This project was interesting for multiple reasons. I had the option of working on researching the Chicago Public Library, working on the customer Experience of a local Trader Joe's or tackling Food Waste in the school cafeteria. The first option didn't appeal to me because the last thing I wanted to do was sink my teeth & energy into a project that wasn't going to yield impact because of bureaucratic walls. The second I felt was a beaten dead horse thanks to my teammates and of course the 3rd and last gave me an opportunity to work with Food Systems & perhaps work through insights that would make strong business case around cost savings and user experience - the best of both worlds for me at the intersection of business and design.

So there I was, diving into The Commons at Illinois Tech with my teammates Ahmed and Tanvi, armed with clipboards and a healthy dose of skepticism about whether students would actually care about food waste. What we found was way more fascinating than expected.

The numbers were staggering - 27-53% of served meals were being wasted, translating to nearly 3,000 pounds of food waste per year and a potential $300,000 in savings if we could crack this problem. But here's the thing: everyone thought they were the exception.

Through our journey mapping (Expect → Examine → Ease → Explore → Eat → Evaluate), we discovered that food waste wasn't about students being careless - it was about uncertainty. Inconsistent meal quality forced students into this wasteful testing behavior. They'd cut queues to visually inspect food, take "sample" portions to taste-test, and often end up with multiple plates they didn't finish.

The dining experience was becoming performative rather than enjoyable. Students were leaving less and less excited about their meals, creating this cycle where coming to eat felt like a necessary chore rather than something to look forward to.

‍

‍