Overview
This project aims to find out the sense of identity of a cultural group and try to identify the problematic points to produce a design strategy.Due to using various research methods to find out the cultural context of this group, sorting out the problems encountered by this cultural group through affinity diagrams, and combining with the issues targeted by this group to produce design strategies.
Role | UX research, UI design
Project | Team project
Period | 02/2022-05/2022
Tool | Figma
Design process
Research background
Freeganism is a little-known subculture born in a capitalist society, whose main activity is known to be going through garbage cans to find the food they need. All this is to fight against the food waste society, so they choose to take action to protect our environment.
Secondary research
First, I researched the cultural context of freegans through secondary sources, and organized all the findings into an affinity diagram, and categorized and obtained some insights through the presentation of affinity diagrams.
Key insight from research
Define the problem
The value of freegan is limited to let the general public understand because of some negative stereotypes such as dumpster diving.
Target users
Based on the previous research to define the target audience.In this cultural group, their mainly target is to redistribute the food for homeless and who need the food in the society.  So the initial target audience below is,
Mission statement
To reverse the freegans stereotype and spread out the value of freeganism to protect our environment.
Define the MVP
I defined the MVP, through the extraction of the values of freegans from the research.  I list their values to interview several future users.  From the feedback of participants, these values of freegans below are the most valuable they want to see in a product.
Ideation
How can we avoid dumpster diving and spread out the value of freeganism and make general public understand this value?
Features
online food exchanging system
1
Food exchanging online
2
Dealing the food in person with other people
Primary research
In order to know, if my target audience will receive this service.  I apply the survey to test the respond of my target audience to see if this system meet their needs.
Key insight from the survey
I conducted the survey to validate if the solution meets the users’ needs.
Iteration
How can we avoid dumpster diving and spread out the value of freeganism and make general public understand this value?
Key insight from the survey
Add a physical food station to redistribute the food, to filter the food and ensure that they are clean and safety.
Information Architecture
User flow
Branding
Free life is  an app to exchange and do the redistribution of food.  The name is from the freegans value.  The goal of this app is to reach reducing the food waste and building a harmony and sharing community
The main color is green which is express the value of sustainability and the secondary color I choose is blue, which have the meaning of calm and wisdom.  I hope people can understand that it’s important that they need to consider more and keep rational when they are consuming.

Login page

Define your unique emotion or tone with your friends or love ones

Search the food station closing you

In the landing page, the information card will show and notify user to check, such as the information of new food in certain station and the reminder of your food sharing

Search the food station closing you

Easily to find the food station you would like to go and get your booking easily.

To search the food to book

Get the food detail and then book it to get the QR codewhich is used to get the food at the station

See your current booking and see which booking is finished

Sharing your food

Sharing your food by taking a picture and building a food ID on the cloud so that other people can see your food online.After getting the food barcode, you can go to the food station which is close to you and share your food.

Get a barcode

Get a barcode and go to the station you chose to share your food

Impact

To know your impact in the environment

Management

To manage and account the money you save
Self critique and discussion
Freeganism is a sub-group in the society that less people know.  This project uses the value of freegan and its culture to develop a product ‘Free Life” to prevent food waste. About the limitation of the design process, we only can search for the habits and cultural values of this community from secondary resources because this group is to small in the society, I can not find any interviewee.The design solution "food exchange" is developed through the more acceptable values of this community, and has been verified with quantitative data.  Furthermore, the general public is made aware of the importance of avoiding food waste.  However, how to maintain the food stations will be the next part of consideration.  Do they need to be managed? How will the food be kept there? Is it like a refrigerator? Will it need to be managed? And how much revenue will be generated to support the food system and what will be the next part of free life's business model?
If you are interested, welcome to contact me
tingyuwei860126@gmail.com
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