
Adopting a sustainable lifestyle & mindful consumption



About:
A platform Fighting Against Food Waste
EcoEat is a food-saving platform designed for conscious shoppers.
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Operating locally, EcoEat combines sustainability, convenience, and quality by offering prepackaged recipes made from leftover ingredients to promote fighting against food waste.
By connecting you with fresh, local produce, EcoEat allows users to enjoy mindful shopping while contributing to a greener future.

Role
UX Designer

Timeline
8 weeks

Skills
Usability testing Wirer-framing, Prototyping, Collaboration

Tools
Figma, Illustrator, Maze, Zeplin


Understanding the problem
The Problem of Food Waste
Surplus food ending up in the trash isn’t just a personal issue, it’s part of a larger global problem affecting the environment and people.
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About one-third of all food produced is wasted, contributing to climate change. This wasted food could have supported those facing food insecurity.
Additionally, sustainable options are often not budget-friendly, making it harder for both businesses and consumers to adopt more eco-conscious choices without increasing costs.

Possible Solution and Potential Impact
A platform that offers discounted prepackaged recipe bags made from surplus local ingredients, making sustainable meal planning more affordable.
The Solution aims to:
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Avoid 2.7 kg of CO2e emissions with every bag saved.
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Clients could save an estimated $150–$200 per month by using leftover ingredients.
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The business could potentially see a 25% increase in customer retention and a 15% boost in overall sales from sustainable product offerings.
Introducing EcoEat
A Platform Designed for Mindful Shopping
Food waste is any food meant for people to eat that gets thrown away at any stage, from production to the table. This includes food loss during farming and shipping, and food waste at stores or in homes.
Impact of Food Waste
Food waste significantly affects society, the economy, and the environment. Reducing it offers a meaningful opportunity to address climate change, lower living costs, and improve food accessibility.
10%
OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
are caused by food waste

$1.1 ​
TRILLION
is the amount of money lost through food waste every year

820
MILLION PEOPLE
Over 820 million people worldwide face hunger and lack consistent access to nutritious food.

25%
OF FRESH WATER
goes into food that ultimately goes to waste

In consumer households, the most wasted foods are vegetables, cereals, and fruits, followed by roots and tubers (9%), dairy and eggs (7%), and meat and fish (6%).
Target Users
To better understand why people care about sustainability, it’s important to explore the motivations and behaviors behind their practices. Environmental concerns, cost savings, and a desire to contribute to a healthier planet often drive people.
Emma
The Conscious Consumer
Cares deeply about sustainability and actively reduces waste through composting, meal planning, and buying locally.

Jake
The Mindful Business Owner
Owns a small café and tries to reduce food waste by managing inventory. Open to doing more but focused on keeping costs low

Joy
The Unaware Consumer
Doesn’t prioritize sustainability and rarely thinks about food waste. Focused on convenience and cost over environmental impact.

Current Sustainability Practices
People are adopting practices like Composting, meal planning, and creating meals from leftovers to reduce waste and save money. While these methods promote mindful consumption, challenges like time commitment and consistency remain.
Composting
Converts food scraps into nutrient-rich soil, reducing waste and greenhouse gas emissions.

Mindful Planning
Planning meals in advance to reduce overbuying and food spoilage.

Buying "Ugly" food
Purchasing imperfect or misshapen fruits and vegetables that are often discarded despite being perfectly edible.

While Too Good To Go saves money and helps businesses, the surprise nature of the bags, inconsistent quality, and limited pickup times can be drawbacks.
Existing Solution
Too Good To Go lets you buy surplus food from local businesses at discounted prices, helping reduce waste and support sustainability


01


02


Cons

03

Bags could include things you don’t like
The "surprise" nature means you might not enjoy everything you get.


01
Discounted priced meals
Save money on food while reducing waste.

Pros


02
Promotes sustainability
It helps cut down on food waste and supports eco-friendly habits.


03
Helps businesses reduce food waste
Businesses can avoid throwing away unsold food, improving profitability and reducing waste.
Limited collection time
Tight pickup windows can make it hard to fit into your schedule.
Inconsistent Quality
The quality and variety of items in surprise bags can vary, leading to mixed experiences.
Problem Statement:
Identifying Core User Pain Points
1
Excess Shopping and Food Waste
Consumers who aspire to sustainable practices face challenges in organization, small-quantity shopping, and affordability, which can impact their adoption of eco-friendly initiatives.
2
Operational Challenges in Reducing Food Waste
Business owners, committed to minimizing food waste, encounter operational obstacles and customer hesitations, impeding efficient discount implementation and sustainability objectives.
3
Environmental Impact
Inefficient use of leftover ingredients from local markets contributes to food waste and environmental impact, underscoring the need for a solution that connects users with sustainable meal options and reduces waste
Business vs. Consumers
Bridging User Needs and Business Goals
Business Goals
User Goals
Eager to engage in community initiatives and adopt creative ways to use leftovers and end-of-life foods.
Seeking discounts and promotions to make
eco-friendly choices more affordable.
Looking for resources and tools to help purchase the right amount of food and reduce waste
Maximize profits by selling, rather than discarding, soon-to-expire items.
Strengthen brand reputation by prioritizing sustainability in operations and offerings.
Optimize operational processes to identify, manage, and discount soon-to-expire items, reducing food waste.
Commitment to Sustainable practices





Four Quick Steps...
To Practice Sustainable Shopping Habits




Customizing preference
EcoEat has your back! It tailors prepackaged recipes to your tastes by analyzing your food preferences and local market finds. Customize your experience and enjoy delicious, sustainable meals with ease!
Prepackaged recipes
EcoEat makes meal planning easy with prepackaged recipes from surplus local ingredients. Cook sustainably, reduce food waste, and support your community—all in one go!
Connect with your local market
With EcoEat, get the inside scoop on your food! We connect you with local markets, showing you where your ingredients come from and supporting sustainable practices in your community.
Environmental Impact Tracker
Keep tabs on your environmental impact with EcoEat! Not only can you track metrics like CO2 saved, water conservation, and waste reduction, but you'll also see how much money you've saved and how many bags you've bought.
Storyboard:
Navigating the Key Interactions

User Flow and Navigation:
Simplifying user pathway

Branding | Visual Identity | Design System
I created a design system to maintain consistency, scalability, and a unified brand identity.








Aligning Design Solutions with User Needs and Goals
100% task completion rate with minimal errors.
Average task completion time was reduced by 20% after refinements.
85% of users praised the intuitive interface, clear navigation, and friendly tone.
Open-ended feedback led to targeted improvements, enhancing overall user experience.
Usability Testing:
Making improvement
All 8 out iof 8 participants completed all tasks successfully.
Users praised EcoEat’s intuitive interface, clear navigation, and friendly tone.
Insights were incorporated to enhance the overall user experience.
Before


01. Clarity
User testing revealed confusion around the "What are you in the mood today?" prompt, which felt like an extra step. I simplified the wording and removed the screen to streamline the experience.
After

02. Visual Improvement
To enhance the visual experience, I updated the background color for a more dynamic feel and fixed spacing issues by adding a fixed header and adjusting the layout for better balance.
03. Preventing unpleasant Suprise
I added a disclaimer to inform users that prepackaged recipe bags cannot be modified, preventing surprises at checkout. I also adjusted spacing to improve the overall user experience.
04. Visual Enhancement
Users preferred real images over illustrations for better clarity and raised concerns about pixelation in the ingredients area. I resolved this by replacing all illustrations with high-quality real images.
Before

After

05. Transparency in Quality Concern
Users expressed stress over purchasing products near the end of their shelf life without knowing their age. To address this, I added a "best by" date to provide clarity and transparency regarding the product's freshness.
06. Clarifying the Purchase Process
Participants found the "Bag it" button misleading, assuming they would have to pay at the market instead of through the app. I updated the call-to-action to
"Add to cart" to clarify that payment happens later.
Before

After

Before


07. Improving the Shopping Flow
Users were directed to checkout immediately after adding a product to their cart, disrupting the shopping experience. I introduced a confirmation screen with the option to continue shopping, enhancing user flow and potentially increasing revenue.
After

08. Clarifying Payment and Product Status
The term "Reserve" misled users into thinking they had secured the product without payment. I updated it to "Checkout" for clarity and added product quality details to help users make informed decisions before paying.
09. Clarity and Relatability
Users found the language on the impact page confusing and suggested using friendlier wording to match the welcoming tone of the onboarding.
They also wanted to see more relatable insights about their daily environmental impact.
10. Optimizing Navigation
Users preferred removing "Tips" from the navigation bar, as it wasn’t a priority. I replaced it with "Orders" for quicker access to order history, while tips are now accessible from the impact page in the right corner.
Before

After

Additional Screens- to Eliminate the Confusion in the Checkout Process:
I added two extra screens after noticing users’ tendency to cancel orders before completion, giving them a final chance to reconsider with a ‘go back’ option leading to checkout.
To increase engagement, I also introduced a friendly animation and a brief description explaining the environmental benefits of each order.




















Reflection
Next Project

Simplifying Regulatory Licensing
Collaborated with the Founder to design an AI-powered licensing portal for Web3/Fintech companies entering the EU market. Led the redesign of the company’s brand identity and digital presence.
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The solution aimed to: ​​
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Cut licensing submission time by 70% using AI
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Increased brand recognition by 40% by launching a cohesive
identity across the logo, website, and investor materials.​
RegSurety

