual- over
consumption of food as
tradition
large family dinner-
leftovers for days
distributed to guests
Extra berries don’t fit into the
plan - eat them on the side
but ruins the aesthetic
planned family meals-
cooked for the whole week
storing leftovers in
aluminum cooking
tray, and herbs in
store plastic bag
observation
spaces & behaviours
Cheap packaged
tomatoes,
Styrofoam and
plastic wrap
I observed and documented food related
behaviours in the home, at 7 different
Toronto grocery stores, and other spaces
and events related to food.
9. food waste
journey map
This journey map documents the different common steps
of getting, storing, cooking, eating and throwing food,
and all the decisions made along the way, including with
examples from people I have interviewed.
10. survey results
food habits
I created my survey on Google Forms asking users about their behaviours,
attitudes and situations related to buying, cooking and eating food at home.
See the survey here: https://goo.gl/forms/gHuKax508wpJJfxu2
97.7% between the ages of
18-3946respondents
demographic
Through OCAD groups - mostly
OCAD U students or alumni
91% shop between twice a week to once every 2 weeks,
with 43% shopping once a week.
86% shopped from large chain stores, with small markets
being the second most shopped at.
points of interest
People transported their groceries most often by walking,
then driving, then public transport.
general trends
Most mentioned reasons for
throwing food is it’s spoiled,
mold, rotten, gone bad, smells.
Other common answers are
forgot about it, didn’t know
how to portion, had to buy too
much in a package for a recipe.
Almost all cooked in bulk at
least sometimes.
75% have a general idea or one recipe in mind when they go
grocery shopping, but also made decisions while shopping.
11. opportunity for better food shopping
key observations
Observing food in
person, touching
it, is important to
users, because people
have different preferences.
This phenomenon, termed
“Inspect & Select”, is
thought to be the major
factor holding back the
wide adoption of grocery
delivery services.
Proposition: Assistive grocery shopping experience that is convenient enough
to allow for daily food shopping. Packaging and displays that allow for the right
portion purchases. Adds value to food with additional information.
People grocery
shop infrequently,
on average once a week,
which results in a lot of
inaccurate guesswork about
how much you need for a
recipe, how much you will
cook and eat in a given
week. Users err on the side
of excess to deal with this.
Food is packaged
in portions that
are too large, which
forces people to buy more
than they need. Users may
attempt to cook around
leftover ingredients, or
have them wasted.
Grocery decisions
are made in store,
the result is impulse buys,
mistakes about ratios and
portions. Users are generally
flexible in what they buy at
the grocery store, opting for
any sales or perceived good
deals. Users will buy more
than they know they will eat
with the idea in mind that
they are saving money.
12. it is your food now
you see it in display
it is not in
abundance,
it’s special
MENTAL/EMOTIONAL VALUE OF FOOD OVER TIME
it is food in storage
at home
you have cooked a
tasty meal
leftovers are in
storage
it is reheated/
re-served
leftovers are eaten
a second time
leftovers are eaten
another time, you
are bored of it
food as gone bad and now
has negative value, you
have to throw it away
cooking rarely in large
portions
cooking frequently in
smaller portions
goes directly
from shopping
to cooking
“Neglecting leftovers
when newer food is
available. Combination
of something being more
fresh, and different from
what I’ve eaten the past 3
days in a row.”
“Being a full-time
student, working three
part-time jobs forces
an unpredictable
schedule, tying closely
to food waste and over
consumption.”
and done!
traditional food habits vs. new solution
the value of food over time
14. concept: shop everyday
An automated mini-grocery store that connects to a personal device. As of now, I am imagining it as
roughly the size of two vending machines, as I think that would have the best possibilities for fitting into
many public and private daily spaces. Users are generally flexible in what they buy and cook, and giving
users a clear, easy, shopping experience can sway their habits towards ones that use less waste.
benefits
• Availability and convenience encourages users to grocery shop more often so they are not forced to buy/
cook in bulk and throw away leftovers.
• “Recipe” purchases result in buying proper portions, uses user data to adjust.
• Meets local community food needs, data from scale drawers shares stock info with grocery store and users.
• Has the benefits of “meal boxes” but also the ability to see and pick your food.
• Storage within pressurized cool drawers, laid flat, keeps produce longer than in grocery stores where
they are exposed to light and piled on top of each other.
• Can encourage in-season and local alternatives in recipes, can suggest recipes that use produce that is
not selling as well, or that has had a very good season.
• Attractive to grocery stores to get the most of their products sold, and to have information access, and
partner with local chefs and farmers to advertise new recipes.
15.
16. How can users feel comfortable “just taking” food after
they sign in?
How can users understand suggestions and feedback in
order to measure out the appropriate portions of food?
development
guidance interaction
development
form & size
17. steel body with
rust resistant
painted exterior
laminated
insulating
glass
stainless steel steam
table pans (1/3 size)
wood accents
(protected by glass)
LEDs within to light up
food when in use
development
design specifications
18. additional features
• RFID scanning area for phone
• area to place your bag
• compartment to buy/take new bags
• front and sides can be used for branding
and instructions, eg. “get the app!”
21. +
business case
potential client
Whole Foods Market, acquired by Amazon in 2017, is a suitable client for this concept. With
Whole Foods’ brand of environmental and health conscious groceries, and Amazon’s resources
and understanding of the value of user data, they have the capacity to fully take advantage of
the business value of this solution.
Amazon has also recognized the value of physical interactions with your groceries by acquiring
Whole Foods, and creating with the innovative grocery shopping experience, AmazonGo, with
Just Walk Out Technology, and Amazon Meal Kits, “with all the ingredients you need to make a
meal for two in about 30 minutes”.
22. Most users shop at big
chain grocery stores, yet
there are little within the
downtown core on the
major routes people take
every day to commute.
The result is that grocery
shopping becomes a
chore, that users go
out of their way to
accomplish, as rarely as
they can.
Whole foods has a small presence in the
downtown core, with one location that is a 7
minute walk from Bay station.
Although finding space in the core for a full
new grocery stores in the core is challenging
and expensive, a solution that fits in smaller
spaces could reach consumers where they
are in their daily routines.
business case
untapped spaces
24. Whole Foods can leverage
consumer information to better
meet demands, predict trends,
and attract new customers.
Not to mention being able to
reach locations (and therefore
customers) that a full grocery
store cannot reach.
Users benefit from a convenient
alternative to traditional grocery
stores that allows them to
have full control and become
more conscious of their food
choices. It is the ideal solution
for users who value convenience
and want cooking a meal to
be a spontaneous, creative,
and enjoyable activity, not a
laborious chore of bulk meal
production.
business case
value exchange
