case study
Plate Plan
Helping students plan smarter and waste less food in their daily routines.
role
User Research
Prototyping
Strategic Framing
principles
Service Design
Research-Driven Iteration
Systems Thinking
DURATION
1 Month
tools
Figma
Illustrator
Background
Plate Plan was created during a service design course at the Department of Informatics. The project addressed food waste and meal planning challenges, especially for students and young adults. Using key service design principles like user involvement, iterative prototyping, and practical insights, we developed a digital tool to simplify inventory tracking, meal inspiration, and shopping, making meal planning both easy and sustainable.
Plate Plan was created during a service design course at the Department of Informatics. The project addressed food waste and meal planning challenges, especially for students and young adults. Using key service design principles like user involvement, iterative prototyping, and practical insights, we developed a digital tool to simplify inventory tracking, meal inspiration, and shopping, making meal planning both easy and sustainable.
Problem
Young adults and students often struggle with meal planning on a budget, leading to food waste, last-minute grocery runs, and uninspired meals. Limited time and tight finances make it challenging to keep track of ingredients, plan balanced meals, and shop efficiently.
Young adults and students often struggle with meal planning on a budget, leading to food waste, last-minute grocery runs, and uninspired meals. Limited time and tight finances make it challenging to keep track of ingredients, plan balanced meals, and shop efficiently.
Solution
Plate Plan
Plate Plan simplifies meal planning and grocery management through several key solutions, addressing users' needs for efficiency, budget-friendliness, and sustainability. This is achieved through:
Solution
Plate Plan
Plate Plan simplifies meal planning and grocery management through several key solutions, addressing users' needs for efficiency, budget-friendliness, and sustainability. This is achieved through:
Solution
Plate Plan
Plate Plan simplifies meal planning and grocery management through several key solutions, addressing users' needs for efficiency, budget-friendliness, and sustainability. This is achieved through:
#1
Real-Time Inventory Tracking
Users can scan ingredients at home to track what they have, making it easier to plan meals and reduce waste.
#1
Real-Time Inventory Tracking
Users can scan ingredients at home to track what they have, making it easier to plan meals and reduce waste.
#1
Real-Time Inventory Tracking
Users can scan ingredients at home to track what they have, making it easier to plan meals and reduce waste.
#2
Tailored Recipe Suggestions
Customized recipes based on users' current ingredients simplify meal planning and ensure ingredients are fully utilized.
#2
Tailored Recipe Suggestions
Customized recipes based on users' current ingredients simplify meal planning and ensure ingredients are fully utilized.
#2
Tailored Recipe Suggestions
Customized recipes based on users' current ingredients simplify meal planning and ensure ingredients are fully utilized.
#3
Smart Shopping List
Users can add missing ingredients for recipes directly to a shopping list, streamlining grocery trips and preventing overspending.
#3
Smart Shopping List
Users can add missing ingredients for recipes directly to a shopping list, streamlining grocery trips and preventing overspending.
#3
Smart Shopping List
Users can add missing ingredients for recipes directly to a shopping list, streamlining grocery trips and preventing overspending.
#4
Personalized Recommendations
A simple onboarding lets the app learn your preferences, helping you build a meal planning routine that’s both easy to follow and sustainable over time.
#4
Personalized Recommendations
A simple onboarding lets the app learn your preferences, helping you build a meal planning routine that’s both easy to follow and sustainable over time.
#4
Personalized Recommendations
A simple onboarding lets the app learn your preferences, helping you build a meal planning routine that’s both easy to follow and sustainable over time.
USER INTERVIEW
Understanding Everyday Habits
We spoke with six students and young adults to understand their real-life routines around food: how they plan meals, what drives their shopping choices, and where things tend to fall apart.
USER INTERVIEW
Understanding Everyday Habits
We spoke with six students and young adults to understand their real-life routines around food: how they plan meals, what drives their shopping choices, and where things tend to fall apart.
USER INTERVIEW
Understanding Everyday Habits
We spoke with six students and young adults to understand their real-life routines around food: how they plan meals, what drives their shopping choices, and where things tend to fall apart.
Data Clustering
Connecting the Dots
The next step was to make sense of what we’d gathered through our interviews. Through clustering, we spotted recurring patterns in how students plan, shop, and waste food. It helped us move past surface-level frustrations and understand the habits shaping their decisions. These insights became a key part of how we shaped the design moving forward.
Data Clustering
Connecting the Dots
The next step was to make sense of what we’d gathered through our interviews. Through clustering, we spotted recurring patterns in how students plan, shop, and waste food. It helped us move past surface-level frustrations and understand the habits shaping their decisions. These insights became a key part of how we shaped the design moving forward.
Data Clustering
Connecting the Dots
The next step was to make sense of what we’d gathered through our interviews. Through clustering, we spotted recurring patterns in how students plan, shop, and waste food. It helped us move past surface-level frustrations and understand the habits shaping their decisions. These insights became a key part of how we shaped the design moving forward.
What We Found
The issue wasn’t that students didn’t care about food or planning. It was that the tools around them seemed to assume they had the time, energy, or a clear plan to start with. The real opportunity wasn’t to change their habits, but to create something that made planning feel less like a burden and more like a natural part of everyday decision-making.
The issue wasn’t that students didn’t care about food or planning. It was that the tools around them seemed to assume they had the time, energy, or a clear plan to start with. The real opportunity wasn’t to change their habits, but to create something that made planning feel less like a burden and more like a natural part of everyday decision-making.
Mapping the Market
We wanted to see how existing services stack up against the challenges students face. We looked through the lens of our research, using what we’d learned about habits, frustrations, and needs to spot where current solutions fall short.
We wanted to see how existing services stack up against the challenges students face. We looked through the lens of our research, using what we’d learned about habits, frustrations, and needs to spot where current solutions fall short.
ICA/Coop
ICA/Coop
ICA/Coop
Strengths
Strong national brand with broad reach and physical–digital integration
Strengths
Strong national brand with broad reach and physical–digital integration
Strengths
Strong national brand with broad reach and physical–digital integration
Weaknesses
Limited innovation in smart planning and sustainability
Weaknesses
Limited innovation in smart planning and sustainability
Weaknesses
Limited innovation in smart planning and sustainability
TooGoodToGo
TooGoodToGo
TooGoodToGo
Strengths
Clear climate purpose with real savings and easy use
Strengths
Clear climate purpose with real savings and easy use
Strengths
Clear climate purpose with real savings and easy use
Weaknesses
Unpredictable selection and low user control
Weaknesses
Unpredictable selection and low user control
Weaknesses
Unpredictable selection and low user control
Mealime
Mealime
Mealime
Strengths
Personalized planning with seamless recipe-to-list flow
Strengths
Personalized planning with seamless recipe-to-list flow
Strengths
Personalized planning with seamless recipe-to-list flow
Weaknesses
No built-in waste tracking or inventory tools
Weaknesses
No built-in waste tracking or inventory tools
Weaknesses
No built-in waste tracking or inventory tools
outcome
We saw a clear gap where most services tackle food from different angles: some focus on planning, others on waste, but rarely both. That split didn’t line up with how students actually manage food in everyday life. Each service had its strengths, but based on what we’d learned, we re-evaluated them through a student lens, picking out what actually fit their needs.
We saw a clear gap where most services tackle food from different angles: some focus on planning, others on waste, but rarely both. That split didn’t line up with how students actually manage food in everyday life. Each service had its strengths, but based on what we’d learned, we re-evaluated them through a student lens, picking out what actually fit their needs.
Rough Sketches
We started with fast sketches to capture concepts and visualize user flows before committing to structure.
We started with fast sketches to capture concepts and visualize user flows before committing to structure.
Screen Flows
Mapping every core interaction helped us focus on clarity and minimize friction. Every step aligned with real user goals.
Mapping every core interaction helped us focus on clarity and minimize friction. Every step aligned with real user goals.
User Testing
With our insights in mind, we started testing early to see if the ideas actually worked. We focused on things like keeping track of what’s already at home, finding quick recipe ideas, and making planning feel simple.
With our insights in mind, we started testing early to see if the ideas actually worked. We focused on things like keeping track of what’s already at home, finding quick recipe ideas, and making planning feel simple.
Initial Testing
We began testing core flows early, focusing on ingredient tracking and recipe suggestions. Users loved the idea but asked for a more tailored onboarding experience, including value-based preferences, and a more prominent shopping list.
We began testing core flows early, focusing on ingredient tracking and recipe suggestions. Users loved the idea but asked for a more tailored onboarding experience, including value-based preferences, and a more prominent shopping list.
Mid-Fidelity Iteration
We refined the navigation and layout to make things smoother. Since many plan day by day, users wanted a clearer view of today’s meal, so we pushed that forward and made it more visible right from the start.
We refined the navigation and layout to make things smoother. Since many plan day by day, users wanted a clearer view of today’s meal, so we pushed that forward and made it more visible right from the start.
Final Touches
Our final tests validated the improved experience. Users reacted positively to personalized onboarding, smarter expiration notifications, and one-tap shopping list access.
Our final tests validated the improved experience. Users reacted positively to personalized onboarding, smarter expiration notifications, and one-tap shopping list access.
Key Adjustments
We made features like “today’s meal” easier to spot, cleaned up the layout, and shaped the flow to match how people actually use the app. On top of that, we added more tailored onboarding, quick-access favorites, and put the shopping list right on the home screen. Small tweaks that ended up having a big impact on the overall user experience.
We made features like “today’s meal” easier to spot, cleaned up the layout, and shaped the flow to match how people actually use the app. On top of that, we added more tailored onboarding, quick-access favorites, and put the shopping list right on the home screen. Small tweaks that ended up having a big impact on the overall user experience.
Design System
We built a simple design system to keep things consistent and easy to work with, helping us move faster and stay aligned as a team and with our vision for the app.
We built a simple design system to keep things consistent and easy to work with, helping us move faster and stay aligned as a team and with our vision for the app.
Final Screens
Onboarding Process
Simple onboarding process that picks up your preferences, goals, and what’s already in your kitchen, setting up a personalized experience from the start.
Final Screens
Onboarding Process
Simple onboarding process that picks up your preferences, goals, and what’s already in your kitchen, setting up a personalized experience from the start.
Final Screens
Onboarding Process
Simple onboarding process that picks up your preferences, goals, and what’s already in your kitchen, setting up a personalized experience from the start.
Final Screens
Home Screen
The home screen gives a clear overview of what you can cook with what you already have at home. Easy filters and edits make it simple to plan meals or try something new without much effort.
Final Screens
Home Screen
The home screen gives a clear overview of what you can cook with what you already have at home. Easy filters and edits make it simple to plan meals or try something new without much effort.
Final Screens
Home Screen
The home screen gives a clear overview of what you can cook with what you already have at home. Easy filters and edits make it simple to plan meals or try something new without much effort.
Final Screens
Scanning Process
Users can scan their groceries to keep track of what’s at home, quickly build their digital fridge, pantry, and freezer, and cut down on waste while planning.
Final Screens
Scanning Process
Users can scan their groceries to keep track of what’s at home, quickly build their digital fridge, pantry, and freezer, and cut down on waste while planning.
Final Screens
Scanning Process
Users can scan their groceries to keep track of what’s at home, quickly build their digital fridge, pantry, and freezer, and cut down on waste while planning.
Final Screens
Managing Your Pantry, Favorites, and Profile
Save go-to meals, update your inventory manually, and manage preferences in one place to get better control over weekly meal planning.
Final Screens
Managing Your Pantry, Favorites, and Profile
Save go-to meals, update your inventory manually, and manage preferences in one place to get better control over weekly meal planning.
Final Screens
Managing Your Pantry, Favorites, and Profile
Save go-to meals, update your inventory manually, and manage preferences in one place to get better control over weekly meal planning.