PantryPal
PantryPal
PantryPal
PantryPal
PantryPal
PantryPal
PantryPal
PantryPal
PantryPal
Cornell University - Ithaca, NY
Cornell University - Ithaca, NY
Overview
Overview
Overview
This project was aimed at aiding Cornell students with easy, healthy, and affordable cooking while living off-campus. The project utilized project management principles to complete the design process including research, ideating, and prototyping. The final solution proposed a human-centered design app with features for pantry management, recipe recommendations, and an integrated shopping interface. The team learned about the importance of clear project objectives, addressing user pain points, technical and legal considerations, and the need for flexible planning and role clarity.
This project was aimed at aiding Cornell students with easy, healthy, and affordable cooking while living off-campus. The project utilized project management principles to complete the design process including research, ideating, and prototyping. The final solution proposed a human-centered design app with features for pantry management, recipe recommendations, and an integrated shopping interface. The team learned about the importance of clear project objectives, addressing user pain points, technical and legal considerations, and the need for flexible planning and role clarity.
Tools
Tools
Tools
User Research
User Research
PM Principles
PM Principles
Figma
Figma
Miro
Miro
TEAM
TEAM
TEAM
Cecilia Wang
Cecilia Wang
Elisabeth Kam
Elisabeth Kam
Jenny Liu
Jenny Liu
Zhichao Song
Zhichao Song
Timeline
Timeline
Timeline
Start: Aug 2023
Start: Aug 2023
End: Dec 2023
End: Dec 2023
Link
Link
Link
Prototype: Figma Link
Prototype: Figma Link
Case Analysis: Slides Link
Case Analysis: Slides Link
Project Management Phases
Project Management Phases
Project Management Phases
Initiation Phase: The team initially struggled to define a strong problem statement. Feedback from a teaching assistant helped refine it, but this initial difficulty impacted their first milestone.
Planning Phase: Conflicts with other academic and personal responsibilities posed scheduling challenges. Formulating effective survey and interview questions was difficult, as the team aimed to understand user needs and the link between food and stress.
Execution Phase: The limited familiarity of team members with UX roles led to challenges in ideation, design, and prototyping. Technical issues, such as laptop breakdowns, further hampered the low-fidelity design phase.
Monitoring and Controlling Phase: The team had to adapt to unforeseen events and risks, making adjustments to their project timeline. Despite these challenges, they managed to complete their tasks on time.
Closeout Phase: Final deliverables were prepared, and the project was presented for feedback. The team learned the importance of adapting to unexpected challenges, clear communication, and effective risk management.
Initiation Phase: The team initially struggled to define a strong problem statement. Feedback from a teaching assistant helped refine it, but this initial difficulty impacted their first milestone.
Planning Phase: Conflicts with other academic and personal responsibilities posed scheduling challenges. Formulating effective survey and interview questions was difficult, as the team aimed to understand user needs and the link between food and stress.
Execution Phase: The limited familiarity of team members with UX roles led to challenges in ideation, design, and prototyping. Technical issues, such as laptop breakdowns, further hampered the low-fidelity design phase.
Monitoring and Controlling Phase: The team had to adapt to unforeseen events and risks, making adjustments to their project timeline. Despite these challenges, they managed to complete their tasks on time.
Closeout Phase: Final deliverables were prepared, and the project was presented for feedback. The team learned the importance of adapting to unexpected challenges, clear communication, and effective risk management.
User Research
User Research
User Research
The user research was extensive and multifaceted, involving both surveys and interviews. However, conducting these simultaneously posed a significant challenge. The team had to manage the collation and analysis of both quantitative data from surveys and qualitative insights from interviews, which can be a complex and time-consuming process. The user research provided rich data that shaped the development of the app. This direct engagement with the target audience ensured that the app's features were not only based on theoretical assumptions but were grounded in the actual experiences and requirements of Cornell students. This approach was key in creating a user-centered solution that addressed real-life problems in cooking and meal planning.
The user research was extensive and multifaceted, involving both surveys and interviews. However, conducting these simultaneously posed a significant challenge. The team had to manage the collation and analysis of both quantitative data from surveys and qualitative insights from interviews, which can be a complex and time-consuming process. The user research provided rich data that shaped the development of the app. This direct engagement with the target audience ensured that the app's features were not only based on theoretical assumptions but were grounded in the actual experiences and requirements of Cornell students. This approach was key in creating a user-centered solution that addressed real-life problems in cooking and meal planning.
Product Insights
Product Insights
Product Insights
According to the user research data analysis, the project insights highlight key student behaviors and needs: a preference for recipes discovered on social media, a demand for quick meal options, the importance of cooking with available ingredients, a focus on health and dietary preferences, a gap in cooking knowledge, stress-related cooking aspects, varied grocery shopping habits, and a trust in recipe selection from familiar sources. These findings informed the app's features like social media-style interfaces, quick meal tags, ingredient-based recipe suggestions, advanced health filters, cooking tutorials, stress-free cooking categories, automated shopping lists, and user-generated content for recipe trust.
According to the user research data analysis, the project insights highlight key student behaviors and needs: a preference for recipes discovered on social media, a demand for quick meal options, the importance of cooking with available ingredients, a focus on health and dietary preferences, a gap in cooking knowledge, stress-related cooking aspects, varied grocery shopping habits, and a trust in recipe selection from familiar sources. These findings informed the app's features like social media-style interfaces, quick meal tags, ingredient-based recipe suggestions, advanced health filters, cooking tutorials, stress-free cooking categories, automated shopping lists, and user-generated content for recipe trust.
Solution Description
Solution Description
Solution Description
Human-Centered Design: Tailored to provide a seamless experience from pantry management to meal preparation and grocery shopping.
Pantry Management: Allows users to add ingredients, manage pantry lists, and categorize items by type (meat, vegetables, etc.), with an added feature to check expiration dates.
Categorized Recipe Recommendation: Step-by-step recipe guidance with an option for users to rate the recipe post-cooking, enhancing the recommendation engine.
Integrated Shopping Interface: Simplifies the process of preparing a shopping list, viewing shopping carts, and checking out through linked grocery store accounts. Users can easily add missing ingredients from recipes directly to their shopping list.
Risk
Management
Risk
Management
Risk
Management
Risk 1: Team members are not equally contributing to project
Risk 2: The team is unable to collect sufficient data for project
Risk 3: Team vision for product design doesn’t align cohesively
Risk 4: Data manipulation could occur if data doesn’t support original goals
Risk 5: Users are unable to use final product
Risk Assessment
Risk Assessment
Risk Assessment
To ensure effective data collection for the project, the team identified challenges in survey participation and the quality of responses. A strategy was adopted to leverage personal connections for better response rates and follow-up interviews to enrich the survey data. For risk mitigation, the plan included expanding outreach through student groups and partnerships and tapping into wider personal networks. A trigger point was set: if only 2-3 responses were received by a third of the way through the collection period with no further personal connections to engage, they would activate the contingency plan, which involved reevaluating and potentially expanding the target audience.
To ensure effective data collection for the project, the team identified challenges in survey participation and the quality of responses. A strategy was adopted to leverage personal connections for better response rates and follow-up interviews to enrich the survey data. For risk mitigation, the plan included expanding outreach through student groups and partnerships and tapping into wider personal networks. A trigger point was set: if only 2-3 responses were received by a third of the way through the collection period with no further personal connections to engage, they would activate the contingency plan, which involved reevaluating and potentially expanding the target audience.
Solution Showcase:
Solution Showcase:
Solution Showcase:
The "Pantry Pal" app showcases a comprehensive solution for off-campus Cornell students to manage their cooking and grocery needs. It integrates pantry management, personalized recipe recommendations, and a shopping interface. The app simplifies finding quick, healthy recipes and helps users track pantry items, reducing food waste. By leveraging social media trends in recipe discovery, it offers a modern, user-friendly approach to meal planning and grocery shopping, tailored to the unique needs of students. This innovative solution prioritizes convenience, health, and budget, addressing key challenges faced by its target audience.
The "Pantry Pal" app showcases a comprehensive solution for off-campus Cornell students to manage their cooking and grocery needs. It integrates pantry management, personalized recipe recommendations, and a shopping interface. The app simplifies finding quick, healthy recipes and helps users track pantry items, reducing food waste. By leveraging social media trends in recipe discovery, it offers a modern, user-friendly approach to meal planning and grocery shopping, tailored to the unique needs of students. This innovative solution prioritizes convenience, health, and budget, addressing key challenges faced by its target audience.
