Design Research

What is Food Waste

The Problem

In the United States, 68% of food waste are considered as edible in NY, and those edible food goes uneaten, leading to heavy economic, environmental, and social costs. Food loss and food waste occurs at every level of the supply chain in production, distribution, retail, and consumption. At 54%, households are a leading contributor to food waste (20% food service and retail).

“Waite” is a solution to food waste prevention

Food Waste is not just a waste but Food Waiting to be eaten

Value Proposition

Sustainable Network

The topology of the network linking restaurants to households in a neighborhood.

Source ingredients locally when possible to reduce the carbon footprint associated with transportation.
Partner with suppliers(restaurants) who prioritize sustainable food practices and use environmentally-friendly packaging.
Foster partnerships with local organizations and consumers that promote sustainable food systems and waste reduction.

Inventory & Business Potential

Optimizing ingredient packaging and delivery can reduce waste and associated costs, while also appealing to customers who prioritize sustainable practices.

The ingredient kit can generate a new revenue stream with minimum additional cost and effort for the business by providing customers with a convenient and time-saving solution for meal preparation.
Data insights through this app can provide valuable data on inventory optimization and customer preferences and behaviors that can be used to inform the strategy for increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty, leading to repeat business and positive word-of-mouth referrals.

Customer Growth

Recipe tutorials help users to learn new cooking techniques and continuously promote the health benefits of the ingredient kit both physically and mentally.

The app offers information about the origin and nutritional value of the ingredients included in the kit, as well as tips on how to store and use them.
The app reminds people of the health benefits of the ingredient kit, highlighting how it can help customers eat healthier and more balanced meals.

Research Process:
User journey at Restaurant

Identifying each step the user will take when interacting with the app, I create AI-generated images(for some steps) to speculatively visualize each step of the user journey, helping to bring the journey to life and identify potential issues or opportunities for improvement. This tool is designed to help people expand the conversation in different ways and think about how to move forward in terms of sustainability.

“I think this idea is interesting and would want to know how much food other restaurants actually wastes. At my restaurant, we usually use all ingredients in multiple menus to reduce waste. But, we also have ‘accidentally’ produced surplus preparations or damages. If we could use those for the ingredient kits, it would be helpful to reduce the loss.”

— Rocky from Seafood Restaurant in Midtown

“At my restaurant, we rarely waste food. Some ingredients that are still edible have to be thrown away, such as shrimp tails and broccoli ends. I don't serve them because my customers (Americans) don't want to eat them. When eating in Thailand, it is common to skip or grill them. I think there is a cultural difference in the observation of edible and inedible parts.”

— Mo from Thai restaurant in Hells Kitchen

"We aim to sell all foods and ingredients for our customers and to avoid waste. However, sometimes food has to look "perfect" (shape, color, taste), and sometimes there is waste or no use for some items, such as vegetables."

— Kevin at the Korean Restaurant in Queens

“Sauces are one of the most wasteful things in my home since I forget or cannot consume at all by the expiration date.”

— Thita, Student (20s)

“At the beginning of the month, I go to a big trip to Costco or groceries to get a bunch of ingredients and plan the menu of the week pretty simple, to not worrying about it on every day.”

— Fariz, Worker (30s)

“There are very strict rules regarding food safety that I learned in my food safety certification. For example, there are key points regarding proper storage to ensure that food lasts longer.”

— Chiharu from the cafe clerk in Brooklyn

Prototype: UI

The idea consists of matching people with the right portion and better ingredients from nearby restaurants and shops. This flow aims to provide a convenient and hustle-free solution for meal preparation by delivering pre-portioned and pre-packaged ingredients along with what you have at home and easy-to-follow recipes in the app to their doorsteps.