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Industrial Design Graduation Project 2016 FDA Department of Industrial Design
Research Report Pendukeni Pandeni
TABLE OF CONTENT Part 1: Exploration of the Problem Area
1.1 Project Statement
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1.2 Related Products, Concepts and Design Trends in the Market
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1.3 Related Technologies, Materials, Production Techniques
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1.4 Characteristics of Potential User Group
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1.5 Conclusion
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Part 2: Exploration of the Solution Area 2.1 Project Constraints, Objectives and Directives
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2.2 Further Research
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2.3 Analysis of Potential Design Solutions
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Part 3: Design Solutions 3.1 Description of Design Solution
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3.2 Justification of Design Decisions
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References
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT After an intensive period of 3 years, today is the day: writing this note of thanks is the finishing touch on my thesis. It has been a period of intense learning for me, not only in the academic arena, but also on a personal level. Writing this thesis has had a big impact on me. I would like to reflect on the people who have supported and helped me so much throughout this period. I would first like to thank my teacher, Olga Litvinova for her valuable guidance. You definitely provided me with the tools that I needed to choose the right direction and successfully complete my studies. I would also like to thank my mother for her wise counsel and sympathetic ear. You are always there for me. Finally, there are my friends. We were not only able to support each other by deliberating over our problems and findings, but also happily by talking about things other than just our papers. Thank you very much, everyone! Pendukeni Pandeni
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Part 1: Exploration of the Problem Area 1.1 Project Statement
RedSeat is an app that assists its clients to perfect the act of cooking while saving on time and money. The app will include the ability to choose meal plans and deliver a box of pre-portioned meal ingredients to your door. Only sending you the exact quantity of the ingredients you need reduces waste, saves money which, would not have always be possible when doing the shopping yourself. This project had been an attempt to improve on the concept of boxed meals by creating a Chatbot app that eases the shopping and cooking process for its clients. This will be done by providing a platform where the clients chooses their meal plans, follows step by step videos and asks any questions regarding the recipes while receiving instant responses.
1.2 Related Products, Concepts and Trends
When a crazy schedule leaves no room for a grocery trip, it's time to call in the pros. These services drop off fresh ingredients for fast, weekly meals so all you have to do is cook and eat. However, most of these services do not provide a platform where clients can ask questions and get instant responses. For example one may have a question on the particular spice delivered and whether or not it may trigger a specific allergy or heartburn.
Though most of the services have set up apps that assist with purchasing, and cooking none of them have an option for conversational style responses to all the questions that clients may have.
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The problems with not having a smart bot option included in the app :
● Changes to orders and client information may take too long to send in through conventional email ● Cooking mistakes can not be pivoted easily e.g. what to do if I added too much water to the recipe - how to thicken the soup ● With services that provide paper recipes, it makes the cooking process even more strenuous as most challenges faced by the target clients is the know how - an image or video with the option to send in pictures and videos during cooking session creates more comfort ● Instant responses are not possible with time constraints and different time zones .
1.3 Related Technologies, Materials and Production techniques The services on the markets today have been used in a similar way before, but less efficiently and often do not carry over to the final product. In order to enhance the services to its full potential one must consider adding the following options to these apps:
● AUTOMATED CONVERSATIONAL STYLE Q&A If your app is lifeless and robotic in a time where lifestyle branding has taken over — users will not see it as engaging and will quickly abandon it. Now, rather arouse an emotional response from the user at the outset of the conversation. Whether that’s through humor, excitement or a response that is more profound, that is up to you. However, leaving out such a component could spell the end of usage of your app. ● INTERACTION ACROSS ALL SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS Page No : 5
The relief of using a service that works across multiple platforms such as Facebook, Viber, Telegram and standard messaging comes as a plus. The client has the flexibility to contact the company, make an order or cook straight from existing apps that they have. All they would need is the company link to activate the RedSeat's platform.
● STORED FAQ FOR QUICK RESPONSES Over the course of the “relationship” between the company bot and the client, the bot will learn specific conversational styles, likes and dislikes of the client and will be able to make accurate suggestions and provide more personally adjusted advice. The following is a breakdown of 7 existing services and their benefits and cons based on a review by “ Sage Lazzaro • 01/05/16 1:32pm http://observer.com/2016/01/we-tried-blue-apron-hello-fresh-and-their-4-competitorsone-was-clearly-the-best/ ”
PLAN
Blue Apron lets you choose from the above plans, choose which day of the week your box will arrive and choose your recipes for each week. For the smaller plan, you have six meals to choose from each week. For the family plan (for which you choose to receive either two
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or four meals), you have only four meals to choose from. This is a subscription service, meaning a box is set to come every week. However, you can skip a week or cancel at any time.
PRICE
For two: $59.99 ($9.99 per serving) for three meals, six total servings Family plan: $69.92 ($8.74 per serving) for either two or four meals, eight total servings Free shipping + All of the food was pretty good. + Recipes were detailed and easy to follow. – All of the ingredients were thrown in the box together, not separated by meal like they were with every other service.
PROS / CONS
– Since some of my recipes required the same ingredients in different amounts (mainly spices), I had to be extra careful to make sure I used the correct portion with the correct meal. For me, this basically canceled out the promised convenience of pre-portioned ingredients. -Only calorie information was listed on recipe card, while other services list full nutrition facts.
Hello Fresh you have to manually go into your settings and choose meals to swap each
PLAN
week , and you have to do it before their deadline. Hello Fresh is also a flex subscription service, meaning you’re set to receive a box every week, but you can skip a week and cancel at any time. Classic box for two: $69.00 ($11.50 per serving) for three meals, six total servings
PRICE
Veggie box for two: $59.99 ($9.99 and up per serving) for three meals, six total servings Family box: $105.00 ($8.75 and up per serving) for three meals for four people Free shipping + Values were listed on the recipe cards. + There was less packaging than other services and it was all cardboard instead of plastic. + My box came with a Hello Fresh apron and rubber spatula. Random, but not a bad bonus.
PROS / CONS
– There was a ton of extra food. I was given a giant tomato when I only needed two slices for the burgers and more than three times as much lettuce as I needed. – There was way more of each spice than needed. This was not only wasteful, but it wasn’t convenient and pre-portioned. I still had to measure out each spice. – I followed the recipe exactly and tried with great determination, but the bread crumbs just would not stay on the onion rings. This part of the recipe was a major fail.
PLAN
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Log on each week to choose your meals from their weekly menu of six dinners and two desserts. It’s a weekly subscription, but you can change plans, skip a week or cancel at
any time. Two meals for two: $48 ($12 per serving) for four total servings
PRICE
Three meals for two: $72 ($12 per serving) for six total servings Four meals for two: $96 ($12 per serving) for eight total servings Two meal box costs $6 to ship, Free shipping for larger boxes + The food was delicious. – Not a huge deal, but a few of the ingredients weren’t correct. For example, spinach was sent instead of kale and canned whole tomatoes were sent instead of diced tomatoes. (I
PROS / CONS
didn’t realize this last blunder until after I already emptied the can into the pan, and I ended up trying to dice them while they cooked. It was challenging.) – Two eggs were required but were not included. Luckily, I had some on hand. – The directions were not always clear. For example, the cooking time on the bag of pasta for the mac and cheese was different from what was written on the recipe card. – Only calorie information was included on the cards.
When you create your Home Chef account, you choose how many meals you want to receive each week (from two up to seven) and how many servings of each (either two or four), and you’re then charged per serving. As per usual, you can change your plan at any
PLAN
time. Home Chef has the largest variety of meals out of any of these services. Each week, 10 dinners are available as are one smoothie recipe and one bag of season fruit. When you sign up, you’re also asked to answer a few questions about your eating habits and desires (do you have any allergies? prioritize low-carb meals?, etc.), which the system uses to recommend meals. -$9.95 per serving on meals
PRICE
-$4.95 per serving on smoothies and fruit selections Free shipping when you order three or more meals, or else shipping is $10 (but often free anyway with promotions) + The recipe cards included wine and beer pairings. + The recipes included some nice cooking tips that can be used beyond these recipes
PROS / CONS
+ Calories, fats, carbohydrates, protein, fiber and sodium values were listed on the recipe cards. – There was an unnecessary amount of packaging and it was all plastic. It seemed very wasteful. – The spices weren’t all labeled and the basil was slightly wilted.
1.4 Characteristics of the Potential User Group
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The demographics of RedSeat seeks to change the way people interact with food - by consolidating the steps required to prepare a home-cooked meal (find recipe, shop for groceries, prepare meal, pack unused groceries, pack leftovers) into a single, prepackaged box, these companies reduce the hurdle for people to cook at home rather than eat out or order delivery. Since the boxes contain perishable items, the target markets are urban areas without delivery constraints. The app targets young working professionals, i.e. the demographic that cares about eating healthy and staying fit but also doesn't have much spare time and a family plan option, which includes young families with working parents.
The business plan is based on a monthly or an annual membership fee. While the RedSeat meals may not seem economical for a large family, the primary target market is focused on professional singles, dual household income earners, and aspiring Chef's. Authenticity and logistics are important for success of any on-demand delivery service like RedSeat.
1.5 Conclusion
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In conclusion, most boxed meal services focus more on the delivery and shopping convenience rather than on the process of cooking after all is delivered.
The missing link needed to make the service more appealing would be to add an element of interaction with the client after the food has been delivered. In an age where businesses have embraced social media platforms and more and more people have accepted and approved lifestyle branding, it seems only wise to adjust every aspect of the business towards socially interactive lifestyle platforms.
Part 2: Exploration of the Solution Area 2.1 Project Constraints, Objectives and Directives
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Designing a product that would be used to answer all our client’s questions while cooking may bring many constraints. The app would need a stable server to inhibit crashes.
Most meal box services already have existing websites and apps that interact with clients on an email bases. Though this maybe a more common approach it inhibits contact from multiple social media platforms thus more likely to crash in event of high traffic. Profile distribution across social platforms minimizes crashes and widens reach.
The objective in this matter, taking into account all the constraints would be to reach as many people across multiple platforms. When we’ve got our noses poked into smartphones for hours each day, it's hard to believe that apps are starting to hit the end of the road. Yet studies consistently show that smartphone users have condensed their daily screen time into just a handful of favourite apps, often a browser, a couple of chat and social apps and maybe a game or two. With dwindling opportunities to make money from mobile apps, some developers are now looking to chat bots as another route to making mobile software that people might actually use, and one day even pay for. Therefore, the initiative would be to get RedSeat into the daily use cluster of the target groups.
2.2 Further Research What Consumers Want according to MYCLEVER agency:
After learning about Chat Bots, the research panel quickly zeroed in on where they saw the most appealing benefits.
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Consumers regard Chat Bots as the key-holders to speed, unlocking immediacy and convenience in online services. This mirrors where current frustrations with online services are most acute – where poor application hampers the speedy resolution of a task or issue. These factors highlight where developers need to concentrate their efforts, ensuring Chat Bots bring about positive change.
The ‘personality’ of the Chat Bot barely registered with consumers – AI needs to be
smart and effective first - witty and personable second. The graphic (right) shows 40% would use Chat Bots to help track down the right human assistant – possibly logging a request to speak directly.
Just under one in five consumers (18%) admit to actively avoiding calling businesses to elude the frustration of automated menus. In those under 24, this rises to a shocking 61%.
2.3 Analysis of Potential Design Solutions RedSeat and the Need for Speed
Doesn’t online service already deliver speed? Considering a scenario when they might need to quickly resolve a query, our company rated Chat Bots second only to face-to-face communication. In comparison, when consumers are directed to social media, apps, web
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forms or email – they shrug their shoulders, cross their fingers and hope that, at best, they hear back later that day. Online chat comes closest to Chat Bots’ potential, but it begs the question why this service currently creates such high levels of frustration (a third saying they had experienced frustration in the last month). Either current online chat is used too infrequently or, when available, it often fails to live up to expectations. Clearly businesses struggle to find the resources to make online chat effective. It’s conceivable that by combining AI and human assistants, organisations could find the best blend. Allowing Chat Bots to deal with FAQs and, if necessary, direct customers to the right human assistant or web resource for their needs.
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Part 3: DESIGN SOLUTIONS
3.1 Description of Design Solution There are a few key points to focus on in order to improve the solution to this design opportunity:
Service:
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The service of delivering boxed meals should become more efficient and timely so as to enhance the number of clients. All delivery personnels should have a cellphone with the app installed so as to keep updated of any changes in delivery locations or time frames. This adds on the element of flexibility, something that other apps do not have.
Chatbot App:
The user interface of the app should remain simple and easy to use. The style of app should remain conversational offering a more humanistic approach to purchasing online. The language style and personality of the “bot” will remain relaxed and “non ridged” with positive affirmations and responses being in the forefront.
Packaging:
Taking total cost into account, packaging will be on the lower end of the list since packages will incur more expenses for the company. RedSeat however will use biodegradable packages to make a mark on the eco scene.
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3.2 Justification of Design Discussions Starting with the UI, I designed an app that is easy to use, learn and follow. By making it more conversational it connects on a higher level with the clients leading to ease of use when cooking and quick responses when an problem arises. Conversational commerce involves brands interacting with their customers through a messaging app or voice-based UI, sometimes combined with a visual UI to present product images or options, to provide a more natural, conversational, almost concierge-like experience, vs the traditional paradigm of providing a click/tap-based website or app to provide information and functionality.
Reference
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https://www.fastcompany.com/3046685/most-creative-people/the-5-billion-battle-for-the-american-dinnerplate
http://www.canadiangrocer.com/top-stories/attack-of-the-meal-kits-67910
http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/R-D/Grocers-explore-options-to-defend-against-growing-meal-kit-cate gory
http://www.thekitchn.com/are-meal-kits-more-expensive-than-groceries-230031
http://venturebeat.com/2016/07/12/whole-foods-just-launched-a-messenger-chatbot-for-finding-recipes-w ith-emojis/
http://observer.com/2016/01/we-tried-blue-apron-hello-fresh-and-their-4-competitors-one-was-clearly-thebest/
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