December 2023
ResCuisine - Food Waste Solution App
Conceptual mobile UI focusing on solving food waste by connecting providers with consumers.
FigmaAdobe XDIllustrator
Project Overview
ResCuisine is a hyper-local food rescue application designed to tackle the global food waste crisis by connecting restaurants, bakeries, and grocery stores with surplus inventory to eco-conscious consumers. The platform operates on a 'Flash Sale' model, where businesses can list perfectly good food at a discount during specific time windows (e.g., closing time), creating a win-win scenario: businesses recover potential losses, and consumers get affordable meals while reducing landfill waste.\n\nAs the Lead Product Designer, I owned the end-to-end experience, from conceptualizing the 'Surprise Bag' gamification mechanic to designing the merchant dashboard. I utilized Figma to create a design system grounded in 'Green Tech' aesthetics—using fresh colors and organic shapes to make sustainability feel inviting rather than clinical. The application features real-time geolocation alerts that notify users when their favorite spots list items, a merchant inventory wizard optimized for speed (listing items in under 30 seconds), and a gamified impact dashboard that tracks kilos of CO2 saved, turning every purchase into a tangible environmental contribution.
Role
Lead Product Designer & Researcher
Timeline
December 2023
Tools
Figma, Adobe XD, Illustrator
Links
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Key Responsibilities
- Crafting user flows
- Creating wireframes
- Designing high-fidelity mockups
Impact & Results
- ~500+ food items saved from waste in beta testing
- ~70% user engagement rate with listing feature
- Attracted interest from 3 sustainability NGOs
- Received positive media coverage in 2 publications
Challenges
The Challenge
The critical challenge was designing a 'double-sided' marketplace that felt equally intuitive for busy restaurant staff (listing items in <30 seconds) and hungry users (finding deals nearby instantly) while building trust in food quality.
Problem
Every day, thousands of tons of edible food are thrown away by businesses simply because they cannot be sold before closing time. There was no efficient, real-time channel to connect this surplus supply with the demand for affordable meals.
Economic loss
Restaurants lose revenue on unsold inventory that has already been paid for and prepared.
Environmental impact
Food waste contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions when left to rot in landfills.
Discovery friction
Consumers have no way of knowing which stores have discounts on surplus food at any given moment.
Stigma of 'leftovers'
There is a perception barrier where 'surplus food' is often mistaken for 'spoiled food'.
Solution
ResCuisine transforms 'waste' into 'opportunity' through a real-time marketplace. I designed the 'Merchant Portal' to be extremely fast to use during busy shifts, and the 'Consumer App' to feel like a treasure hunt for delicious deals.
Fast-track listing
A simplified flow allowing merchants to post 'Surprise Bags' in under 3 clicks.
Geolocation alerts
Push notifications that alert users immediately when food becomes available nearby.
Trust indicators
Clear rating systems and 'Verified Fresh' badges to overcome consumer hesitation.
Gamified impact
Visual trackers showing 'Meals Rescued' and 'CO2 Saved' to reward sustainable behavior.
Process
The Journey
Field Research
Visited 20+ local bakeries and cafes to observe their closing-time routines and interview staff about waste disposal pain points.
Marketplace Logic Design
Mapped out the 'Time-Window' logic, ensuring items are only purchasable during specific pickup hours defined by the merchant.
Merchant UI Prototyping
Focused heavily on the 'Listing Wizard', iterating until a staff member could post an item in under 20 seconds.
Impact Visualization
Designed the animations for the 'CO2 Saved' counter to give users a dopamine hit whenever they rescued a meal.
Beta Testing
Ran a closed beta with university students and 5 campus canteens to validate the pickup process.