Re-Imagining Produce Shopping

Re-Imagining Produce Shopping

This is a documentation of a project that was part of the capstone requirements for completing the Rochester Institute of Technology’s MicroMasters Program in Design Thinking. Participants were “asked to solve a problem using the design thinking process.” The following documents my approach to tackling the issue of single-use plastic dependency in grocery stores, specifically in the produce isle, using the design thinking process.

Phase I — Research

To start the process of designing alternatives to single-use plastic packaging used for produce in grocery stores, initial research was conducted to better understand and define the problem. This involved conducting desk research, as well as speaking to relevant parties. A farmers’ market vendor and a customer were interviewed to better understand their needs and perceptions.

Significant Findings

Producers are open to alternatives (with certain conditions). Producers may be interested in using alternatives to single-use plastic packaging, but are worried about the impact the switch may have on their crops’ quality. Solutions need to take into account the costs associated with using single-use-plastic-free packaging that may increase food waste due to its inability to maintain the produce’s freshness.

The type of fruit and vegetables for which alternative packaging is to be designed plays an important role. Some crops’ shelf-life (e.g. cucumbers) is significantly enhanced when packaged in plastic. Alternatives should focus on fruits and vegetables that are less susceptible to losing freshness when stored in single-use-plastic-free packaging. In the case of this project, the chosen produce items are apples.

Customers buy prepackaged produce for convenience. Based on the conversation with the shopper, it appears as though the decision to buy prepackaged produce is based on the convenience associated with picking up a bag of fruits or vegetables instead of individually picking them. Being able to see what is inside the bag is significant for the consumer as it allows them to know the quality of the produce they are about to buy.

There are existing efforts for alternate packaging solutions. By using compostable and biodegradable material, packaging companies have been tackling the issue of single-use plastic packaging of produce. Referring to existing designs when coming up with ideas for this design project will provide the opportunity to improve upon the current efforts in the marketplace.

Developed Problem Statement

This exploration looks at alternative packaging solutions to single-use plastic for produce. Specifically, it focuses on packaging for sturdier fruits and vegetables. These sturdier fruits and vegetables are usually also sold loosely, but are pre-packaged for convenience purposes. For the purpose of the project (and based on the findings from this research write-up) alternate packaging solutions for apples will be designed.

Phase II — Ideation

Based on the research findings, ideas were developed. The process of ideation involves both divergent and convergent thinking. We first start with divergent thinking by making note as many solutions as we can come up with — regardless of how feasible they are. Then, we begin looking at these potential solutions through a convergent lens, asking: which of them could actually work in our context?

After sketching several solutions, I began looking at the requirements that would need to be in place in order to develop a human-centric solution. Based on the problem statement, the user research, and the key findings from the research conducted on this issue, there were two key points to consider when designing an alternative solution to single-use plastic bags for produce:

To ensure that customers accept the alternative, the convenience of buying pre packaged produce should be maintained.
Ideas should be feasible to implement for producers (who package the produce) and sellers.

Based on this information, the following two ideas were explored further.

On-Demand Produce Packaging Service

Many grocery store chains now offer the option to order groceries online for pick-up. This idea explores the possibility of adding a feature to the existing service that allows customers to make grocery store orders online. The feature would allow customers to buy loose fruit and vegetables, which staff members filling out the order then package in paper bags instead of plastic bags. For example, instead of picking up a 3 lb prepackaged plastic bag of apples, the staff member fills up a compostable paper bag with loosely sold apples and weighs them. By doing so, the convenience of the customers is unaffected and their use of plastic bags is reduced. Producers will also be unaffected by this choice, as they will continue to ship apples loosely.

Bag Return Program

There has been a surge in the use of reusable silicone bags as a substitute for conventional single-use plastic resealable bags. This idea explores the use of reusable silicone bags to package and sell produce. By relying on a refund program, consumers will be incentivized to return the bags, which package facilities can sanitize and reuse. Using the silicone bags will maintain customers’ convenience of being able to pick up a readily packaged bag of apples while reducing the use of plastic bags. In this case, producers may face a large upfront cost to purchase the reusable silicone bags and the machinery that will sanitize and clean the bags for reuse. However, there may be savings in the long-run as there will no longer be a need to constantly purchase new single-use plastic bags.

Phase III — Ideation

Next, one of the two ideas was further explored and a prototype was created to test with potential users.

The prototype was used as a means to test the readiness of consumers, producers, and sellers to adopt single-use plastic alternatives for produce sold at grocery stores. Whether they are willing to adopt an alternative, and how they perceive the alternative, was key to understanding if the solution is viable.

As discussed during the initial research phase, apples where chosen as the produce for which the packaging was to be designed because they are commonly-purchased fruits. The overall goal of this design exercise was to find a solution that will have a significant impact in reducing single-use plastic packaging associated with produce. Keeping this goal in mind when choosing which of the two ideas to further pursue, it appears that the On-Demand Produce Packaging Service would only target a small percentage of shoppers who rely on online grocery shopping, thereby missing on the remaining customers who walk into the grocery store looking for a convenient and quick way to shop for produce. On the other hand, the Bag Return Program would be available to a larger percentage of shoppers — both who shop in-store and online.

The On-Demand Produce Packaging Service also failed to address a concern raised by the producer/seller with whom the initial interview was conducted. They stated the need to pre-package their fruits and vegetables to retain their freshness, to improve convenience for customers, and create efficiency in the selling process. Conversely, the Bag Return Program took into consideration the need for producers/sellers to pre-package their fruits and vegetables before shipping to stores.

Both these factors suggested that the goal of testing the prototype to understand how consumers, producers, and sellers may perceive the alternative to single-use plastic packaging may not be met with pursuing the On-Demand Produce Packaging Service. Instead, the Bag Return Program seemed to offer a better opportunity at answering the question around perception, as well as address the established needs of consumers, producers, and sellers.

The Bag Return Program is a produce-service hybrid. Thought needed to be put into the design of the actual silicone bag to contain the produce, as well as the process through which these bags will be returned by the customer to the seller, and by the seller to the producer or packager.

For the first iteration, a low-fidelity proof of concept prototype was developed to present to a consumer and a producer/seller. This low-fidelity prototype included a sketch of what the bag may look like, along with some technical descriptions of its material (product). It also outlined the storyline of the reusable bag’s journey (service).

The Product

To ensure that the bags were suitable for the purpose of packaging fruits and vegetables, multiple factors were considered regarding the material used to create them, including:

The material had to be food-grade certified;
The material had to withstand high temperatures in order to be cleaned and sanitized thoroughly;
The material was to preferably be translucent or transparent to allow shoppers to see the contents of the bag.

Research was conducted to find material that fitted the aforementioned criteria, and the Translucent FDA Grade Silicone Sheeting was found to meet those requirements. The following is a proof of concept sketch outlining how the silicone bags could potentially look like.

The Service

As outlined in the ideation section, the storyline associated with this idea would include the following steps:

Phase IV — Testing

The same consumer and farmers’ market vendor interviewed in the initial research phase were presented with the initial prototype to provide their feedback.

Based on the feedback gathered from the consumer and the producer/seller, there were several logistical challenges associated with the idea, including the supply chain, transportation, marketing, consumer education, and costs. Given that this prototype is a product-service hybrid, some of the changes that would need to be done to the prototype were related to the product, while others are related to the service. The following summary highlights significant comments made by the interviewees, as well as recurring themes brought up in the conversations.

Product-Related Feedback Summary

The producer/seller pointed to the importance of branding, and how the silicone bags would need to carry the logo of the producer, while taking into consideration that the cleaning process might remove some of designs applied to the bag.
The producer/seller also raised a concern around sterilization, and how it would be important to have a batch log ID on each bag.
The customer suggested that the weight of these bags would need to be considered, given that they are heavier than plastic bags. Bags should therefore be made of a thin silicone in order to facilitate transportation.

Service-Related Feedback Summary

Both the customer and the producer/seller pointed to the importance of educating consumers in order for the initiative to succeed. Therefore, part of the customer journey should address how customers will learn about the new bags.

Phase V — Iteration and Reflection

Based on the feedback gathered from the user interviews, several updates to the design needed to be made. The following are revisions of the product and service prototypes. These revised prototypes are low-fidelity, proof of concept prototypes.

Revised Product Prototype

To address the concerns raised by the producer/seller regarding the branding of these bags, paper tags were added to the design. These tags would be attached to the bags to display the brand name of the producer/seller. When bags are returned to the packing facility, old tags would be removed before the sanitation process and new ones are attached to the bags after they are cleaned. These paper tags would also include a batch ID barcode to track the bags, ensuring that there is a system to trace them. Additionally, bags would need to be made of thin silicone sheets to ensure they remain lightweight, as pointed out by the customer.

The illustration highlights the updates made to the product prototype (shown in red).

Revised Service Prototype

It was also important to address the concern raised by the producer/seller and the customer regarding educating consumers about the reusable bags. To do so, the storyboard needed to address how the consumer (e.g. George) will learn about the reusable bags, and why apples packaged in these bags are more expensive than single-use plastic bags. The following storyboard includes the new steps associated with educating the customer.

Important Considerations and Potential Iterations

Overall, as suggested by the producer/seller, there are logistical challenges associated with the implementation of the Bag Return Program, especially when done on a small scale, such as by independent farmers. The idea may see better success if many producers and sellers adopt it, allowing consumers to return the bags at many locations. The sanitation process may also need to occur at a separate facility, taking in large volumes of bags and distributing them back to the producers, which would create efficiency. These facilities may offer a “subscription service” to farmers, allowing them to “lease” silicone bags. The price of the subscription would then reflect the costs associated with cleaning and sanitizing the bags. These ideas would need to be further explored.

Additionally, further investigation is needed into the costs and benefits associated with using silicone bags instead of single-use plastic bags. As the vendor suggested, there are other environmental costs associated with using reusable bags, such as water and electricity used to clean the bags, which would need to be calculated and compared to the current environmental costs.

This exercise allowed me to better understand how design thinking is a circular process, relying on iteration. Based on the gathered feedback, it would be advisable to return back to the users and experts to re-ideate, taking into account the findings from this initial prototyping exercise.