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KAI

A COMMUNITY-DRIVEN APPROACH TO ENDING HUNGER

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Kai is a start-up that is very concerned about food waste. They want help in designing and streamline the process of food donations by connecting donors with local food banks. Ease of use is key in the experience to ensure repeat use. The proposed application will help food donors from all over to donate their food to those who need it in a timely, safe and easy way. 

MY APPROACH

While the project's primary aim was to link food donors with food banks, I wanted to explore possibilities beyond that. I envisioned Kai as a comprehensive platform that bridges the gaps and fosters a sense of community, therefore expanding the app to include the following roles:

 

  • Business Donors: Simplifying and streamlining the process for companies with surplus food to donate efficiently and regularly.

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  • Individual Donors: Offering a quick and easy way for individuals to contribute food.

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  • Volunteers: Providing opportunities for community members to support food banks with their time and effort.​​

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  • Food Banks: Equipping food banks with tools to manage donations, coordinate with donors and volunteers, and communicate their needs effectively.

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This holistic approach ensures that Kai stands out as a comprehensive solution for food donation and support, addressing the needs of all users in the food donation ecosystem and fostering a cohesive community effort to combat food waste and hunger.

PROJECT GOALS

  • Simplify Donations: Make the food donation process quick and easy for business donors.

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  • Foster a community: Connect donors, volunteers, and food banks for seamless coordination.

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  • Ensure Accessibility: Design the app to be user-friendly and accessible to everyone.

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  • Define the Brand: Create and design the Kai brand to be welcoming, friendly, and associated with freshness and positivity.

THE CHALLENGE

Before diving into the design process for Kai, I anticipated several significant challenges given the project's scope, how I wanted to expand on that and the project goals:

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1. Integrating Multiple User Roles:

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Unlike typical food donation apps that focus on a single user group, Kai needed to serve diverse roles including business donors, individual donors, volunteers, and food banks. Designing workflows that cater to the unique needs and interactions of each of these personas requires careful planning and consideration.

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2. Creating a Cohesive User Experience:

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Balancing different users' varied needs and goals while maintaining a unified, intuitive, and engaging user experience. Each user type has specific requirements, and aligning them into a streamlined, cohesive interface is challenging.​

 

3. Building a Brand Identity:

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Establishing a welcoming brand for Kai that resonates with all user types is crucial. This involves careful selection of colors, typography, and icons to create an inviting and memorable experience.

 

4. Future-Proofing and Scalability:

 

Considering potential future expansions, such as adding features for selling food at a fraction of the cost, requires foresight in designing the app’s structure to be adaptable and scalable.

MY ROLE

Sole UX/UI Designer

Sole UX Researcher

SKILLS

Product strategy

Branding

Wireframing

Site mapping

User Flows

User testing

Prototyping

RESEARCH METHODS

Market research

TIMELINE

9 weeks

TOOLS

Figma

Secondary research

Qualitative research

RESEARCH

RESEARCH METHODS
  • Secondary Research:

 

Conducted research through news articles, blogs, and industry reports.

 

  • Competitor Analysis:

 

Reviewed similar platforms to identify gaps and opportunities for improvement.

 

  • Interviews:

 

Conducted with potential users to understand their needs, pain points, and preferences.

 

  • User Personas:

 

Created to represent key user groups and guide the design process.

SECONDARY RESEARCH AND COMPETITOR ANALYSIS:

To gain a comprehensive understanding of the food assistance landscape, I conducted secondary research through news articles, blogs, and industry reports. This was useful in familiarizing myself with the needs and pain points of different users within food assistance programs. 

 

I researched user demographics, industry standards, and the unique challenges faced by various personas in the food donation ecosystem. I analyzed both direct and indirect competitors, including platforms like MealConnect, Foody Bag, Food Finder, Food Hero, Share The Meal, Careit, Food Rescue US, Food Rescue Hero, Go Donate, Waste No Food, Food Cloud, Geev, Olio,Too Good to Go, and Food For All. By testing and experimenting with these apps, I searched for inspiration and identified gaps in existing solutions. This exploration helped me understand how these platforms address industry challenges and provided valuable insights into opportunities for innovation in designing Kai.

USER RESEARCH

The target audience for my design caters to the following personas:

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  • Individual Donors: People who want to donate food on a one-time or regular basis.

 

  • Business Donors: Companies with surplus food looking to donate as a one-time or regular basis.

 

  • Volunteers: Individuals interested in contributing their time and efforts to support food banks.​​

 

  • Food Banks: Organizations that collect and distribute food to those in need.

 

Due to time constraints I focused my research and user flow of my design on the sign up and one-time donation of a Business Donor persona.

INTERVIEWS:

To complement the quantitative and qualitative data from my secondary research, I sought insights from industry professionals who have firsthand experience with food donation and management.

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Interview with a VP of Marketing and Non-Profit Founder:

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  • Profile: A young professional who has worked as VP of marketing for a large company and the founder and president of a non-profit organization called Giving in Paris.

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  • Method: Conducted a 30-minute remote interview.

 

Interview with a Cafe Owner:

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  • Profile: A co-owner of a sit-down cafe and co-owner of a Firehouse Subs restaurant.

 

  • Method: Conducted an in-person interview.

KEY INSIGHTS

WANT

  • Impact Visibility

  • Personalization

  • Surplus handling

  • Seamless user experience

  • Scheduled donations email confirmation

  • Control

NEED

  • Real-time updates

  • Capacity management

  • Variety and balance

  • Urgency alert

PAIN

  • Customer expectations

  • Perishable surplus

  • Capacity issues

DEFINE

In developing Kai, the scope extends beyond the initial design prompt by creating an app that serves Food Banks, Volunteers, and Donors. However, for the purposes of this case study and within the constraints of the project, the primary focus is on the business donor persona. This aligns with the business goal of developing a user-friendly application that facilitates easy and efficient food donations for organizations.

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Based on insights from secondary research and expert interviews, I developed the persona of Antonio Colombo. Antonio represents the archetype of a business donor:

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  • Name: Antonio Colombo

  • Occupation: Restaurant Owner

  • Location: Florida

USER PERSONA

Persona Snapshot:

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Antonio is a dedicated and busy restaurant owner who occasionally finds himself with surplus pastries and bread that he wants to donate to his local food bank. He values efficiency and seeks a straightforward, time-saving solution for donating excess food. Antonio wants to understand the impact of his contributions by knowing exactly where his donations are going.

 

In addition to his occasional surplus, Antonio faces a unique challenge common to many businesses in Florida: frequent power outages. These outages often put him in a position where he must urgently find a way to prevent large quantities of food from going to waste. He needs a quick and reliable method to notify potential recipients and coordinate emergency food donations before it spoils.

Persona Board.png

IDEATE

USER FLOW

To illustrate a new user's experience, I developed a user task flow that details the steps a business donor takes when signing up on the Kai app. This flow captures the critical touchpoints and interactions, ensuring that the onboarding process is smooth and intuitive for businesses looking to donate food.

Kai User Flow.png
WIREFRAMES

Given the diverse roles of the users, I decided to introduce the app with a clear and engaging onboarding flow that caters to each user type.


I began by sketching various concepts to visualize the app's interface and structure. My primary goal was to create an intuitive and effortless experience, especially for busy business owners who might not have much time to spare. This led me to focus on a clean, minimalistic design that simplifies the donation process and makes it as straightforward as possible.

DESIGN

BRANDING

In designing Kai, I aimed to create an inviting and engaging experience, resonating with the diverse community of users it serves, business donors, volunteers, and food banks, supporting the app’s mission to connect communities and foster positive interactions around food donations.


The branding of Kai reflects its core values: community, accessibility, and nourishment. By using a thoughtful blend of colors, fonts, gifs, and icons, I aimed to create a platform that serves its functional purpose and brings a sense of joy and satisfaction to its users.


To achieve this, I focused on a few key elements:

COLOR PALETTE

I chose a vibrant and friendly color palette inspired by the rich hues of fresh fruits and vegetables. These colors evoke a sense of freshness and vitality, encouraging users to associate Kai with positive, nourishing experiences. The palette is designed to feel warm and welcoming, promoting a sense of community and collaboration. Each color is carefully selected to reflect the variety and abundance of foods found in a fridge, symbolizing the bounty that Kai helps to distribute to those in need.

TYPOGRAPHY

For the app's typography, I chose sans-serif fonts, Poppins and SF Pro Text, known for their clarity and readability. These fonts were selected to provide a clean, modern look while ensuring that text is easy to read across different screen sizes and resolutions.

LOGO

I kept the KAI logo sans serif, using Poppins Bold typography, which is modern and friendly yet strong. The logo features primary colors commonly found in food, creating a sense of familiarity and warmth. The four different hands represent inclusivity, each holding a puzzle piece that fits together perfectly. This symbolizes the sense of community and collaboration central to Kai's mission, emphasizing that we are all united in the fight against hunger.

VISUAL ELEMENTS

To enhance the app’s visual appeal, I integrated gifs and multicolor icons sourced from Lottiefiles, Freepik on Flaticon.com. These gifs and icons add a layer of depth and playfulness, making the app more visually engaging than many traditional food donation platforms. The icons not only enrich the aesthetic but also aid in navigation and user interaction by clearly representing various functionalities and sections of the app while the gifs make the app more engaging and lively. This visual diversity contributes to making the user interface welcoming and enjoyable, encouraging users to explore and engage with Kai’s features.

STYLE LIBRARY
USER-CENTRIC DESIGN DECISIONS
  • User Identification and Onboarding Flow:

 

To immediately identify the type of user—whether a business donor, food bank, or individual donor—the onboarding process begins with a set of questions before the registration form. I chose this strategy to:

 

Tailor the Experience: Deliver relevant content and options based on the user's role, ensuring a personalized and intuitive journey.

 

Streamline Navigation: Provide direct paths to pertinent features, reducing unnecessary steps and enhancing clarity.

 

Increase Engagement: Build an early connection by showing users that their specific needs are understood and prioritized.

 

Collect Efficient Data: Segment users from the start for better data analysis and feature targeting.

 

Simplify Registration: Display only relevant registration fields, avoiding user overwhelm with irrelevant questions.

  • Form Structure: Initially, I considered a single comprehensive form for donors to input their donation information. However, to avoid overwhelming the users, I opted for a multi-step form. This approach breaks down the process into manageable steps, making it easier for users to digest and complete each section without feeling burdened.

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  • Map and List View: Users can browse and select nearby food banks.

 

  • Filters: Quick access to filter options (e.g., distance, food bank needs, services).

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  • Food Bank Profiles:

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Detailed Information: Contact details, services offered, and donation requirements.​

 

Statistics and Impact: Information on meals provided, community impact, and more.

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  • Donation Process:

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Step-by-Step Guidance: Clear instructions and progress indicators for making a donation.

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Flexible Scheduling: Options for immediate or scheduled donations, including pickup or drop-off.

 

Review and Submit: Summary of donation details with the ability to edit before submission