Rishabh Design Portfolio

Back

[Case 02]

MEAL FORWARD

Mobile App

Introduction

Problem Statement

Every day, surplus food at ASU dining halls and restaurants goes to waste, while students and community members face food insecurity. This disconnect between excess food and unmet needs contributes to environmental harm and social inequality, demanding a solution that bridges the gap effectively.

Objective

✅ Reduce food waste by 50% within two years at ASU.

✅ Develop a scalable model for universities and communities nationwide.

✅ Create an accessible and privacy-focused food redistribution platform.

Tools

[Industry]

Sustainability & FoodTech

[My Role]

Lead Designer and Researcher

[Duration]

Sep 2024 - December 2024

[Client]

Arizona State University

View Live Project

Project Overview

Brief Summery

Meal Forward is a mobile app designed to reduce food waste and combat food insecurity at ASU. By connecting surplus food from dining halls and restaurants to students and community members in need, the platform promotes sustainability and provides accessible, privacy-focused food redistribution. The project aims to cut food waste by 50% within two years and create a scalable model for other universities.

Outcome

Food waste is significantly reduced

More students have access to surplus food in a privacy focused manner.

Scalability is built into the system for expansion to other universities.

Motivation ( Why did I do this project?):

As an international student working in ASU’s dining halls, I witnessed firsthand the significant amount of surplus food discarded daily. At the same time, I saw many students, including myself and my peers, struggle to access affordable and nutritious meals due to rising living costs. This experience inspired me to find a solution that could reduce food waste while supporting those in need. Meal Forward was born from the desire to bridge this gap—transforming food waste into an opportunity to combat food insecurity and promote sustainability within the ASU community.

Research & Insights

Food Waste

Significant surplus from ASU dining halls and restaurants contributes to environmental harm.

Food Insecurity

Many students face meal access challenges, with limited awareness of available resources.

Stakeholder Input

Students value privacy in accessing food; restaurants prefer simple, low-risk redistribution methods.

Statistic Highlight

Every pound of food wasted costs $2.97, but with food-saving measures, that cost can be reduced, creating a profit of $2.03 per pound saved

Why focus on the restaurant food waste & not household?

Quality & Safety

Restaurant surplus is handled under food safety standards, ensuring safer redistribution compared to household practices.

Quality & Safety

Restaurant surplus is handled under food safety standards, ensuring safer redistribution compared to household practices.

Quality & Safety

Restaurant surplus is handled under food safety standards, ensuring safer redistribution compared to household practices.

Scalability

Restaurants offer consistent volumes, making partnerships and compliance easier to manage.

Scalability

Restaurants offer consistent volumes, making partnerships and compliance easier to manage.

Scalability

Restaurants offer consistent volumes, making partnerships and compliance easier to manage.

High Impact

Targeting restaurants (18% of food waste) is more efficient than households (43%) due to fewer entities and streamlined logistics

High Impact

Targeting restaurants (18% of food waste) is more efficient than households (43%) due to fewer entities and streamlined logistics

High Impact

Targeting restaurants (18% of food waste) is more efficient than households (43%) due to fewer entities and streamlined logistics

StakeHolders

User Personas

Emily

Local Student

Age: 20

Location: On-campus housing

Program: Bachelor's in Sociology

Gender: Female

[Goal]

Timely alerts for food resouces that are close by.

Healty food options that fit her busy schedule.

Realibe free food resouces that don't require extensive planning

[Frustrations]

lack of awareness about food events or availability

Limited time to acess free food due to her work and class schedule

Concerned about finding nutritious options

Aman singh

International Student

Age: 23

Location: Off-campus Student

Program : Master's in computer Science

Gender: Male

[Goal]

Affordable or free food options that don't compromise privacy.

Real time, notifications of food availability nearby.

Reliable, easy to use app with minimal hassle

[Frustrations]

Unpredictability of free food availability.

Limited awareness of all resources and food sources on campus

Privacy concerns when accessing free food options

Interview Insights

Students & Community Member

Food Insecurity Concerns

Many students and local residents reported facing regular food insecurity, especially due to the high costs of living and limited budgets

Food Insecurity Concerns

Many students and local residents reported facing regular food insecurity, especially due to the high costs of living and limited budgets

Food Insecurity Concerns

Many students and local residents reported facing regular food insecurity, especially due to the high costs of living and limited budgets

Awareness Gap

Most were unaware of existing food redistribution efforts, with some expressing a need for more accessible information on available resources.

Awareness Gap

Most were unaware of existing food redistribution efforts, with some expressing a need for more accessible information on available resources.

Awareness Gap

Most were unaware of existing food redistribution efforts, with some expressing a need for more accessible information on available resources.

Privacy needs

A recurring theme was the desire for anonymity when accessing free or surplus food, with users valuing discretion to reduce social stigma

Privacy needs

A recurring theme was the desire for anonymity when accessing free or surplus food, with users valuing discretion to reduce social stigma

Privacy needs

A recurring theme was the desire for anonymity when accessing free or surplus food, with users valuing discretion to reduce social stigma

Resturants Owners

High Food Wastage Volumes

Restaurant owners admitted to regularly discarding surplus food that could be redistributed, often due to time constraints and lack of convenient channels.

High Food Wastage Volumes

Restaurant owners admitted to regularly discarding surplus food that could be redistributed, often due to time constraints and lack of convenient channels.

High Food Wastage Volumes

Restaurant owners admitted to regularly discarding surplus food that could be redistributed, often due to time constraints and lack of convenient channels.

Interest in community support

Many expressed a willingness to contribute leftover food, particularly if there’s a streamlined, compliant process that ensures food safety and minimal liability.

Interest in community support

Many expressed a willingness to contribute leftover food, particularly if there’s a streamlined, compliant process that ensures food safety and minimal liability.

Interest in community support

Many expressed a willingness to contribute leftover food, particularly if there’s a streamlined, compliant process that ensures food safety and minimal liability.

Operational Challenges

Concerns were raised about the logistics of redistribution, especially around pickup times, storage, and maintaining food quality.

Operational Challenges

Concerns were raised about the logistics of redistribution, especially around pickup times, storage, and maintaining food quality.

Operational Challenges

Concerns were raised about the logistics of redistribution, especially around pickup times, storage, and maintaining food quality.

The solution

Meal Forward is a dual-interface mobile app designed to connect surplus food from restaurants and dining halls to individuals in need.

Restaurant Owner Interface

Allows restaurants to easily list available food items, their quantities, and pickup times. Provides a dashboard for managing listed items and tracking claimed food.

Restaurant Owner Interface

Allows restaurants to easily list available food items, their quantities, and pickup times. Provides a dashboard for managing listed items and tracking claimed food.

Restaurant Owner Interface

Allows restaurants to easily list available food items, their quantities, and pickup times. Provides a dashboard for managing listed items and tracking claimed food.

Regular User Interface

Enables users to browse available surplus food in real time.Features a seamless process for claiming food and receiving pickup details.With its tailored interfaces, Meal Forward streamlines food redistribution while catering.

Regular User Interface

Features

Meal Forward offers tailored features to meet the needs of both restaurant owners and regular users:

For Restaurant Owners

Food Listing Dashboard: Simple interface to list surplus food, specify quantities, and set pickup times.

Analytics Tools: Track claimed items and view the environmental impact of their contributions.

For Restaurant Owners

Food Listing Dashboard: Simple interface to list surplus food, specify quantities, and set pickup times.

Analytics Tools: Track claimed items and view the environmental impact of their contributions.

For Restaurant Owners

Food Listing Dashboard: Simple interface to list surplus food, specify quantities, and set pickup times.

Analytics Tools: Track claimed items and view the environmental impact of their contributions.

For Regular Users

Real-Time Food Availability: Browse surplus food listings nearby with detailed item descriptions.

Claim & Pickup Details: Effortlessly claim items and receive clear pickup instructions.

Designing experiences that prioritize user needs and behaviors.

For Regular Users

Real-Time Food Availability: Browse surplus food listings nearby with detailed item descriptions.

Claim & Pickup Details: Effortlessly claim items and receive clear pickup instructions.

Designing experiences that prioritize user needs and behaviors.

For Regular Users

Real-Time Food Availability: Browse surplus food listings nearby with detailed item descriptions.

Claim & Pickup Details: Effortlessly claim items and receive clear pickup instructions.

Designing experiences that prioritize user needs and behaviors.

General Features:

Impact Metrics: View statistics on how much food has been saved and its contribution to sustainability.

Notifications: Get instant alerts when new surplus food is available nearby.

General Features:

Impact Metrics: View statistics on how much food has been saved and its contribution to sustainability.

Notifications: Get instant alerts when new surplus food is available nearby.

General Features:

Impact Metrics: View statistics on how much food has been saved and its contribution to sustainability.

Notifications: Get instant alerts when new surplus food is available nearby.

User Interface

View Live prototype

Impact

Meal Forward bridges the gap between food waste and food insecurity by redistributing surplus food to those in need. The app promotes sustainability by reducing landfill contributions and methane emissions while fostering a stigma-free way for individuals to access meals. By creating a scalable model, it helps dining halls and restaurants save on disposal costs while supporting the community.

Future Vision

Meal Forward aims to expand beyond ASU, creating a replicable model for universities and communities nationwide. By partnering with more dining halls, restaurants, and local organizations, the platform seeks to scale its impact on food waste reduction and food insecurity. Future updates include enhanced features like carbon footprint tracking, AI-powered food demand forecasting, and seamless integrations with food banks to streamline redistribution efforts. The ultimate goal is to make Meal Forward a cornerstone of sustainable and community-focused food practices globally.

View my other projects

[chatbot]

Arizona Water Chatbot

Reaserch

Figma

Data Analysis

View Case Study

[chatbot]

Arizona Water Chatbot

Reaserch

Figma

Data Analysis

View Case Study

[Website Redesign]

Revamping Crust Restaurants

Reaserch

Competitor Analysis

UI & UX

View Full Case Study

[Website Redesign]

Revamping Crust Restaurants

Reaserch

Competitor Analysis

UI & UX

View Full Case Study