Fresh Excess is a meal-planning and food-tracking app designed to reduce household food waste by helping users make better use of the groceries they already have. Receipt scanning, pantry tracking, expiration alerts, and personalized meal recommendations make it easier to plan meals, save money, and waste less food.
USER RESEARCH
I surveyed 24 participants and interviewed 3 individuals to understand meal-planning and food waste habits. The research revealed common challenges with forgetting ingredients, using leftovers, and creating meals from what’s already available, highlighting the need for a simpler way to track food and discover meal options.
USER RESPONSES
What are the main reasons you don’t use leftover ingredients or food?
"I usually get sick of the same meal or I forget about the ingredients because they tend to get lost in the back of my fridge." – Female, 21
When you do have leftover ingredients or food, what do you usually do with them?
"If it goes bad I throw it away, I usually only freeze it if I remember to do so." – Male, 22
DESIGN PROCESS
MOODBOARD
COLOR PALETTE
TYPOGRAPHY
Designing Fresh Excess reinforced the importance of creating practical, user-centered solutions. By combining pantry tracking, expiration alerts, and personalized meal suggestions, I learned how thoughtful design can turn everyday frustrations into simple, useful experiences.
