Overview
Mealink is a smart food management and sharing platform designed to reduce household food waste and strengthen community connections. The system integrates a smart fridge interface with a companion app, allowing users to track expiring ingredients, receive recipe recommendations, and easily donate excess food to local community centres. The design promotes sustainability through simplicity, accessibility, and emotional engagement.
Challenge
Many households, especially older adults, struggle to manage their fridge contents efficiently, leading to unnecessary waste and missed opportunities for sharing. Existing solutions focus heavily on data or automation but often overlook inclusivity and emotional reassurance. The challenge was to create a platform that feels approachable and trustworthy while simplifying food management and encouraging donation behaviours.
Process
Using a human-centred design approach, I conducted interviews and co-design sessions with elderly users and community service members to understand their needs. Insights from these sessions informed low- to high-fidelity prototypes focused on intuitive navigation, visual clarity, and gentle motivation. The final system was developed through iterative testing, integrating motion design for clearer feedback, and ensuring accessible interactions through scalable text, large icons, and minimal cognitive load.
Understanding the Issue
Through research and co-design with older adults and community food programs, I found that many struggle with managing fridge contents and reducing waste.
Users forget expiry dates or overbuy ingredients.
Donations are often missed due to a lack of coordination.
Many older adults find digital interfaces too complex to navigate daily.
Defining the Problem
The challenge was to design an inclusive, easy-to-use platform that encourages mindful food management and community sharing. The system needed to balance automation and empathy, helping users reduce waste while feeling connected to others.
Brainstorming Solutions
Mealink integrates a smart fridge interface with a companion dashboard that provides expiry alerts, donation options, and personalised recipe suggestions.
Simple icon-based navigation and large tap zones for accessibility.
Real-time ingredient tracking and donation coordination.
Calming visuals, clear hierarchy, and video-based recipes for users of varying digital literacy.
