Your Mission: Through research, community engagement, and iterative discovery, develop a mobile platform that addresses the complex intersection of food insecurity and food waste in your community.
Target SDG Goals:
- SDG 2: Zero Hunger - End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition
- SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities - Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
- SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production - Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
- SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals - Strengthen implementation through global partnerships
Discovery Challenge:
Food systems are complex webs of production, distribution, access, and waste. Your challenge is to understand how these systems work (or don't work) in your community before building a solution. What if the real problem isn't what you initially think it is?
What you'll do: Open the project and familiarize yourself with the interface
- Open the StackBlitz template: Feed Your City
- Other alternative: you can download the source code template from StackBlitz Download Project button if you want to use IDE.
DO NOT DELETE the existing files in the template:
- Package files
- Any other files you didn't create
ONLY EDIT the necessary files.
Research Challenge: Who really faces food insecurity in your area?
💡 Discovery Task: Interview 3 people who have experienced food insecurity and 2 community workers who address hunger issues. Don't assume you know the challenges-let them teach you.
Key Discovery Questions:
- What are the real barriers to accessing food beyond just availability?
- How do people currently find food assistance, and what frustrates them about existing systems?
- What role does dignity play in food access? How do current systems help or harm people's sense of dignity?
- What cultural considerations around food are being overlooked?
- How do existing food assistance programs work together (or not)?
Documentation Task:
Create a "Community Food Access Map" that captures not just locations, but experiences, emotions, and barriers that aren't visible on traditional resource maps.
Research Challenge: Where does food waste actually happen, and why?
💡 Discovery Task: Investigate 3 different types of food businesses (restaurant, grocery store, institutional cafeteria) to understand their food waste patterns. Interview staff and managers, not just corporate representatives.
Key Discovery Questions:
- What types of food are being wasted most frequently?
- What are the liability, health department, and legal constraints around food sharing?
- What motivates or prevents businesses from reducing waste?
- How do staff members feel about throwing away good food?
- What solutions have been tried before, and why did they succeed or fail?
Documentation Task:
Create a "Food Waste Journey Map" showing how food moves from "edible but unwanted" to "waste" and identify every decision point where intervention might be possible.
Research Challenge: Who are all the players in your local food system?
💡 Discovery Task: Create a stakeholder ecosystem map by interviewing representatives from 5 different stakeholder groups (government, nonprofits, businesses, community leaders, residents).
Key Discovery Questions:
- Who has formal power in food policy decisions?
- Who has informal influence in food access and distribution?
- What are the existing relationships (positive and negative) between organizations?
- Where are the communication breakdowns or coordination failures?
- What would different stakeholders say the "real" problem is?
Documentation Task:
Create a "Power and Influence Map" showing relationships, tensions, and opportunities for collaboration among food system stakeholders.
Research Challenge: What resources and strengths already exist that could be built upon?
💡 Discovery Task: Identify 5 community assets (both formal organizations and informal networks) that are already addressing food issues in creative ways.
Key Discovery Questions:
- What informal food sharing already happens in communities?
- What cultural or religious traditions around food sharing exist?
- What skills and knowledge do community members have?
- What successful food initiatives exist that aren't widely known?
- How do communities currently organize and mobilize around issues?
Documentation Task:
Create a "Community Assets Inventory" highlighting strengths, resources, and existing solutions that a mobile platform could amplify rather than replace.
Design Challenge: Based on your research, what is the real problem you're trying to solve?
💡 Synthesis Task: Analyze all your research to define the core problem you'll address. Write a one-page problem statement that includes community voices and your key insights.
Critical Reflection Questions:
- What surprised you most about food insecurity and waste in your community?
- How did the real problems differ from your initial assumptions?
- What existing solutions are already working well that you shouldn't duplicate?
- What gaps or coordination failures could technology actually help with?
- Who needs to be centered in your solution design?
Design Challenge Process:
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Problem Statement Validation: Share your problem statement with 3 people from your research interviews. Do they agree this is the right problem to solve?
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Solution Co-creation: Facilitate a brainstorming session with community members to generate solution ideas together.
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Community-Centered Design: Ensure any technological solution amplifies community strengths rather than replacing human relationships.
Implementation Challenge: Build with the community, not for the community.
💡 Development Task: Create a simple prototype (paper sketches, basic wireframes, or a simple app mock-up) that addresses your defined problem.
Community Validation Requirements:
- Test your prototype with at least 5 people from different stakeholder groups
- Focus on whether the solution maintains human dignity and community relationships
- Validate that the solution addresses real needs, not assumed needs
- Test for unintended consequences or barriers you hadn't considered
Technical Development Guidelines:
- Start with the simplest possible version that solves the core problem
- Prioritize accessibility and ease of use for all community members
- Consider offline functionality for areas with limited internet access
- Design for multiple languages if relevant to your community
- Include community feedback mechanisms in the app design
Design Challenge: What features will actually solve the problem you've identified?
💡 Development Focus: Based on your research, identify the 3-5 core features your app needs. Resist the urge to build everything.
User-Centered Design Process:
- User Journey Mapping: For each type of user identified in your research, map their current journey and where your app can help
- Feature Prioritization: Rank features by community impact, not technical complexity
- Accessibility First: Ensure your app works for users with different technical skills, devices, and abilities
- Cultural Responsiveness: Design interfaces that respect cultural preferences and communication styles
Core Architecture Decisions:
You'll need to make several technical decisions. Document these using the ADR (Architecture Decision Record) template:
- How will you handle user authentication and privacy?
- What approach will you use for matching food offers with needs?
- How will you ensure the app works for users with older phones or limited data?
- What safety and verification systems do you need?
- How will you measure and display community impact?
Validation Challenge: Does your solution actually help people?
💡 Community Testing: Launch a beta version with a small group of community members who participated in your research. Focus on learning, not proving you're right.
Testing Protocol:
- Real-world Testing: Have community members use your app for real food sharing scenarios
- Dignity Check: Ensure the app maintains user dignity and doesn't create shame or stigma
- Accessibility Testing: Test with users who have different abilities, devices, and tech comfort levels
- Cultural Sensitivity Review: Validate that the app respects cultural preferences and practices
- Community Impact Assessment: Measure whether the app strengthens or weakens community relationships
Iteration Requirements:
- Hold weekly feedback sessions with community testers
- Be prepared to make significant changes based on community input
- Document what doesn't work as much as what does work
- Prioritize community needs over your original assumptions
Research Portfolio:
- Community food access map with real stories and barriers
- Food waste journey map showing intervention opportunities
- Stakeholder ecosystem map highlighting relationships and power dynamics
- Community assets inventory showcasing existing strengths
- Problem statement validated by community members
Solution Documentation:
- App prototype (wireframes, mockups, or working beta)
- Architecture Decision Records (ADRs) documenting key technical choices
- Community validation results and iteration plans
- Impact measurement framework designed with community input
- Sustainability plan for ongoing community ownership
On Community Engagement:
- How did your understanding of food insecurity change through community research?
- What did you learn about the difference between building FOR communities vs. building WITH communities?
- How did centering community voices change your solution design?
On Social Impact:
- How does your solution address root causes of food insecurity, not just symptoms?
- What would need to change systemically for your app to no longer be necessary?
- How does your approach prioritize community empowerment over technological solutions?
On Technology's Role:
- When is technology helpful for social problems, and when might it cause harm?
- How did you balance efficiency with equity in your app design?
- What did you learn about measuring meaningful social impact?
Your project succeeds when:
- Community members report that the app helps them maintain dignity while accessing food
- The solution strengthens existing community relationships rather than replacing them
- Local food organizations see improved coordination and reduced duplication
- People who experience food insecurity report having more agency and choice
- The app helps surface systemic issues that need policy or structural change
Your app works well when:
- It's accessible to users with varying technical skills and devices
- It protects user privacy and doesn't create surveillance risks
- The core features solve the specific problems identified through community research
- Community members can use it independently without extensive training
- It integrates with (rather than disrupts) existing community resources
Your Impact Potential:
This approach to app development demonstrates how technology can serve community liberation rather than creating new forms of dependence. You've learned to center human dignity, community wisdom, and systemic change in your design process.
You're ready to feed your city in ways that build community power and address root causes of food insecurity!
Submit Your Project Here