Product Designer
Green Point
Helping Americans improve the environment, one meal at a time through Research, Mobile Experience and Interface Design.
PASSION PROJECT
Role: Researcher, UX & UI Designer
Timeline: 3 Weeks
PROBLEM STATEMENT
People want to improve their diet by cooking more meals at home, but they often purchase processed or out of season food from their local supermarkets that cost more to purchase, and are terrible for the environment.
BACKGROUND
HYPOTHESIS
A tool that locates locally grown produce and allows people to shop and organize grocery lists will help make eating healthier more efficient and attainable for busy people.
WHY?
Now, more than ever, people are spending more time at home and the increase of home cooked meals is at an all time high in the U.S. With these drastic changes to regular routines, people are bringing more produce into their homes with the goal of eating healthier. However, people are struggling to find desirable produce that lasts in their local supermarkets.
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
This app would be perfect, not only for Users to find Farmers Markets, but for vendors to advertise their goods and services as well. People like knowing where their produce comes from, and strengthening the connection between farmer and User will legitimize the product for the User.
WHAT MAKES GREEN POINT UNIQUE?
• The User Research was only conducted with U.S. markets in mind:
Other countries have vastly different food habits, behaviors and laws concerning food markets.
• This is a passion Project:
As I am the only person working on this project, I did not work with any engineers, PM’s, or any other teams to collaborate all possible solutions.
• 3 Weeks to get it done:
I chose to go with a modified process of adding a mini Sprint session for this project in order to quicken the turnaround time for an MVP.
RETENTION
reduce effort it takes to find and shop farmer's markets
LOGIC
convince skeptics consuming locally grown food is better for them
NEW TECH
ignite interest in new potential customers
RESEARCH
First I surveyed 12 individuals who are actively trying to eat healthier.
I INTERVIEWED 3 INDIVIDUALS AGES 26-52 WHO ARE EITHER FULL TIME EMPLOYEES OR FREELANCE WORKERS WHO MET THE CRITERIA FOR A GREEN POINT USER
Most people interviewed are interested in learning how their food habits affect the environment
71% of people interviewed are interested in knowing where their food comes from.
ABOUT THE PARTICIPANTS
I ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT:
Their home environment
Their nutrition goals
• 30 is the average age of participants
• 89% of interviewees identify as female
• 3 is the average household number
• Most participants believed local foods are healthier for them
• 28.6% of users last purchased their groceries online
Their shopping and meal planning routines
Their experience using an app to solve the problems they were having
EXPECTED FEATURES
Maps
Vendor List
Grocery List
Available Goods & Services
INSIGHTS
Most people prefer to eat simple meals that prioritize meat and vegetables.
Half of people found Farmer's Markets difficult to find and shop.
People want to plan their shopping ahead of time by making grocery lists.
Half preferred organic or locally grown food and the other half prioritized low cost food.
People do not like shopping more than once per week.
"I believe locally grown foods are better for me, but finding and shopping at farmers markets is a hassle."
UNDERSTANDING THE USER
Jessica Wells
Graphic Designer
NEEDS TO ACCOMPLISH
• Locate Nearby Markets
• See Available Goods at Markets
• Create Grocery List
• Re-shop Favorite Markets
NEEDS TO FEEL
• Reassured
• Confident in Food Decisions
• Sense of Community
• Not Stressed
CONSIDERATIONS
• How might we find relevant markets close to the Jessica in order to still be a convenient option to shop?
• What can shopping habits tell us about what time of day we should notify Jessica of new Markets in her area?
"It's annoying when I forget what groceries I wanted to buy..."
"I like meeting the people who grew my food."
"I want to eat in a way that betters my health."
CONCEPT
HIGH FIDELITY WIREFRAMES OFFER A FIRST LOOK INTO THE POTENTIAL OF SUCCESSFUL MVP'S.
Keeping the shopping experience simple was important to having a positive experience with the product. An easy to understand navigation helps users create grocery lists faster with markets they love.
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DESIGN
-KEY MOMENTS
A quick sign up process was key to getting users where they wanted; the Farmer's Markets. Not demanding too much information up front is important to not turning off new Users from using the product.
FIRST TIME USER EXPERIENCE
Keeping thoughtful design top of mind empowers Users by utilizing our product as a tool to help them reach their goals. Designing in "moments" helped keep the design process flexible and allowed for a smooth development.
Below are some of the moments I felt were the important based on my research. More use cases could be revealed with further research.
WHERE SHOULD I SHOP?
Someone is using the app at home planning their grocery list, looking for a market to shop , asking questions like, "I wonder what they have at this market," and "how far away is this market? I like what they are selling."
WHAT CAN I BUY?
Someone is using the app at home creating a grocery list from the market they intend to go to asking questions like, "What time is this market open?" and "How will I be able to find each vendor when I get there?"
I WANT TO SHOP HERE AGAIN
Someone is using the app at home after returning from a shopping trip asking questions like, "How do I remember that market I like?" and "How long is that market open this year?"
OUTCOME
DELIVERABLES
Designed & prototyped screens illustrating the concept of a mobile app that allows User's to shop Farmer's Markets.
VALUES
Not only does Green Point provide value to customers, and therefore, business as well, it also has a positive impact on the environment.
HEALTH
We can help people eat better by giving them the tools to make healthy eating achievable and fun.
COMMUNITY
When people eat and shop locally, we interact with our neighbors and build better communities.
ENVIRONMENT
When people eat locally, we drastically reduce the impact of the food industry on the environment.
FUTURE ROADMAP
FUTURE USE CASES
Right now, the concept is focused on helping consumers reach their nutrition goals. With continued research and iterations, here are some other roles I could see our product performing in different markets:
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Global Impact
How might we inform consumers of how their food shopping habits have a direct impact on the environment? How might this information encourage consumers to buy more produce with confidence?
Vendors: Travel
How might vendors be able to use this product to inform Users where their booth is if they travel throughout the season? How might this encourage consumers to follow vendors and not only shop at specific markets?
Recipes & Canning
How might we suggest healthy recipes based on consumer's grocery lists? Can we encourage new behaviors like canning vegetables to eat local foods year round?
VISUAL SYSTEM
COLORS
MAIN COLOR PALETTE
WARNING COLORS
NEUTRALS/ TEXT COLOR
TYPOGRAPHY
Used as the logo with an inner shadow added for a cut out effect. It makes the brand feel more organic and "cut out" of nature.
Bold, Medium and Regular styles are used throughout the app for consistency and legibility.
