I managed the design team for a startup focused on reducing food waste in dining services and I led the design development of the company’s tracker UI system.
Designed the company’s SaaS interface and design system to emphasize accessibility and inclusive design principles for a product launch, resulting in a 50% reduction in food waste and significantly increasing efficiency of kitchen operations.
As the managing Product Designer for this project, I led interviews with existing users and built alignment with cross-functional teams .
Phood uses computer vision and data processing to automate food waste tracking for grocers and food operations.
The main issues were workers’ frustration with the small, closely positioned buttons leading to accidental presses and the interface’s complexity being challenging for less tech-savvy workers.
Accidental actions
Prolonging actions
Our interface was outdated, failing to meet basic usability standards and keeping up with evolving user needs.
Design an intuitive interface that minimizes complexity, ensuring all users, regardless of technical skill, can easily navigate and use the system.
Implement precise tracking and categorization features to ensure reliable data collection, reducing errors and improving overall waste management efficiency.
Maintain a visually appealing design that not only meets usability standards but also enhances the user experience through clean and modern visuals.
The absence of comprehensive feedback and data from kitchen staff and porters hindered our ability to refine and improve the interface effectively.
Leadership was occupied with other priorities, leaving the team to navigate challenges with minimal support.
The impending product launch required the team to adopt an agile workflow, focusing on rapid iterations and continuous improvement.
Balancing the needs and expectations of various stakeholders, including other designers, engineers, and leadership, was crucial.
We worked with our users to design the SaaS interface and rapidly iterate on interface layout.Once refined, I designed and worked with the team to implement into the product
By integrating design into other functions' processes, we enhanced discovery and ideation, reduced friction, fostered productive discussions, and sped up shipping, as shown in the attached workflow diagram.
Created controls that measure at least 44 points x 44 points so they can be accurately tapped with a finger.
Used text for short labels to communicate more clearly with users than an icon.
Since the scanning process is done automatically, the minimalist design of the UI is meant to minimize distraction while working in the kitchen. The large gaps between the buttons allows undisturbed interactions
Facilitating users feedback, a successful scan and submission to the company's inventory system is confirmed through a full-screen window. The window fades out after 3 seconds countdown to allow continuous scanning.
If the AI system misidentified the scanned item, the kitchen staff can then access the meal's menu and choose from one of the preloaded items.
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Reduction in food waste at dining services
Product launch at Whole Foods' East Coast locations
Conduct more extensive user testing with kitchen staff early to identify usability issues and gather feedback for refinement.
Establish regular communication channels with all stakeholders to ensure better alignment and smoother implementation.
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