HungryHomies is a meal-sharing app designed to connect university students while addressing food insecurity on campus. Whether you're cooking a large meal or simply have extra food to share, HungryHomies makes it easy to offer and receive meals from fellow students in your area. It's about more than just sharing food – it's about building community. Save money, reduce food waste, and meet new people, all while helping make sure no student goes hungry. Join HungryHomies and bring a little extra flavor to your campus experience!

Consider This:

There is a growing need, on Canadian University campuses, for a centralized hub where students are able to post about any food excess they want to redistribute while also forging the possibility of a new friendship.

• 40% of Canadian university students experience food insecurity

• Rising cost of groceries going up from 2.5% to 4.5% in 2024

• Up to 66% of Canadian university students reported feeling “very lonely” in the past year

Our Solution:

HungryHomies is a web app that allows students to sign up, create & view meal sharing postings, and connect with other students through messaging in order to meet up for said meal sharing.

Empathize

UX Personas:

Persona 1: Alex - The New Student

• Age: 18

• Background: First-year university student, living away from home for the first time.

• Goals:

  • Meet new people and form friendships on campus.

  • Save money on food by finding affordable meal options.

  • Avoid wasting food by sharing extra portions from their meal prep.

• Challenges:

  • Feels lonely and disconnected in a new city.

  • Finds meal prepping challenging to manage on a student schedule.

• Motivations:

  • Wants to feel part of the campus community.

  • Seeks to make sustainable choices by reducing food waste.

• How HungryHomies Helps:

  • Allows Alex to connect with others who are also looking to meet new people over a shared meal.

  • Provides an easy way to give away or share leftovers, making food prep more efficient and sustainable.

Persona 2: Taylor - The Social Butterfly

• Age: 21

• Background: Third-year student, highly social and involved in student organizations and events.

• Goals:

  • Continually expand their social circle and connect with people across campus.

  • Explore different foods and try new cuisines in a social setting.

• Challenges:

  • Finding budget-friendly ways to eat out and socialize.

  • Prefers variety in food choices but has dietary restrictions (e.g., vegetarian).

• Motivations:

  • Enjoys meeting people from diverse backgrounds and bonding over shared interests.

  • Loves exploring food but needs to stay within a student budget.

• How HungryHomies Helps:

  • Taylor can discover new eateries and cuisines through the app, making use of available coupons from small businesses.

  • The app’s filtering options for dietary preferences allow Taylor to find suitable options without compromising on taste or choice.

Persona 3: Jordan - The Environmentally Conscious Student

• Age: 23

• Background: Fourth-year student studying Environmental Studies, passionate about sustainability.

• Goals:

  • Reduce personal food waste and promote sustainability on campus.

  • Connect with others who are also interested in sustainability and eco-friendly living.

• Challenges:

  • Wants to share food responsibly but struggles to find people who are available at the right times.

  • Wishes to avoid high costs associated with typical sustainable food options.

• Motivations:

  • Feels strongly about reducing food waste and educating others on sustainability.

  • Prefers using platforms that align with their eco-conscious values.

• How HungryHomies Helps:

  • Provides Jordan with a streamlined way to share surplus food instead of wasting it.

  • Offers opportunities to meet other students with similar values, fostering a sustainable community on campus.

Persona 4: Riley - The Budget-Conscious, Food-Insecure Student

• Age: 20

• Background: Second-year student working part-time to support themselves while studying.

• Goals:

  • Find affordable meal options without compromising nutrition.

  • Feel a part of the university community and avoid social isolation.

• Challenges:

  • Experiences food insecurity due to limited budget.

  • Feels disconnected from campus life due to busy work-study schedule.

• Motivations:

  • Seeks ways to connect with others that don’t require spending a lot of money.

  • Values support systems that make life more manageable.

• How HungryHomies Helps:

  • Provides Riley access to affordable, even free meals through shared food offerings from peers.

  • Creates a way for Riley to meet others on campus, reducing feelings of isolation while supporting basic needs.

Persona 5: Chris - The Small Business Owner

• Age: 34

• Background: Owner of a local café near the university, trying to attract more student customers.

• Goals:

  • Increase awareness of their business among students.

  • Offer promotions that draw students without heavily impacting profit margins.

• Challenges:

  • Hard to stand out in a competitive market near campus.

  • Limited marketing budget, so needs to attract customers affordably.

• Motivations:

  • Wants to support the student community by offering affordable options.

  • Believes in creating a community-focused brand identity.

• How HungryHomies Helps:

  • Chris can use HungryHomies to promote their business via special coupons and discounts tailored for students.

  • The platform allows Chris to align with sustainability-minded students by offering deals that support community building.

Design Process:

1. Ideation: The design process for HungryHomies involved brainstorming features and functionality that would support both the practical needs of the users (e.g., food sharing, meal postings, messaging) and the emotional aspects (e.g., community-building, social connection). Key features were identified as:

• Meal Posting: Users can share available meals, specify portions, and include dietary preferences (vegetarian, gluten-free, etc.).

• Filters: Search filters that allow users to sort meal posts by location, dietary needs, and timing.

• Messaging System: Direct messaging feature for students to coordinate meal exchanges and make plans to meet up.

• Profile & Social Integration: Users can create profiles, follow others, and keep track of shared meals and connections.

2. Moodboard & Visual Design: The moodboard for HungryHomies emphasized a warm, inviting color palette with vibrant tones to evoke a sense of energy and positivity, appealing to a younger, social audience. The use of bright, playful colors like orange, green, and yellow was chosen to reflect the vibrancy of food and the idea of sharing meals. The design also features clean, simple layouts with intuitive navigation to ensure accessibility and ease of use.

• Color Palette: Bright, energetic colors such as warm oranges, greens, and light blues were chosen to inspire feelings of friendliness and optimism. These colors would resonate with younger students and encourage a sense of community.

• Typography: Rounded fonts were selected to convey friendliness, with larger, legible text to ensure readability for all users.

3. Prototyping: A high-fidelity prototype was developed to illustrate the user experience from start to finish. Key screens were designed to include:

• Homepage: Displays meal posts in a feed with options to filter by location, dietary preferences, or type of meal (leftovers, family-style meals, etc.).

• Meal Posting: Users can quickly post meals, including photos, descriptions, and availability times.

• Profile & Social Features: Each user has a profile with their food-sharing history, followers, and ratings from others. Social features enable building connections.

• Messaging: A simple chat interface allows users to coordinate meal exchanges, discuss preferences, and arrange meetups.