Identifying Communication challenges about On- Campus Food Resources
From leftovers to awareness: This study pivoted from food redistribution to understanding the communication challenges of distributing free campus food through participatory design.
Project Overview
As a user researcher, I collected data on students' awareness of leftover and free food on campus through surveys, focus group participation, and a Discord study.
My Role
Timeline
August 2023 - December 2023
The project's Initial Goal was to explore the distribution of leftover food on campus to address students' food insecurity.
Interviews with employees showed Fast food dining is the major contributor to Food waste.
My team and I conducted interviews with employees of dining establishments to study the issue of food wastage at their locations. Our research revealed that a major portion of the food waste on campus is generated by fast-food establishments. This is because they dispose of their unsold food items at the end of the day.
INITIAL RESEARCH AND PROJECT SCOPING
INITIAL PROJECT IDEA
Excess food can be distributed at the end of the day, but how?
We found excess food on campus that could be given to students who need it. We wanted to work with dining managers and students and utilize a participatory design approach to find a solution that works for both parties. We also wanted to understand if giving rewards to those who distribute the food(employees) and those who consume the food(students) will encourage them to reduce food wastage actively.
Study Design 1: Students will receive information on any dining establishment that distributes leftover food. They can collect and consume the food, and every time they do, they will earn points that they can redeem later at other dining places on campus.
Restrictions to distribute surplus food due to company policies
Interviews revealed dining establishments have policies against distributing leftover food due to concerns regarding safety and health issues.
SETBACKS
Managers tried in the past but stopped for safety reasons.
After numerous complaints about food safety and students misusing the opportunity, managers stopped distributing leftover food.
We continued with the initial idea, hoping data would convince the managers.
We decided to proceed with the initial idea even after the dining managers refused to work with us due to past experiences and company policies, hoping that we would have at least one manager participate in this study. The first activity we planned was to survey to understand student concerns about redistributing surplus food at the end of the day.
FIRST ACTIVITY
Survey to understand student needs and recruit participants
Many students have concerns and preferences about consuming surplus food at campus dining services. We sent out a survey link to understand their concerns and see whether they would be willing to participate.
SURVEY RESULTS
No. of total survey respondents: 58
Respondents willing to participate in the study: 36
Transparency about the food
Survey participants wanted transparency about the food provided, like allergy information and food choices like vegetarian, vegan, and Halal, etc.
Freshness and Expiry
Survey participants wanted details about when it was made and how long the food will be edible.
Students were also interested in buying leftover food at discounted prices.
The survey results also showed that students are interested in getting leftover food at the end of the day. They were even ready to buy them at discounted prices from the dining establishments.
Dining establishments still refused to participate.
We sent the survey results to the dining services, hoping that at least one would agree to work with us to research how to distribute excess food effectively without wasting it. Sadly, none of them agreed to participate. :(
SECOND ACTIVITY
In the meantime, we planned a focus group with 7 students.
During the focus group, we engaged with the students to develop ideas for reducing food wastage on campus as a community. We wanted to include the students in the process of finding a solution. We allowed the students to discuss among themselves the practices they can take as students to help reduce food wastage.
My team and I moderated a focus group activity where students discussed ways to reduce food waste on campus.
This activity gave us an opening for a new opportunity to explore.
The focus groups included diverse students with varying religions, countries, and meal preferences. Over half of them were unaware of the university's free groceries and toiletries program, Retriever Essentials. Additionally, many students were unaware of the free farmer's market program that offers fresh fruits and vegetables every Thursday.
The free food programs and events also experience food waste.
After contacting the personnel at Retriever Essentials, we realized that even resources like Retriever Essentials and Farmer's Market, which offer free food, still experience food waste at the end of the day. As a result, we have shifted our focus towards raising awareness about these resources. We believe doing so will reduce waste and attract more people to utilize these resources.
How might we utilize student preferences to create targeted & appealing communication materials?
THIRD ACTIVITY
Discord Server was created to communicate about Free Food Resources on Campus
We created a Discord server with the participants to share information about the free food resources and events happening on campus. By the end of the study, the Discord server had grown from 33 participants to 53 participants, with more students joining to learn about free food across the university.
New Study Design: Our Discord server moderators share updates about free resources and events offering free food on campus. Students can collect food and share feedback on the server, which we'll analyze to improve our communication about these resources.
We shared information about food giveaways, free food events, free farmer’s markets and free groceries in the discord server
Lack of Motivation
A lack of motivation among participants, unclear information about the food, and mixed reviews from others affect the engagement.
Observations from the Discord server
Quantity Left and Updates
Some of the late users wanted to know how much food or groceries were remaining so that they could go and get them. (like selling fast, only a few left, only XYZ items are left, closing soon, etc.)
Expected Rewards
Participants kept mentioning that they needed some rewards or coupons that they could redeem in the future at the campus dining as the meal plans are either limited or expensive.
FINAL CONCLUSIONS FROM THIS STUDY
Common user needs: transparency and availability of food.
The conclusion from this project and the results of the study were submitted to the university food committee in hopes that they will use this information when sharing about food on campus, which includes the following based on the priority of the users through the study:
Transparency
Transparent information about what the food is made of, like vegan-friendly, gluten-free, halal certified, etc.
Availability
Share food and grocery availability to inform latecomers and ensure timely information updates.
Preferred Medium of Communication
When asked which mediums they are most active on in the Discord server to learn more about this type of information, the participants responded with the ones mentioned below:
Discord Server
Discord is good, but the information there is unclear or not always up-to-date.
A Mobile application
A food waste distribution mobile app was a good idea, but users wanted information beyond the university resources.
University Student Portal
The portal sends them alerts and emails about subscribed food resources, with clear communication on quality, quantity, and timely updates. Students can view their rewards and points on the portal and redeem them using their ID.
(This is the student’s preferred method).
Users are needed at every step.
Changing the approach to a project in the middle was daunting and stressful. We tried everything possible to save the initial idea, but it didn't work out. However, an opportunity presented itself when we involved students in the project. I realized the importance of including users in the project, as sometimes we don't understand their problems. This experience taught me that user needs and perspectives are crucial in every step of the research process.
LEARNINGS
Analyze if rewards motivate people.
Nowadays, almost every food chain provides rewards to their customers. However, due to a change in our project approach, we did not have sufficient time to study whether these rewards genuinely motivate people to reduce food waste in this situation. If I had more time, I would like to explore this topic further and look into other alternatives to encourage people to reduce food waste.
WHAT I’D HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY
Ensuring the safety of the food.
I had another question during my study. Researching similar organizations to improve the safety and efficiency of the excess food being distributed is essential. This information can be applied to UMBC's framework and beyond.
“How do we verify the information provided by the store to be accurate and safe to eat?”
WHAT I’D DO IN THE FUTURE
Avoiding misuse of the food.
People might take this initiative for granted to secure the rewards or points and throw away the items once the rewards are given. Which led to asking the question:
“How might we ensure the users utilize the items they have taken or consume the food they have grabbed?”