Fridgemate
A connected food management ecosystem for university students.
Overview
Fridgemate is a connected food management ecosystem that helps university students reduce food waste through a smart fridge-mounted device and a companion mobile app.
It allows users to scan groceries, track expiration dates, receive recipe recommendations, and interact via voice commands—all aimed at encouraging sustainable habits in student living environments.
Lead UX Researcher & Interaction Designer
Role
5 members
Team
10 Weeks (October 2024 - December 2024)
Timeline
Academic Project
Context
Figma, Miro, Google Forms, Notion, Otter.ai, and Adobe XD
Tools
I. Background & Motivation
University students waste an average of £273 worth of food every year due to busy schedules, limited cooking experience, and shared living spaces. Our initial research showed that most waste comes from forgetting stored food, misunderstanding expiry labels, and over-purchasing.
Existing tools help with shopping lists or recipes but don’t connect directly to what users already have at home. This highlighted a gap for a solution that could track, remind, and assist users automatically.
Fridgemate was developed to address these challenges by combining smart tracking technology with simple, intuitive design to make sustainable food management effortless.
II. Research
Target Audience
Our target users were Goldsmiths university students aged 18–24, including both local and international students. This group was chosen because they often live in shared or compact kitchens, juggle busy academic schedules, and have limited cooking experience—conditions that frequently lead to food waste through forgetfulness, poor planning, and miscommunication.
Survey
We conducted a survey with 30 students to identify general habits and challenges around buying, storing, and wasting food.
It helped us segment behaviours based on living situations—those living alone versus those sharing kitchens.
Key Insights
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Students living alone often overbuy or overcook, leading to leftovers that go to waste.
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In shared spaces, ownership confusion and limited fridge space were major issues.
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Many students forget items in the fridge or only notice them once they’ve expired.
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Expiry label confusion was common, leading to premature disposal.
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The majority wanted reminders or simple visual cues rather than complex tracking systems.
Interviews
We conducted 10 semi-structured interviews to explore students’ habits in more depth. Discussions focused on shopping routines, storage behaviour, and attitudes toward technology.
Key Insights
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Students admitted they don’t plan meals or check expiry dates regularly.
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Leftovers are frequently ignored because they’re “out of sight.”
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Most participants preferred automated or passive systems over manual tracking.
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Recipe suggestions using items close to expiry were described as “helpful and motivating.”
Interviews
We conducted 10 semi-structured interviews to explore students’ habits in more depth. Discussions focused on shopping routines, storage behaviour, and attitudes toward technology.
Key Insights
-
Students admitted they don’t plan meals or check expiry dates regularly.
-
Leftovers are frequently ignored because they’re “out of sight.”
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Most participants preferred automated or passive systems over manual tracking.
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Recipe suggestions using items close to expiry were described as “helpful and motivating.”
III. Design Direction
The research pointed to an ecosystem, not a single screen. We designed a fridge-mounted device for passive, always-on tracking — and a companion app for planning, recipes, and in-store shopping support.
Mock-up and Wireframing
We translated early research insights and user pain points into low-fidelity wireframes for both the device and mobile app. These layouts served as our first visual blueprint, focusing on core features and intuitive navigation.
Prototype
Based on the final wireframes developed for both the smart device and mobile application, high-fidelity prototypes were created for each. In addition, a physical prototype of the device was produced to represent its form, interface placement, and interaction design.
IV. Usability Testing
Device Interface Findings
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Users understood the colour-coded freshness system, but suggested stronger contrast between “fresh” and “expired.”
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The layout of information on the device display felt crowded, with icons appearing too close together.
Mobile App Findings
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Some labels and icons were unclear, causing hesitation (e.g., “Dish Plan” and unclear navigation buttons).
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The home screen felt cluttered, making it hard to distinguish between categories.
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Users expected more direct links between food categories and detailed lists.
Key Improvements
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Replaced vague terms with clear, action-oriented labels.
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Simplified the home layout and introduced clearer hierarchy for quick scanning.
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Connected category buttons directly to detailed lists for smoother navigation.
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Increased spacing and refined colour contrast on the device interface for better visibility.
First Iteration
Second Iteration
Device Prototype Feedback
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Users appreciated the simple touch and colour-based interface.
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Most preferred the indicator bar placed at the bottom or side for accessibility.
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Privacy concerns were raised about the built-in camera — participants suggested a camera status light for reassurance.
Mobile App Feedback
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Users responded positively to the expiry reminders and recipe suggestions.
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The black freshness indicators were too subtle and easy to overlook.
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Some icons still lacked visual distinction between active and inactive states.
Refinements Made
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Replaced dark indicators with clearer red–green freshness gradients.
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Increased icon contrast and introduced hover/active states for better clarity.
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Adjusted device dimensions and repositioned the indicator bar based on ergonomic feedback.
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Added a camera privacy light to indicate when scanning was active.
Testing
V. Solution
After testing our device and app prototypes and gathering user feedback, we refined the designs to address key pain points and arrived at the final version you see here.
VI. Reflection
The design works at the level of removing friction. We learned how small, well-timed design interventions can make sustainable actions easier and more intuitive. Testing showed that clarity, automation, and minimal effort are crucial for adoption among students.
What it doesn't yet solve is item removal — once food is consumed, the inventory doesn't know. A "used it" button triggered from the recipe end-screen is the likely solution, but we didn't have time to test it. The project was limited by the lack of long-term testing. Changing behaviour in a 10-minute session is very different from changing it over a month. The direction is right. The product needs more.