Helpful Harvest

Piloting Feeding America’s first neighbor-facing digital service to increase access to charitable food.

@ Feeding America

#1 Task: Validation

After a research project with 3 food banks that produced a service concept, Helpful Harvest, Feeding America needs to validate this concept on its desirability, feasibility/sustainability, and viability. I specifically worked on testing the desirability and feasibility through experiments and research.

Task #1: Test Key Uncertainties for Food-Insecure Neighbors

Task #2: Test Key Uncertainties for Food Banks & Funders

Let me first introduce you to Helpful Harvest and its value propositions.

Helpful Harvest

Your online source of grocery when in need

Helpful Harvest is an online click-and-collect grocery service for those in need. Neighbors in need can shop for groceries online and pick them up at a nearby, convenient, discreet location, such as a library or a YMCA.

Target Users: food-insecure neighbors, especially those who are not using food pantries

No More Waiting in Line

Getting free groceries is never easier than before. Order online, pick it up at a nearby location. (View case study.)

No More Feeling 'Outed'

With a discrete pick-up experience, neighbors access Helpful Harvest with privacy and comfort. (View prior research)

#1 Order Online

#2 Pick It Up

#3 Complete!

#2 Action: Experiments

In 3 months, my team and I conducted 5 experiments of HelpfulHarvest with Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin and The Foodbank, Dayton Ohio. Through these experiments, we completed 272 orders and learned how to build the frontend and backend successfully. Below are 5 different uncertainties we tested using various research and testing tactics, including service experiments, observations, in-context interviews, surveys, and Google Analytics.

Action #1: Test Key Uncertainties for Food-Insecure Neighbors

#1.1 Translatability of Value Prop

#1.1 Uncertainty_ Translatability (white

#1.2 Marketing & Trusted Partners

#1.2 Uncertainty_ Marketing (white backg

#1.3 Pick-Up Experience

#1.3 Uncertainty_ Pick-up (white backgro

Action #2: Test Key Uncertainties for Food Banks

#2.1 Onboarding

#2.1 Uncertainty_ Onboarding (white back

#2.2 Operation

#2.2 Uncertainty_ Operation (white backg

#3 Outcomes

During my 3-month internship, my team and I completed 272 Helpful Harvest orders in 5 order windows in 2 service areas. In order words, we provided 272 week-long groceries to families and individuals who are in need. Since then, Helpful Harvest has been running at the Foodbank at Dayton, Ohio with a neighbor-facing web app and a backend dashboard. During these 3 months, I also created:

Web app mock-up using Adobe XD that led to the Helpful Harvest Web App after collaborative QA testing
High-fidelity onboarding toolkit mockup
A low-fidelity service blueprint
A learning document that summarizes our learnings in the 5 experiments