NeighborFOODs
A product that enables an economical nutritious food selection process. The product's main objective is to reduce food insecurity by increasing local residents' access to affordable, wholesome foods. The insights collected will give investors and stakeholders context surrounding the healthy food selection process to be a starting point for the research.
Problem Space
Problem Statement
How might we provide affordable, nutritional food options for people facing food insecurity so that they increase their healthy food consumption, thereby improving their standard of living.
Problem Background
The target customer is any person who resides in a low-income, lower-middle-income, or middle-income neighborhood. Due to the lack of healthy food options such as fruits, vegetables, proteins, grains, and dairy in their nearby area, the consumer finds it difficult to eat nourishing foods and frequently resorts to eating fast and bad cuisine.
According to the United Nations, between 720 and 811 million people worldwide are hungry, and there were an additional 230 million people in 2020 who lacked access to sufficient, nutritious foods. By 2030, the frequency of moderate to severe food insecurity is expected to continue to rise.
ScienceAdvances' empirical investigation explains the existence of a gap in food costs at the market level. The discrepancy is between the recommended and actual intake of fruits and vegetables, which can be influenced by income and, in turn, by public health.
Food insecurity acts as a trigger for the rise of undernourished individuals because agricultural markets influence the prevalence of the fall in public health, making hunger one of the main causes of worry for global public health.
Research Insights
User Pain Points
"Using the Healthy Food Choosing Questionnaire, we found a number of distinct types of potential users, categorizing them as low-, low-medium, and medium socioeconomic status, with cost during the selection of healthy foods as the main pain point. In one customer interview, pricing and freshness quality were mentioned as important problem factors.”
Supporting Data
“56.3% of people surveyed cited cost as a major obstacle of the nutritional selection process”
Feedback
“Our preliminary user research to validate this problem found that there is a disparity between actual healthy food consumption and the anticipated amount that is necessary for excellent health.”
Landing on the Solution
“Based on our target users’ pain points, we know we wanted to focus on the following features: pricing comparison choices and feedback.”
Future Steps
“Possible additional problems to address are moving to a web screen and identifying new pain points related to the production of nutritious food through user research.”
Learnings
Product Manager Learnings:
Tochukwu Akujieze
"Co.Lab was an extremely intriguing experience for me since it gave me the ability to consider my ideas with an emphasis on the problem before a solution for the first time. In order to achieve my objective, I was able to work together with my classmates and receive feedback that helped me develop my idea and organize my features. I am delighted that I was able to follow the classes and use them practically.”
Designer Learnings:
Designer Learnings:
Jo Sturdivant
- Adapting to an Established Team: Joining the team in week 6 of 8 was challenging, as I had to quickly adapt to existing workflows, dynamics, and goals. This mirrors real-world situations where you often integrate into teams mid-project, and flexibility is essential.
- Work-Blocking for Efficiency: With only two weeks to complete the project, I learned the importance of a structured work-blocking system. This approach allowed me to manage my time effectively and meet deadlines under pressure.
- Making Data-Driven Design Decisions: Unlike my past projects, I had to rely on research conducted by others. This was a valuable experience in using pre-existing data to guide design decisions, helping me focus on the core insights without starting from scratch.
Developer Learnings:
Developer Learnings:
Vanady Beard
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As the back-end developer, I learned how important it is to create efficient and reliable systems that support the entire application. This experience also taught me the importance of optimising the database and ensuring the backend is scalable and easy to maintain.
Developer Learnings:
Stephen Asiedu
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As a back-end developer, I've come to understand the importance of being familiar with various database systems and modules. This knowledge enables me to build diverse applications and maintain versatility in my work. I've also learned that the responsibility for making the right choices rests on my shoulders, guided by my best judgement.
Developer Learnings:
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Developer Learnings:
Maurquise Williams
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- Process of Creating an MVP: Developing a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) taught me how to focus on delivering core functionalities balancing between essential features and avoiding scope creep.
- Collaboration in a Real-World Tech Setting: This experience taught me how to collaborate efficiently in a fast-paced tech environment, keeping the team aligned and productive, even while working remotely across time zones.
- Sharpening Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills: This experience honed my ability to think critically and solve problems efficiently. By tackling challenges and finding quick solutions, I sharpened my decision-making and troubleshooting skills in a dynamic, real-world setting.
Developer Learnings:
Jeremiah Williams
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All in all this experience was very awesome I learned that in coding with others being transparent is key
Developers Learnings:
Justin Farley
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I learned how important communication is when working with a team. Communication provides understanding, advice, ideas, and much more. While working with the product team, I’ve found that communication keeps everything flowing smoothly. Working with a team also showed me that every member brings something different to the table and we all have to work together in order to align and meet our end goal.