The Challenge
The LA Food Bank does not have enough money to keep up with demand for food, exacerbated by the pandemic. Demand has increased by 80% since the pandemic started, yet food donations have only increased 32%.
In order to give the organization the help they need, the team developed a series of touch points to:
- Make potential donors’ aware of the need
- Have them learn about LA Food Bank’s work
- Entice them to donate food or money toward the cause.
- Make the entire process easy, accessible and non-disruptive.
Duration:
1 month
Responsibilities:
- Visual Designer
- UX Researcher
The Result
Touch Points
Mobile Donation
The app allows users to connect with the organization and donate at their convenience. Below there is a link to preview a prototype of how the landing page should look as well as the process to donate over the phone.
Motion Activated Application
Wobbler
This printed piece will come already assembled, just to be added to a shelf clip. They will be placed only on those aisles with products that can be donated.
Product Sticker
These stickers are for clearly identifying the items that can be donated. The first items to be stickered will be the products from the supermarket’s brand.
Voice-Activated Kiosk
We resorted to a touchless-screen to avoid spreading the Covid-19 by touch. Using a similar pattern as the automated phone systems, this kiosk will allow the user to donate via credit card, while showing the impact of their donation. Once the transaction is completed, the participant will receive a text with a receipt confirming the donation.
Animation showing the flow of the user accepting to donate via credit card.
Animation showing the flow of the user accepting to donate via credit card.
Flow showing user declining to donate.
Conveyor Belt
People in general do not know how the donations boxes are put together at LA Food Bank’s facilities. Through this installation, they can get a preview of what happens at the donation centers.
The Process
The Research
LA Food Bank
The organization was established in 1973 (Pasadena, CA) by chef Tony Collier, who started acquiring food that was going to waste and redistributed it amongst neighbors facing food insecurity.
As their slogan—Fighting Hunger, Giving Hope— indicates, the organization is constantly mobilizing resources to help the community, focusing on 3 main areas:
- Distribute packages of food.
- Provide education about nutrition.
- Push changes on legislation to fight hunger.
The footage was taken over the weekend | Credit: BFMTV, The Sun (Newspaper)
SWOT Analisis
Insights from the Interviews
- People want to give. They usually just don’t know how, where or what.
- It is extremely important to present the organization as trustworthy and transparent about where the donations go.
- Shoppers must have easy and quick access to multiple ways to contribute, while tangibly showing them the impact of their donation.
- Because of the pandemic, it is vital to provide safe ways to donate for the user.
- While grocery shopping, people don’t want to be disrupted to learn about the organization or how to help their cause.
- If donating food items, shoppers should not guess what items can be purchased.
- The potential donor doesn’t want to be tied to a fixed commitment.
The Take Aways
- Organizations like LA Food Bank are mostly run by volunteers, therefore it became extremely important to create an experience that required the minimum amount of effort to set it up, maintain and take down. Most of the pieces suggested will be reusable, will come pre-assembled and/or will be collapsible.
- In places like the supermarket, there is a lot going on from a visual point of view. It was paramount to create pieces that were “out of the norm”, as well as locate them in strategic places, to make them stand out and get the shopper’s attention.