UniDish
Feeding Inclusivity, One Mouth At A Time.
Product Experience
Problem Background
Who is the customer and what is the need or problem we’re addressing? Why should we address this problem now? What are all of the things we know? How do we know this is a problem?
Problem Statement
Students often encounter difficulties in finding affordable and nutritious meal options which can impact their health, well-being, and grades, especially during exam season.
A study was done with university students and more than half skipped breakfast, there was frequent snacking, fried food consumption at least three times per week and a low intake of daily fruits and vegetables were common. (Yun et al., 2018) While finding food can be easy, with fast food chains offering their services until dawn, students may not be getting in their nutrients and vitamins.
Surplus food is a problem in Canada as nearly 60 percent of food produced – amounting to 35.5 million metric tonnes – is lost and wasted annually. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), ending food waste would preserve enough food to feed two billion people.
Goals
Talk about the general high-level goals of doing this work. What are we trying to accomplish by solving the problem?
Creating an accessible and easy-to-use way for students to find cheap food options, it will empower students to eat well with less pressure, resulting in improved mental health and nutrition that each person needs.
Some goals:
- Enhancing food accessibility: Ensure that high school and college students have easy access to affordable and nutritious food options.
- Reducing Food Waste: Partnering with educational organizations and food establishments to significantly reduce surplus food wastage, contributing to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly food ecosystem.
- Improving Student Health - Empower students to make healthier food choices by providing information and options that support their nutritional needs, ultimately enhancing their physical and mental well-being.
- Academic Performance: Help students maintain better academic performance by ensuring they have access to nourishing meals, particularly during high-stress periods like exams.
User Stories
As a student, I want to find cheaper food options, so that I can eat without worrying about a high grocery bill.
As a university student, I want to find accessible food options so that I can save time cooking and study instead.
Proposed Solution
What are you proposing is the solution to the problem being tackled? Keep this to a few sentences, again focusing on the WHAT, not the HOW.
Problem Statement:
Students often encounter difficulties in finding affordable and nutritious meal options which can impact their health, well-being, and grades, especially during exam season.
Proposed Solution for UniDish:
UniDish will display local merchants who have dropped their prices for expiring dishes. Customers will be able to purchase those dishes and see the savings related to that meal.
Learnings
Product Manager Learnings:
Chloe Wu
Co.Lab was a very interesting experience for me, I got a lot of comments on my work from industry professionals that helped me gain a new perspective on things. My mentor Timothy was extremely helpful and responsive, always providing advice and mentorship. The classes were super interesting as well. Something that I have been constantly thinking about are the Vitamins and the Painkillers which was taught in week 1. Thank you again for letting me participate in this program!
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.