Reducing food waste at the root through design for harvest : A Research through Design project addressing unharvested food in Swedish public spaces

Sammanfattning

A third of the food produced globally is wasted, and addressing food waste early in the food production process is important for reducing the environmental impact. This thesis focuses on the first step of this process: unharvested food, specifically food in public places in Sweden. In Sweden, people are allowed to harvest publicly available food, making this topic suitable. With the use of research through design, this thesis has developed and evaluated an app that aims to support people in harvesting public food, and by so answering the following research question: How can a digital tool be designed for individuals to reduce food waste from unharvested public food in Sweden? This design process included interviews about people’s experiences with gardening and harvesting, ideation sessions connected to Fogg’s persuasive design model, usability testing of lo-fi prototypes to find out what features they liked, and usability testing of the hifi prototypes' ease of use. Key barriers identified were a lack of knowledge about where and when to harvest. The final prototype includes features such as a map with public food locations, a calendar to plan harvesting, and an educational library. However, the most appreciated feature was a map with colour-coded pins showing the food's ripeness, effectively addressing when and where to harvest. The study also highlights that for users to harvest, the app should help make the behaviour feel legally and socially acceptable. This study shows how user-centred design, informed by persuasive design principles, can support environmentally sustainable behaviour by increasing accessibility, awareness, and acceptance around public food, which can lead to reduced food waste.