Neighbor

strengthen culturally meaningful local vendors

A typical fruit vendor's stall in Shanghai

Master's Thesis in China

Challenge

Designing a meaningful contribution to China food waste problem with limited language knowledge.

Outcome

A Wechat mini-program that allows fruit vendors to limit their waste, taking in reservations from local clients.

06.2019 - 10.2019

Team Composition

Sebastiano Gobbo, with special contributions for Chinese language

Personal Contribution

User Research, Academic Research, Prototyping, Service Methodologies, Wireframing
Master's Thesis in China
team composition
Sebastiano Gobbo, with special contributions for Chinese language
personal contribution
User Research, Academic Research, Prototyping, Service Methodologies, Wireframing
06.2019 - 10.2019

Reduction of food waste in urban areas is an open problem. This study focuses on the general population of Shanghai with a series of interviews and photographic observations to understand the cultural and environmental reasons that lead to wasting food.

Concepts and proposals were continuously verified with the users. Iterations were fast thanks to feedbacks. Insights lead to create a concept that was culturally relevant to be developed further.

No items found.

Understanding the context

Finding opportunities

The Design

The food situation in China is complex and I wanted to give the option to users tomake a more sustainable choice that was sustainable in their current lifestyle. I found an opportunity in using Wechat as a bridge point for a service.

No items found.
No items found.

Conclusions

In conclusion, I wanted to prototype something that started a conversation about difficult topics with people, while trying to find a way to conceptualize a sustainable interaction between business and users that had a positive impact on the reduction of food waste. Ultimately creating a positive connection between people, city and food.

The dynamic of utilizing an already established contact between provider and user to evolve it in a more premium and personalized experience I think is a possible direction that small businesses in China could do to stay relevant and authentic.

Finally, designing in a foreign context for me was a challenge, especially in a solo project, in a way the language barrier and cultural differences forces you as a designer to make choices. The entire process for me was a series of choices.

Interacting with people had to come through a filter of some kind, be it a translating friend or a smartphone translation, this has been especially noticeable when talkingto shop owners, as I had limited possibilities in expressing and understanding conversation. To be as user centered and to follow the principles of service design I had to gain insights in other ways, I made the choice of observation and analysis as it was extensive and could help me in obtaining information from the people I could talk more easily to.

In the end the project is a concept of what could be done with a locally owned business, but the interest and reflection that had generated in the process with the people that I talked to is still to be considered a positive result.

 

References

Bräutigam,K.-R., Jörissen, J., & Priefer, C. (2014). The extent of food waste generation across EU-27: Different calculation methods and the reliability oftheir results. Waste Management & Research, 32(8), 683–694. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734242X14545374

 

EllenMacArthur Foundation. (2018). Cities and circular economy for food (p.34). Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

Pinder, S., Pat Walsh, MicheleOrndorff, Erica Milton, & Jenna Trescott. (n.d.). The future of food:New realities for the industry (p. 26). Kurt Salmon.