UX Case Study · 2025
Fresh Flow is a pilot platform connecting Georgia farmers and eco-friendly vendors with local shoppers through refrigerated kiosks, autonomous EV delivery, and a transparent, farmer-first logistics network.
Executive Summary
UX Research · UX/UI Design · Service Design · Branding
Aug — Dec 2025
iOS & Android
Patent Pending
Figma · FigJam · Adobe Creative Suite
A human-centered service ecosystem connecting Georgia farmers, local businesses, and consumers through research-driven product and service design.
Introduction
What started as a study of grocery shopping evolved into something larger. Recurring patterns pointed past individual behavior to the systems around it — how food moves, who it reaches, and where trust breaks down.
THE RESEARCH CHALLENGE
Before designing anything, I needed to see the experience the way shoppers actually live it. Discovery research surfaced the behaviors, motivations, and friction points that would ground every decision that followed.
Generative Interviews •Affinity Mapping •Journey Mapping •Secondary Research
Discovery Phase
Before interviewing participants, I first participated in a collaborative research exercise to map the grocery shopping workflow from beginning to end. Rather than immediately interviewing users, I documented each stage of the experience to understand the overall process, identify assumptions, uncover knowledge gaps, and recognize decision points that required further investigation.
While reviewing the workflow, I realized grocery shopping was not a single universal journey. People's transportation, shopping environments, budgets, schedules, and personal circumstances significantly influenced how they planned, purchased, and received groceries. These observations became the foundation for developing focused research questions used during the generative interview phase.
Research Participants
Relies on grocery delivery
Relies on grocery delivery
Compares prices across stores
Walks or uses rideshare
Shops in-store for fresh produce
Current State Journey
Understand what meals to make and what groceries are needed.
Build a grocery plan around budget, transportation, and household needs.
Find quality items across the stores that fit each household's needs.
Pay confidently and confirm what is actually coming home.
Get groceries home cold, intact, and on time.
Verify freshness and put groceries away.
Decide what to repeat, replace, or rethink next week.
Information is spread across multiple apps, memories, and store websites.
No single place to compare freshness, pricing, and convenience.
Participants frequently visited multiple stores because no single retailer met every need.
Unexpected substitutions, fees, and inventory uncertainty reduced confidence.
Low visibility after checkout created uncertainty around arrival time, handling, and product quality.
Freshness and substitutions could only be evaluated after groceries arrived.
Feedback rarely influenced future shopping experiences.
Centralize planning before shoppers begin making decisions.
Help shoppers evaluate trade-offs before leaving home.
Reduce the need to piece together a shopping trip across disconnected retailers.
Make trade-offs and costs visible before the order is finalized.
Provide transparency into how groceries are handled between purchase and arrival.
Move quality signals earlier in the shopping journey.
Close the loop so each shopping cycle informs the next.
Grocery shopping wasn't a single journey.
Participants combined multiple stores, delivery services, transportation options, and budgets to meet their needs. Shopping was an adaptive process rather than a linear experience.
The biggest breakdown happened after checkout.
Trust declined whenever shoppers lost visibility into substitutions, freshness, food handling, or delivery status. Confidence depended on transparency.
Many challenges extended beyond the shopping experience.
Recurring concerns around sourcing, fulfillment, and transportation suggested the biggest pain points originated outside the customer-facing interface.
The research uncovered important knowledge gaps.
The interviews answered how people shop today but raised new questions about the systems behind food distribution. Those gaps became the focus of the next research phase.
The real opportunity was not redesigning checkout—it was redesigning the invisible infrastructure that connects farmers, fulfillment, and communities. This insight fundamentally changed the direction of the project.
Updated Problem Statement
Round One interviews revealed that grocery shopping frustrations were symptoms of a much larger issue. While participants adapted to existing shopping tools, the systems behind sourcing, fulfillment, transparency, and local distribution remained fragmented. Rather than improving an individual shopping experience, the challenge became designing a transparent local food ecosystem that connects shoppers, farmers, producers, and logistics partners.
Design Sprint
Rather than moving directly into ideation, I adapted the Design Sprint methodology to synthesize Round One research, identify knowledge gaps, and define what needed to be validated next. The sprint transformed research findings into focused questions that guided the next phase of discovery.
Ask the Experts
Secondary research strengthened the project's systems perspective, but important questions still remained. To validate these opportunities in practice, I expanded the research beyond shoppers and interviewed producers and logistics stakeholders. These conversations tested assumptions around fulfillment, transparency, sustainable distribution, and producer needs before moving into concept generation.
Research Validation Participants
After refining the research through the Design Sprint, I conducted a second round of expert interviews to validate emerging opportunities. These conversations brought together perspectives from farming, local business, technology, and community advocacy to challenge assumptions before moving into ideation.
Research Insights
Across four expert interviews, four recurring patterns emerged. They pointed beyond individual features and toward the operating principles a transparent local food ecosystem would need.
Experts consistently emphasized that visibility into sourcing, freshness, handling, and delivery is essential for building trust.
Participants welcomed automation when it improved efficiency but expected human oversight for food quality, issue resolution, and accountability.
Fair producer compensation, reliable logistics, and transparent operations were viewed as essential for creating long-term value across the ecosystem.
Beyond fast delivery, experts emphasized sustainability, local partnerships, education, and strengthening connections between communities and local producers.
Key Takeaway
Research confirmed the opportunity was designing a connected local food ecosystem that combines transparency, fulfillment, neighborhood access, and producer support.
Design Implications
Research Impact
Before Research
After Expert Validation
Transparency first
Trust begins before purchase through sourcing, freshness verification, and handling visibility.
Support existing behaviors
Design around how people already combine stores, delivery, and pickup instead of forcing new habits.
Connected systems
The customer experience depends on producers, fulfillment, logistics, and community infrastructure working together.
Community infrastructure
Design beyond commerce — strengthen local food access, neighborhood hubs, and producer relationships.
The Shift
These findings fundamentally changed Fresh Flow from a grocery marketplace into a transparent local food ecosystem.
PROJECT PIVOT
Fresh Flow began as a grocery shopping experience. Research revealed the real opportunity was upstream — designing the infrastructure that supports trusted local food access.
The diagram below shows the progression from the original shopping focus, through research synthesis, into the transparent local food ecosystem Fresh Flow became.
Original Focus
Shopping Experience
Research Synthesis
Research
Synthesis
LOCAL FOOD ECOSYSTEM
Transparent
Local Food
Ecosystem
Farmers
Vendors
Community Hubs
Pickup Network
Fulfillment
Logistics
Consumers
Design Questions
How might we make freshness, sourcing, and food handling visible before purchase?
How might we support flexible fulfillment through neighborhood pickup and autonomous delivery?
How might we protect farmers through transparent logistics and fair compensation?
How might we strengthen community connections while improving local food access?
Target Audience
"If I can trust how food is stored and handled, I'd love to reach more people locally."
Key insight: Producers need reliable, low-friction ways to reach nearby customers without giving up transparency or margin.
Design need: Transparent logistics and fair, visible farmer payouts.
"Farmers are the backbone — supporting them means a stronger city."
Key insight: Community stakeholders judge success by neighborhood impact, not just convenience metrics.
Design need: Neighborhood pickup hubs that visibly strengthen local food access.
"I want fresh food that's affordable and easy to access, not just convenient."
Key insight: Shoppers want proof of freshness and sourcing before they buy — not after.
Design need: Visible freshness, sourcing, and handling signals before checkout.
"If we track freshness and delivery with EV tech, the system could really work."
Key insight: The ecosystem only holds together when fulfillment, logistics, and pickup are one connected system.
Design need: Flexible fulfillment — neighborhood pickup and autonomous delivery — under one operational layer.
Concept Exploration
After uncovering the deeper system challenges through expert interviews, I intentionally stepped away from high-fidelity design to rapidly explore a wide range of possible solutions.
Using the Crazy 8's exercise, I generated multiple concepts that explored logistics, transparency, automation, and neighborhood infrastructure rather than simply improving the shopping interface.
Several ideas naturally centered around community hubs along the Atlanta BeltLine, revealing a consistent direction for the ecosystem.
Eight rapid concepts. Community Hub emerged as the strongest direction across the sketch set.
View in FigmaCommunity hubs emerged repeatedly
Neighborhood pickup locations consistently appeared across multiple concepts.
Infrastructure mattered more than interface
The sketches explored physical systems that protected freshness rather than only improving app screens.
Transparency became visible
Concepts explored freshness verification, sourcing, delivery tracking, and fulfillment visibility.
Technology supported community
Automation worked best when strengthening local relationships instead of replacing people.
Pattern That Emerged
Across multiple sketches, one pattern consistently emerged: community pickup hubs created the strongest opportunity to connect farmers, fulfillment, logistics, and neighborhoods into one trusted ecosystem.
Four-Step Solution Sketch
Chosen concept. Early workflow demonstrating marketplace discovery, multi-vendor checkout, fulfillment tracking, and delivery confirmation.
Marketplace Discovery
Help users browse trusted local vendors in one unified marketplace.
Unified Checkout
Combine products from multiple producers into a single order with flexible fulfillment options.
Transparent Tracking
Provide freshness verification, temperature monitoring, and real-time logistics visibility.
Community Impact
Reinforce local impact through verified sourcing, sustainability metrics, and neighborhood fulfillment.
The Sketch Phase
The sketching phase transformed research insights into a tangible ecosystem concept, providing the foundation for Fresh Flow's high-fidelity designs and prototype.
Chosen Concept
After synthesizing interviews, affinity mapping, and concept exploration, I selected a service ecosystem that connects local producers, neighborhood pickup hubs, and autonomous delivery. Rather than solving only the grocery shopping experience, Fresh Flow addresses the entire fulfillment journey—from producers to customers—creating a more transparent and community-centered food network.
Community First
Designed around local producers and neighborhood access.
Transparent Fulfillment
Customers can see sourcing, freshness, and delivery every step of the journey.
Connected Infrastructure
Farmers, fulfillment hubs, autonomous delivery, and neighborhood pickup locations operate as one coordinated ecosystem.
Pilot Environment
The Atlanta BeltLine is a major urban redevelopment project that transforms former railroad corridors into a loop of trails, parks, public art, and future transit around Atlanta. Its purpose is to connect neighborhoods, improve walkability and biking, expand green space, support local economic growth, and promote community equity and affordable housing.
Even though my interviewees don't live directly on the BeltLine, their ATL lifestyles match the people who use it every day. With its foot traffic, food culture, and neighborhood energy, the BeltLine became the perfect testing ground for Fresh Flow.
Starting on the Beltline lets Fresh Flow test small learn fast and eventually scall across Atlanta.
A High-Energy Movement Hub
Built-In Foot Traffic for Real Testing
Surrounded by Food + Community Spots
A Natural Fit for Fresh Flow's Mission
Scalable, Safe, and Fundable
Map of the Atlanta BeltLine
Community · Movement · Local Food
05 · Brand Identity
Fresh Flow's identity was inspired by the Atlanta BeltLine and Georgia's local food ecosystem. Every design decision reinforces community, trust, movement, and sustainability while creating a consistent experience across the app, kiosks, dashboards, and delivery touchpoints.
A mark shaped like the city it feeds.
Inspired by the Atlanta BeltLine, symbolizing connection, movement, and local food.
Natural greens and warm earth tones represent freshness, trust, and sustainability.
A clean, modern type system designed for readability across every touchpoint.
Fresh Flow
Display + body type built for clarity.
Every visual element was designed to build trust and create a consistent experience across the entire Fresh Flow ecosystem.
Pilot Rollout Strategy
One high-traffic BeltLine neighborhood.
Test convenient neighborhood pickup.
Track adoption, vendors, and delivery.
Refine inventory, routing, fulfillment.
Scale only after the pilot is validated.
Pilot Principle
Test → Learn → Improve → Scale
Every expansion is guided by customer feedback, operational performance, and usability testing.
Interactive Pilot Hub Explorer
Three pilot locations along the Atlanta BeltLine. Click a pin on the map to explore why each site was selected.
Interactive prototype embedded from Figma Make. Click pins to explore each pilot hub.
Concept Storyboards
Early Prototype Exploration
Explored the shopper journey from product discovery through checkout, focusing on navigation, screen hierarchy, and task flow.
Defined the vendor workflow for inventory, fulfillment, and storage management, establishing the operational structure before interface design.
Refined Prototype Iteration
Refined the shopping experience with product discovery, checkout, delivery tracking, and pickup workflows.
Expanded the vendor workflow with inventory, fulfillment, delivery coordination, and operational management.
User Research
Testing Goals
Participants completed realistic logistics tasks including:
Key insights from Round 1 usability testing.
Operational reliability mattered more than expanding customer-facing features.
Participants wanted visible freshness verification and shipment transparency.
Vendors needed fewer steps and better visibility across fulfillment.
Reliable payouts and reduced operational risk were essential for adoption.
Design Shift
Round 1 changed the direction of Fresh Flow. Rather than continuing to refine the marketplace experience, research showed the platform first needed a reliable logistics ecosystem with transparent verification, operational visibility, and protected farmer payouts. This insight became the foundation for Round 2.
How Might We
How might we design a trusted logistics ecosystem that protects farmers, simplifies operations, and builds trust before scaling the customer experience?
Leading into Round 2
Round 2 — Prototype Evolution
Added freshness verification and product origin visibility.
Simplified vendor operations and inventory management.
Introduced real-time shipment visibility across fulfillment.
Improved payout visibility and safeguards for producers.
Design Evolution
The redesigned prototype introduced clearer workflows, operational visibility, and a more scalable experience for vendors and farmers.
Final Interactive Prototypes
Browse local produce, order, deposit, and pick up from a BeltLine kiosk.
Manage listings, drop-offs, earnings, and support — for farmers and small vendors.
Farmer onboarding video
Open the prototype link below to view on mobile.
Round 3 — Validation
Validation Outcomes
Validation Participants
Before vs. After
Before
After
Final Service Ecosystem
Connected Service Ecosystem
Fresh Flow connects consumers, producers, fulfillment, and neighborhood distribution through one coordinated service ecosystem. Both journeys rely on the same operational infrastructure while supporting different user needs.
Confidential
The Fresh Flow System represents the proprietary operational framework behind the concept. While this portfolio showcases my UX strategy, research, branding, and product design process, the complete business model and system architecture are intentionally protected while the concept is under active development.
Additional details are available during confidential partnership, investor, or strategic discussions.
The Fresh Flow system — covering its kiosk pickup orchestration, verified cold-chain handoff, and farmer-first payout model — is currently under patent review.
Request the deckFuture Opportunities
Scale
Expand BeltLine pilot locations
Operations
Improve dispute resolution workflows
Analytics
Build operational dashboards
Research
Continue usability testing at scale
Reflection
Interviews pulled the problem out of the cart and into the food system around it. Following the evidence — not the original brief — is what made the work matter.
The strongest decisions came from mapping the service, not styling screens. Kiosks, logistics, and vendor operations shaped the product as much as any UI.
Farmer margins, vendor throughput, and shopper trust reinforced each other once the service was designed as one system instead of three.
Lead with research, design the ecosystem before the interface, and treat every screen as a decision the business has to be able to deliver on.
