FLoop

Share, Cook, Connect

Problem statement

Young adults, especially those transitioning from home to college and new job environments, face challenges in maintaining healthy eating habits. Cultural practices and environments significantly influence food choices, often leading to unhealthy behaviours. Poor eating habits could contribute to long-term health issues like heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. These habits, developed during formative years, are difficult to reverse once health problems arise, leading to increased healthcare costs and infrastructure demands.

There is a need for a system that promotes healthier eating habits through community interaction and decision-making support, helping users make mindful food choices in various life situations, fostering healthier routines and reducing the risk of future health problems.

Experiment 1

What did you eat yesterday?

Which of those foods do you regret eating?

As part of this project, I experimented with 16 participants from different age groups. The aim was to gain insights into their daily food choices and the feelings associated with them. I used a visual board featuring a variety of food items, including fresh produce, packaged goods, snacks, and beverages. Participants were asked to place blue stickers on the items they ate the previous day and red stickers on the foods they regretted eating.

Objectives of the Experiment:

To observe eating patterns across different age groups.
To identify foods that participants regretted consuming, helping highlight unhealthy habits.
To explore the emotional and behavioral relationships between food choices and overall well-being.

Understanding Eating Habits and Regret

Key Insights:

Processed foods and sugary snacks were often marked with red stickers, showing regret.
Fresh fruits and vegetables were marked with blue stickers, reflecting satisfaction.
A few participants didn't regret unhealthy choices like cigarettes or sugary drinks, seeing them as essential.
Many were aware of unhealthy habits but struggled to avoid them due to convenience or social pressure.

These findings directly influenced the design of the platform, focusing on decision-making support, awareness and community-driven accountability for healthier habits.

Experiment 2

Can you map the foods you ate as you were growing up?

In another experiment, I asked participants to map the changes in their food consumption habits across different stages of life. The goal was to understand how key life transitions, such as leaving home, starting college, or joining the workforce, affected their eating behaviors.

Mapping Food Consumption by Age

Key Insights:

Participants identified significant changes in their eating habits during major life transitions, such as moving from home to college or starting a family.
Some participants noted changes due to health reasons, such as the discovery of food allergies in their 40s.
A common pattern showed that eating habits shifted after leaving home, with many turning to more processed or convenient food options during college or early career stages.

Based on these insights, I decided to focus on young adults living independently in college as my target user group.

Objectives of the Experiment:

To identify key events that impact eating habits.
To narrow down the target user group based on these events.

Experiment 3

Participants were asked to mark their typical daily activities, providing insights into their priorities, challenges, and the impact of academic workload on their eating behaviours. The objective was to identify patterns in their morning activities, with a focus on breakfast habits, and to explore how tight schedules affect food choices.

Key Insights:

Students have varied schedules due to different class timings.
Morning routines like waking up and preparing for the day are common among most students.
Only half of the participants managed to eat breakfast at home, while others bought food after arriving at school.
Physical activities like walking or going to the gym are not consistently prioritized.
Convenience influences students' food choices, with many relying on ready-to-eat or purchased meals.

Experiment 4

The Exchange Experiment

Ever wanted to try your friend's delicious chicken curry but couldn’t find the time to visit? Our busy lives often lead to skipping cooking and opting for takeout, especially for young adults who are still learning to cook and juggling school. To explore food exchange, I swapped breakfasts with friends and documented our experiences and conversations from the experiment.

I started by making breakfast for a friend and dropped it off in a container. They returned the container on another day with breakfast for me.

This food exchange let us try new meals and get to know each other better. We discovered each other’s cooking styles and preferences while enjoying our food. Overall, this experience showed how sharing meals can help us eat healthier and strengthen our friendships.

Social engagement

Food exchanges foster social connections and enhance interaction among friends.

Participants exhibited diverse cooking skills, affecting their willingness to prepare meals.

Skill Variation

Busy schedules led to reliance on quick, unhealthy food options, indicating a need for better meal preparation strategies.

Time Management

Personalization

Tailoring meals to individual preferences increased satisfaction and feelings of care.

Successful exchanges required prior planning and grocery shopping, emphasizing the need for effective time management.

Preparation Importance

Participants were eager to try new cuisines, indicating a strong interest in diverse food experiences.

Clear communication about ingredients improved the food-sharing experience.

Proper food packaging is crucial for maintaining quality and enjoyment.

Culinary Exploration

Ingredient Transparency

Packaging Matters

Food sharing encourages reciprocity and thoughtful meal preparation for future exchanges.

Reciprocal Relationships

The experiment highlighted potential for promoting healthier eating habits among young adults through cooking and sharing meals.

Healthier Eating

Key Insights

Design Opportunity

Cooking fosters a connection with food, promoting healthier habits and saving money. However, the busy schedules of young adults often lead to skipping breakfast or relying on unhealthy options.

This project seeks to encourage cooking through food sharing, helping young adults fit breakfast into their day, build relationships, and eat healthier. The idea can extend to lunch and dinner, supporting sustainable, community-driven eating habits.

FLoop: Food Sharing Made Easy!

With FLoop, meal sharing is fun and easy. Plan meal exchanges with friends, explore exciting recipes, and share your cooking with others. It’s about more than eating well—connecting with friends and swapping delicious meals that bring you closer.

From trying each other's food to building your recipe collection, FLoop is the app that makes food social. Let’s eat, share, and enjoy together!

To enhance the food exchange experience, a specially designed meal bag was created. It makes carrying the meal easier and can be placed under the meal box during eating to help with cleanup. The bag also adds a personal touch, allowing the cook to leave a note, making the exchange both convenient and thoughtful.