FridgeMate

A mobile application that provides reliable on-the-go vegetable storage tips,
saving users time from browsing and choosing information on other platforms

Check FridgeMate Prototype

Problem Definition

Users have difficulty choosing reliable information on how to keep vegetables fresh for a long time and their food is wasted away in the fridge without noticing.

Role

Project Manager
User Researcher
UX/UI Designer

Tools

Figma

Miro

Invision

key takeaway

Useability test is essential. Feedback from potential users is an important insight to improve product's task flows.
The product does not need to be capable of everything. Focusing and prioritizing on the MVP features.

Target User

People who share a fridge with others such as friends or family members
People who have busy schedules and buy groceries less than once a week

research methods (discovery)

Survey & Findings
Existing product analysis
Competitive analysis

Solution

A mobile application that provide engageable in-app content on proper vegetable storage methods and fridge management features such as stock management and shopping list features.

The users do not need to spend time browsing for content on other platforms and deciding which information they should trust. Users can easily and promptly access content whenever and wherever they want. Users can also share their own feedback and tips on the platform creating a community within the application.

The features in the application can tackle the problem of shared fridge users. They will be able to get a full view of the roommate’s stock status and track it together with the roommate helping each other to not waste any food.

Project Background

The idea of this project was inspired by my personal experience. Living with a roommate, we shared space in a fridge.

On several occasions, my roommate has forgotten about items stored in the refrigerator, leading to spoilage and waste. I occasionally remind my roommate about items in the fridge that have been there for a while and are at risk of spoiling. However, checking my roommate’s groceries every time I open the fridge is inconvenient.

Considering we can only do grocery run once in every week or two weeks, keeping the freshness of the groceries became a priority. We tried to look up a method to store them for a long time. There are many tips and methods of how to keep vegetables fresh for a long time on the internet and social platforms. However, the information is provided as side content to the main content of those platforms. It is scattered and has a variety of details. It makes me confused about which information is the best to use.

FridgeMate

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Design Thinking Process

The design thinking process with a user-centric approach is adopted to develop an innovative and competitive advantage solution.

Survey & Findings

To validate the project, I conducted a survey to determine if users experience a similar issue and if the proposed product is feasible. The majority of the respondents (48%) thought the issue was worth solving and it was related to their lives. The respondents also thought that FridgeMate would tackle the problems for them.

To solve the problem, at present, most of the respondents buy fewer groceries or buy what could stay for a long time. Some just let them rot and buy new ones when needed. Some respondents extend the shelf life by putting their groceries in the freezer. One respondent finds hacks for the longevity of vegetables on Google or TikTok.

In addition, respondents would like an engaging ability on the content to give feedback and share their own ideas. This can create a community within the application and increase content diversity for users.

Explore

I explored the existing similar content and platforms to find out how users experienced and felt about them and look for any opportunities for our project. The existing content lacked clarity and simplicity, making users confused and uncertain.

Source: https://www.tiktok.com/@creative_explained/video/7052347899467910447

Source: https://www.foodandwine.com/vegetables/how-to-store-any-vegetable

Source: https://extension.sdstate.edu/storage-life-vegetables

Competitive Analysis

I analyzed the existing products in the market with a similar concept and looked for takeaways and opportunities.
Most of the mobile applications in the market provide a wide range of features to manage groceries but only a few provide grocery tips.

FridgeMate

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Personas

Based on the survey & findings, market exploration and competitive analysis, I crested personas to represent the target users. The product will be developed by focusing on solving the persona frustrations.

Information Architecture

Since the project's MVP feature is engageable in-app content and to tackle the persona frustrations, the information architecture is designed to allow easy accessibility to the content by providing multiple access points from other screens to the MVP feature, the in-app content.

the trinity strategy

The trinity strategy is a guideline to understand the target users and helps structurize the product strategies. Identifying the trinity strategy helps me understand our target users' insight in three main areas:

Behaviors

What are users doing?
What problem are they looking to solve?
Why are they looking for you?

Experience

What do they think and feel about their interaction with our product?

Outcomes

What has changed as a result of user actions?
What did the user get out of their interaction?

business goal

The goal was set and use KPIs and metrics to measure the peformance and success of the product.

revenue model

The possible revenue stream for the product is based on 3 models.

Subscription

Users pay a recurring fee to access premium features such as the ability to share management with more members and exclusive deals with partnerships. Providing a basic version for free and encouraging users to upgrade to a premium version with advanced features. The free version allows for user acquisition and the ability to upsell premium features and content.

Advertising

Providing relevant advertisements, Ensuring that the ads are non-intrusive and align with the app's purpose to maintain a positive user experience. By integrating referral links or affiliate marketing partnerships within the application, users can make purchases or sign up for services, and the app can earn a commission for each successful referral or transaction. This revenue model leverages the app's ability to drive users towards relevant products or services, benefiting both Fridge Mate and the partners.

Partnerships

Partnerships like a recipe platform and a grocery supplier align with the goals of FridgeMate by enhancing the user experience, driving user acquisition, and upselling grocery products. These partnerships create synergies between the app and established platforms, opening revenue opportunities while providing users with valuable and integrated services.

FridgeMate

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Prototype

Based on the information architecture, I built different levels of wireframes and tested them with potential target users for improvement and to ensure that the product could solve user’s problems. The product’s usability test was focused on the usage of the main features including grocery tips, grocery management, and shopping lists, and the interconnection between features.

Low-Fidelity Prototype

In the early stage, the test on the wireframe was focused on the main features and the elements of each feature. The hand-drawn low-fidelity wireframe was deployed for its quick implementation to validate the necessary elements that will help solve the user's problems.

Mid-Fidelity Prototype

After the essential features and elements were identified, the prototype was developed at another level to be used in the test to validate the intuitiveness and user-friendliness of the design. In this stage, users who participated in the usability test were asked to follow the main tasks of the product, such as finding specific tips and adding items to stock. The participants' reactions were monitored and their feedback was collected for further analysis.

High-Fidelity Prototype

Reflecting the results and feedback from the usability tests into the design.