Bentogether
A digital lunchbox to teach kids about nutrition and food through gamification.
About
HCDE senior Capstone project
Role
I worked on this project in a group of 5. I helped with requirements gathering, research, data analysis, UX design, UI design, process refinement, etc. My main role, however, was a UX Designer.
Background
The idea of Bentogether started from one of my group member's experience as a nanny. One of his main jobs in the morning was to prepare the lunches for the kids so they could have something healthy to eat at school. He realized that it actually allowed him to bond with the kids by creating an opportunity to learn more about their preferences and educate them about nutrition.
Personas
The targeted demographic for this project was both the parents of elementary school aged children, as well as the children themselves. Having two personas provided an interesting challenge because we had to think through the touch points for each group.
“I struggle with my picky eater... especially when they are at school or away.”
“Why can't I just eat cookies for lunch?”
Preliminary Research
To begin this project, we looked at the role that food plays not only in our physical health, but also in our relationships. We learned about other cultures and food preparation and were particularly inspired by the Bento box, which represents more than just a meal. It acts as a communication method and a way of showing love.
While we were very inspired by the bento box as way of connecting, we also did a lot of research on the education of food for children. The common thread stemmed from caregivers and the importance that they have in providing education on food and health, especially during child development.
Problem statement
How might the traditional practices of bento boxes translate to the modern day lunch making process?
Secondary Research
We designed a survey to gather data and then interviewed 3 families to learn more about their current lunch making process and discover ways to help improve it. Although we always had our goal of health and relationships in mind during the interviews.
After our research, we created an affinity diagram with sticky notes. We discovered that this new system needs to be customizable, help improve communication, promote nutrition, be more useful than the current systems, and also be fun for the kids.
Physical Design
We went through so many iterations when it came to our physical prototype. We explored creating the bento box with silicon, 3D printing it, and laser cutting it. And although it isn't necessarily food safe, it was so fun to play around with the industrial design aspect rather than just relying on digital.
Digital Design
The other UX designer on the team and I created a user flow for the process of interaction with this application that included a game element for the kids to enjoy. We mapped out every possible interaction and the pattern of screens.
Once we figured out the interaction map, we created a list of all the screens that were needed and began wireframing. As my first step into the visual design world, I attempted to create a design system, (which looking back, I would have done so many things differently!)
User Testing
Once our application and physical lunchbox prototypes were completed, we created a user test plan and task list for our three families.
We asked them to go through the entire process of requesting a lunch, approving a lunch, and looking at the nutrition information for the meal the kids chose. They also interacted with the physical lunchbox and put food inside and put it in their backpack to take to school.
After our testing, there were some things that we realized could be improved. The parents and kids both wanted opportunities to create a grocery shopping list together, which is something we didn't consider at first.
Unfortunately, we weren't able to incorporate any of our user testing beyond this project, but it was still very valuable for the team.
Outcome
Although we didn't get an opportunity to iterate on this, I still see a value in all of this work. There is such a connection between food, children, relationships, and health that could be expanded on in the future.
Award
It was an amazing opportunity to work on such a fun and inspiring project. So much so, that we were actually awarded People's Choice Award at our capstone fair because it was such a fun and interesting idea.