UI/UX Design
UX Research
Python Development
FoneFridge
Save money and reduce waste by tracking your food before it goes bad.
Role
UX/UI Product Designer, Graphic Designer
Duration
3 months + 3 months
Platform
iOS & Android
Assigned Classes
ARTGR 530 User Engagement
HCI 584x Python Development
Problem
805 million food-insecure people
In the United States, 40% of food is wasted, and that amounts to $162 billion in waste annually, which can serve over 58 billion meals of $2.79.
In today’s fast-paced world, many people don’t have time to cook. When the groceries are purchased, they’re often forgotten, especially if ordered food. This app tracks your food and sends notifications before it spoils.
Target Group
The primary users are college students and young adults who are new to cooking or don’t have much time to cook, but try it occasionally.
Survey
Setup
To validate my observations about their habits, I conducted a survey with 18 participants, consisting of 1 open-ended and 9 close-ended questions.
Key Findings
Almost everyone reported grocery shopping once a week for one person.
The majority admitted they often forget about groceries at home.
About half confessed they throw away spoiled food at least once a month.
Key Features
Shopping List: A dedicated section for regular items. When something runs out, it automatically appears on the list.
Expiration Notifications: Users receive alerts when an item is nearing expiration (e.g., when 25% of its time is left).
Add New Items: Items can be added by scanning barcodes to capture expiration dates. For items without barcodes, a library is available.
My Items:
Storage Locations: Items are organized by where they are stored (e.g., fridge, freezer, pantry). The app accounts for longer lifespans in the freezer.
Categories & Safety: Items are categorized and labeled with potential health risks if consumed after expiration.
Suggestions: Provides tips for what to do with spoiled items—such as composting for fertilizer or repurposing for animal feed—supporting sustainability.
Information Architecture
Wireframes
Peer Review
Before the peer review, the UI felt clunky and confusing. My classmates provided valuable feedback that helped refine the app. By incorporating their insights, I improved the user flow and made the navigation more intuitive.
We completed four rounds of peer reviews, which greatly improved my designs. Since this was my first UI project, I had limited knowledge of user expectations and usability heuristics at the beginning. Through feedback and iteration, I gained a stronger understanding of design principles and refined the app into a more user-friendly product.
Design System
User Test
User Testing
The usability test was conducted remotely via Zoom, with participants recording their screens while completing tasks. Their faces were also recorded to capture expressions, which helped with interpreting emotional reactions; recordings were deleted afterward. Two participants used smartphones, and one used an iPad. All participants successfully completed the test.
Participants
Participant #1: 20 yo, Wisconsin. Shops once a week and meal preps for the entire week with a roommate.
Participant #2: 20 yo, Izmir, Turkey. Lives with family and doesn’t shop personally, but observed their mother dealing with food waste. Interested in the app as a solution for them.
Participant #3: 25 yo, Iowa. Lives in a dorm with a mini-fridge, shops 1–2 times a month, forgets drinks in the fridge.
Test Tasks
Sign in on the app.
Add tomatoes from the library.
Assign an expiration date for last week.
Place the tomatoes in the fridge.
View tomatoes in the My Items tab.
See suggestions for the rotten tomatoes (without leaving the app).
Delete the tomatoes.
Results
What Worked Well
Participants appreciated the aesthetic, minimal design.
They especially enjoyed the “Suggestions” and “Notifications” features.
Overall, the app was perceived as easy to use.
Areas for Improvement
The back button didn’t function as expected, along with several other linking issues.
Inconsistent wording in the task list and app copy caused confusion.
Some flows (e.g., linking My Items on the last page) made certain tasks unclear.
The fake keyboard confused participants.
Low contrast in key areas made it harder to identify the next step.
Python GUI
