Picture this, you want to be a founder of a promising startup that aims to revolutionise the way students access affordable meals. You recognise that academic success is closely tied to a student’s ability to meet their basic needs, particularly access to nutritious food. However, many students are struggling, while local restaurants and stores frequently have surplus food that goes to waste. Your mission is clear: bridge this gap by creating a platform called whatt’s cookin’®, that connects students with these food sources, providing them with healthy meals at low costs while helping restaurants reduce waste.

whatt’s cookin’® leverages modern technology and draws inspiration from other successful food-delivery services. The goal is to create an ethical, user-friendly app that simplifies the process for both students and restaurant owners, ensuring food surpluses are redirected to those who need them most. By focusing on ethical design and convenience, the platform offers a practical solution to a pressing issue, addressing both food waste and student hunger.

To test this concept, I worked with a team of designers and researchers to explore the possibilities of such an idea. In the following case study, I will detail our approach to creating a seamless and engaging app experience, the design challenges we faced, and how the concept product would address both user needs and sustainability goals.

This is a brief presentation of the case study and a complete version is available upon request.