Pare

Contextual Research

Pare is a mobile app aimed at helping users find green restaurants near them! With just a few clicks, users are able to cater their search to their personal preferences.

Challenge

How can we make the dining industry part of a circular economy by exploring the ecosystem of the take out industry and analyzing possible opportunities to advocate for the reduction of waste.

Summary

My Responsibilities

UX Researcher
App Design
User Testing

Duration

8 Weeks

Team Members

Handley Kronemeyer
Chloe King
Frank Fu

Why Pare?

Pare is a user friendly app designed at helping people find restaurants that are using sustainable practices. On the other hand, Pare allows them to cater their search options to be unique to them and their dietary restrictions. Throughout this 8 week course my group and I conducted extensive research and observations to gather data for our case study on consumer behavior, specifically within the takeout industry.

See Research Process

Anchor 2

Features

Login

Easy login page that allows users to have the device remember them and allows them use other methods to sign in.

Home Page

App opens to a map with restaurants around them pinned in red.

Scroll

Navigate from map to list display. Browsing through restaurants near you, you can click to get directions to the restaurant you choose.

Sustainability Ratings

Explore the ratings page to see what other guests have rated each restaurant. You will be able to sort the ratings and see what influenced each others ratings.

Filter Search

With the ability to filter what restaurants they see based on what a restaurant offers, users are able to personalize their search.

Sort By

The ablity to sort what restaurants they see first enables one to maneuver through the app in a fast and easy way.

Choose what style of restaurants you want to see.

Favorites Page

See what restaurants you have liked in map or list view.

See what restauraunts are trending in your area.

Profile Page

Access your profile and history settings.

Anchor 1

Secondary Research

My team and I undertook this project knowing we needed to think of ways to combat styrofoam waste, or to promote the use of more sustainable competitors. We researched many things including:

Manufacturing processes
The impact of waste on wildlife and the environment
The amount people waste

Trends in eating out/ takeout
The future of the take out industry
Took a look at food ordering websites

Statistics we found important.

"Styrofoam is an environmental problem, filling up 25 to 30 percent of landfill space around the world."

Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.). The Facts on Styrofoam: Reduce and Reuse. The Facts On Styrofoam: Reduce and Reuse | Collier County, FL. Retrieved October 14, 2021, from https://www.colliercountyfl.gov

"Everyday approximately 1,369 tons of styrofoam waste is buried into US landfills."

“Collier County, FL.” The Facts On Styrofoam: Reduce and Reuse | Collier County, FL, https://www.colliercountyfl.gov

"Most polystyrene food containers are used once and discarded, ending up as landfill trash or as litter"

31 facts about styrofoam

https://bettergoods.org/

Why is designing for a circular economy important?

Helps designers consider their ecological footprint even after their intended use
Combats the problem with a linear economy and how products are streamlined to become waste
Keeps products in circulation as long as possible

Primary Research

If people understood the impact styrofoam waste has on the environment
How often one goes out to eat or orders takeout
If people are aware of sustainable restaurants around them
Things people associate with styrofoam and if the take out industry is something people associate with the use of styrofoam specifically
What people consider affordable when it comes to sustainable alternatives

What did we need to find out from primary research?

Interviews

My team and I were able to conduct 5 interviews within our target consumer of 15 to 30 years old. Two were people who we were able to contact from restaurants, one was a teacher, and the last two were college students.

WHY?

To gain an understanding of the sustainable options available at restaurants
To identify trends within the takeout industry
To observe points of weakness

To determine if consumers are willing to choose sustainable when given the option
To investigate how often people eat out

Survey

We sent out a survey that received a total of 87 responses.

WHY?

To gain insights on peoples perceptions and assumtions about waste
To explore common associations and perceptions of styrofoam use

To determine if consumers are willing to choose sustainable when given the option
To investigate how often people eat out

Sensory Cue Canvas

We performed a sensory cue canvas with our class of 21.

The Circularity of To-Go Packaging (1).png

WHY?

To explore areas that need more support in helping the user get a better understanding of what it is

To gain a better understanding of peoples perceptions and senses associated with our research

Cultural Probe

I conducted a cultural probe outside of a college dining hall and received over 43 responses.

WHY?

To investigate what our target user (15-30 year olds) understands about styrofoam
To determine if people know how long styrofoam takes to decompose

To educate the community on styrofoam waste

Research Insights

Over 1195 data points!

The Circularity of To-Go Packaging (2).png

What we learned

Most people eat out 2-4 times a week
2 out of 5 participants understand that styrofoam never breaks down
2 out of 5 participants believe that styrofoam takes under 3 years to break down
Most participants are willing to make changes to eating more sustainable if shown where to go
Most takeout places use plastic or styrofoam for their containters
When making a quick descision on where to eat out users go to maps to see what is near them

Leading to...

How might we help reduce styrofoam waste within the take out industry?

How might we make being sustainable easier?

How might we promote the reduction of styrofoam waste?

Value Proposition

For the customer.
Who wants a more sustainable and convenient way to get sustainable packaging options.
We are offering a connection between customer and restaurants that offer sustainable packaging.
We do this by offering an easy-to-use app and advertising through the use of billboards.
Unlike our competitors in the styrofoam market,
Our concept advocates for the use of sustainable materials.

Interventions

The Circularity of To-Go Packaging (3).png

Prototyping

The Circularity of To-Go Packaging (4).png

Final Solution

What we learned

"I wish there were easier ways to sort what I am seeing."
"Is it possible to add a map to see what sustainable restaurants are around me?"
"I am not a huge fan of the colors."
"I really like how easy this app is to use."
"I think the sustainability ratings is an interesting twist."

See Final Features

Contextual Research

Pare

Pare is a mobile app aimed at helping users find green restaurants near them! With just a few clicks, users are able to cater their search to their personal preferences.

Challenge

How can we make the dining industry part of a circular economy by exploring the ecosystem of the take out industry and analyzing possible opportunities to advocate for the reduction of waste.

Summary

My Responsibilities

UX Researcher App Design User Testing

Duration

8 Weeks

Team Members

Handley Kronemeyer Chloe King Frank Fu

Why Pare?

See Research Process

Features

Login

Easy login page that allows users to have the device remember them and allows them use other methods to sign in.

Home Page

App opens to a map with restaurants around them pinned in red.

Scroll

Navigate from map to list display. Browsing through restaurants near you, you can click to get directions to the restaurant you choose.

Sustainability Ratings

Explore the ratings page to see what other guests have rated each restaurant. You will be able to sort the ratings and see what influenced each others ratings.

Filter Search

With the ability to filter what restaurants they see based on what a restaurant offers, users are able to personalize their search.

Sort By

The ablity to sort what restaurants they see first enables one to maneuver through the app in a fast and easy way.

Category

Choose what style of restaurants you want to see.

Favorites Page

See what restaurants you have liked in map or list view.

Popular

See what restauraunts are trending in your area.

Profile Page

Access your profile and history settings.

Secondary Research

My team and I undertook this project knowing we needed to think of ways to combat styrofoam waste, or to promote the use of more sustainable competitors. We researched many things including:

Statistics we found important.

"Styrofoam is an environmental problem, filling up 25 to 30 percent of landfill space around the world."

"Everyday approximately 1,369 tons of styrofoam waste is buried into US landfills."

"Most polystyrene food containers are used once and discarded, ending up as landfill trash or as litter"

Why is designing for a circular economy important?

Helps designers consider their ecological footprint even after their intended use

Combats the problem with a linear economy and how products are streamlined to become waste​

Keeps products in circulation as long as possible

Primary Research

If people understood the impact styrofoam waste has on the environment

How often one goes out to eat or orders takeout

If people are aware of sustainable restaurants around them

Things people associate with styrofoam and if the take out industry is something people associate with the use of styrofoam specifically

What people consider affordable when it comes to sustainable alternatives

What did we need to find out from primary research?

Interviews

My team and I were able to conduct 5 interviews within our target consumer of 15 to 30 years old. Two were people who we were able to contact from restaurants, one was a teacher, and the last two were college students.

WHY?

To gain an understanding of the sustainable options available at restaurants

To identify trends within the takeout industry

To observe points of weakness

To determine if consumers are willing to choose sustainable when given the option

To investigate how often people eat out

Survey

We sent out a survey that received a total of 87 responses.

WHY?

To gain insights on peoples perceptions and assumtions about waste

To explore common associations and perceptions of styrofoam use

To determine if consumers are willing to choose sustainable when given the option

To investigate how often people eat out

Sensory Cue Canvas

We performed a sensory cue canvas with our class of 21.

WHY?

To explore areas that need more support in helping the user get a better understanding of what it is

To gain a better understanding of peoples perceptions and senses associated with our research

Cultural Probe

I conducted a cultural probe outside of a college dining hall and received over 43 responses.

WHY?

To investigate what our target user (15-30 year olds) understands about styrofoam

To determine if people know how long styrofoam takes to decompose

To educate the community on styrofoam waste

Research Insights

Over 1195 data points!

UX Researcher
App Design
User Testing

Handley Kronemeyer
Chloe King
Frank Fu

Combats the problem with a linear economy and how products are streamlined to become waste

"I wish there were easier ways to sort what I am seeing."
"Is it possible to add a map to see what sustainable restaurants are around me?"
"I am not a huge fan of the colors."
"I really like how easy this app is to use."
"I think the sustainability ratings is an interesting twist."