Fridge Street
Mobile App Design
The "FridgeStreet" app is a mobile application designed to facilitate access to and management of community fridges in urban areas, initially focusing on New York City.
CATEGORY
ROLE
DURATION
SKILLS
TOOLS
UI/UX
App Design
Greenfield Design
Product Designer
UI/UX Designer
Feb - Mar 2024
UI/UX Design
"FridgeStreet is inspired by the 'Fridge Street: Bridging Sites of Mutual Aid' exhibition, reflecting a commitment to community support during challenging times.
The goal of the Fridge Street exhibition project was to raise awareness about food insecurity as a systemic issue and to inspire action towards building more just and inclusive food systems.
After consulting with the exhibition's team, I received their endorsement for the FridgeStreet app design and gained access to valuable materials from their team.
The Exhibition
Food Insecurity
Food insecurity is the limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods, or limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways, which can lead to a range of negative impacts including poor health, increased stress, and diminished quality of life.
Community fridges address this issue by providing a local, accessible resource where individuals can both donate and receive food, directly alleviating some of the challenges associated with food insecurity.
FridgeStreet app enhances this solution by offering a user-friendly platform that helps people locate community fridges, check their inventory, and contribute food easily. By improving access to these fridges and fostering better management and engagement, FridgeStreet app supports a more effective and sustainable approach to tackling food insecurity within the community.
Operation of Community Fridges in NYC
by the Fridge ST PROJECT team
Background
RESEARCH
Existing Online Platforms
Fridge Finder
NYC Community Fridges
One Love Community Fridges
Intro
Community fridges became popular in 2020 as a way to directly provide free food to people in need and combat food waste. During the pandemic, outdoor refrigerators served as emergency access points for life-sustaining nutrition in dozens of cities around the world. The food found inside fridges come from diverse sources, mostly individual donors or surplus food that is “rescued” from the supply chain.
Problem Identification
The reliance on web-based platforms for community fridges limits accessibility, as mobile devices are more suitable for users seeking on-the-go solutions to locate nearby fridges.
Limited Platform Accessibility
The dependence on volunteer teams for managing community fridges often leads to inadequate upkeep and operational inefficiencies, impacting the reliability and effectiveness of the fridges and their supporting platforms.
Ineffective Management and Maintenance
Existing platforms primarily serve as basic "fridge maps," offering insufficient features and infrequent updates. This shortfall can reduce user engagement and hinder the promotion of active use of community fridges.
Lack of Comprehensive Functionality
User Personas
The Recipient
The Contributor
Challenge
How might we leverage digital solutions to develop a accessible mobile platform for Fridge Street that enhances community engagement and streamlines resource sharing at community fridges?
Task3
View specific fridge information,
including what is currently in the fridge.
Key Feature
#Show the fridge
Justification
The app provides detailed fridge descriptions, allowing users to make informed choices about which community fridge to visit.
The app mirrors the physical layout of fridges by categorizing items into Fridge and Freezer sections (Pantry may be included), making it easy to navigate and understand what's available.
Additionally, users can view the latest real photos of items by clicking on them, ensuring transparency and up-to-date information.
Task4
Select items and record your usage of the fridge.
Key Feature
#Use the fridge #Update the fridge
Justification
Although using community fridges is primarily an "offline shopping" experience, the app is designed with a shopping cart feature similar to online shopping to assist in the management of community fridges and ensure real-time updates of fridge information.
Notably, it is impossible to confirm selections in the app without first uploading updated real photos of the items. This requirement is designed to encourage users to actively update the status of the fridge.
Task5
Access the user profile.
Key Feature
#Practical user profile
Justification
User profile in the Fridge Street app is designed to enhance user engagement by tracking their history with community fridges, quantifying their contributions to food security, and displaying the financial savings achieved through their activities.
Additionally, it provides direct access to volunteer opportunities, encouraging deeper community involvement.
This integrated approach not only personalizes the user experience but also demonstrates the tangible impact of their participation, fostering a sustained commitment to the initiative.
Final Solutions
Before showcasing the prototype, let's recall the existing issues with the current platforms—Limited Platform Accessibility, Ineffective Management and Maintenance, Lack of Comprehensive Functionality.
It's important to clarify that this project does not assume that the design of this app will solve these problems alone; addressing these issues will still require additional human and other resources. Fridge Street aims to provide a more accessible platform based on existing websites, equipped with appropriate features to enhance community engagement, and to facilitate and promote the operation of community fridges.
Task1
After logging into the app,
use the Filter to find specific community fridges.
Key Feature
#Filter the fridges
Justification
The filter function is completely new for existing platforms, and this feature operates under the context where the fridges are orderly managed and appropriately labeled. Fridge Street app has also included multiple features that complement the proper labeling of fridges (inventory).
Task2
After setting the filter,
select the fridge you want to view.
Key Feature
#Find a fridge #List/Map view #Preview card
Justification
Fridge Street offers a switchable List/Map view to accommodate user preferences for either a spatial overview or a simplified textual list, enhancing navigation and usability.
The fridge preview card design provides essential information at a glance, such as location and fridge status, allowing users to quickly assess their options without delving into details.
These elements together ensure a user-friendly experience, making it easier and more efficient for users to locate and utilize community fridges.
DESIGN ITERATION
Lo-Fi Wireframes
Hi-Fi Wireframes
TAKEAWAYS
Takeaways
The design of the platform must prioritize practicality, focusing on the actual use scenarios of the users. The design should be rooted in a thorough understanding of the project background and target audience. It was an honor to develop this app's design on the shoulders of giants; the research and user interviews conducted by the exhibition team on New York's community fridges provided rich insights and a solid foundation for my design.
User-Centered Design Approach
Design systems are crucial for creating something from nothing. While this design process did not focus heavily on creating a design system due to its prototype nature, the need for a robust design system became more apparent as the project evolved. As moving into later stages of design iteration, the importance of having a structured design system to guide development cannot be overstated.
Importance of Design Systems
Usability testing is essential during the design iteration process. Although the content of usability tests was not showcased in this case study, the design underwent continuous heuristic evaluations. This included the final version, which received suggestions for improvements such as smoother interaction animations. If there is an opportunity to further refine this app's design in the future, comprehensive usability testing will be conducted to garner more extensive feedback.
Necessity of Heuristic Evaluation in Design Iterations
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Copyright @ 2024 Sammi Tang
