Fresh: A Mobile Application to Reduce Food Waste

Revolutionizing Sustainable Consumption and Aliment Discarding

It is estimated that a third of all food produced each year, equivalent to 1.3 billion tons of food worth about 1 trillion U.S. dollars, ends up rotting in consumer and retailer trash bins or spoiled by improper transportation and harvesting. Sadly, people get in the habit of buying too much aliment, or forgetting to eat it before its sell-by date, leading to huge aliment discarding.

Designed by Deyin Zhang and his team, Fresh is a mobile application that aims to tackle the issue of food waste caused by overbuying and neglecting food in the refrigerator. This innovative app provides a solution to track the shelf life of food and prevent unnecessary food discarding.

Fresh stands out from other food waste reduction apps with its unique features. The app utilizes a color-coded system to distinguish food with different shelf lives in the refrigerator. Green, yellow, and red prompt boxes indicate the freshness of the food, reminding users to consume it before it spoils. By doing so, Fresh effectively reduces food waste and promotes sustainable consumption.

In addition to its core functionality, Fresh offers weekly wasted food reports and cumulative statistics. These features educate users about their consumption habits and encourage them to make more informed choices. By providing valuable insights into their food waste patterns, Fresh empowers users to reduce aliment discarding and contribute to a more sustainable future.

Using Fresh is simple and intuitive. Users can scan their supermarket shopping lists with the app, which automatically adds the purchased food to their inventory. From there, they can drag specific items to the "my fridge" page, where the app tracks the shelf life and provides timely reminders to avoid wasting food. The app's user-friendly interface and visual graphics make it easy for anyone to navigate and utilize its features.

Launched on both iOS and Android platforms, Fresh is accessible to a wide range of users. Its availability on popular mobile operating systems ensures that individuals from all walks of life can benefit from its features and contribute to the reduction of food waste.

The development of Fresh began in January 2022 in Hangzhou, China, and it is still under development. The design team, led by Deyin Zhang, conducted extensive research to understand the underlying issues of food waste caused by overbuying and neglecting food in refrigerators. Through interviews with Chinese community residents and discussions with design students at Zhejiang University, the team gained valuable insights that shaped the app's design and functionality.

While the technical aspects of the app were successfully implemented, the main challenge lies in encouraging widespread adoption. The team addressed this challenge by incorporating visually appealing graphics and differentiated prompt boxes to engage users. By creating an aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly experience, Fresh aims to attract a large user base and make a significant impact in reducing food waste.

Fresh has already received recognition for its innovative approach to reducing food waste. The design was awarded the Iron A' Design Award in the Sustainable Products, Projects, and Green Design category in 2022. This prestigious accolade acknowledges Fresh's well-designed, practical, and innovative nature, meeting professional and industrial requirements. The app's integration of industry best practices and competent technical characteristics contributes to a better world and a more sustainable future.


Project Details and Credits

Project Designers: Deyin Zhang 张德寅
Image Credits: Deyin Zhang 张德寅
Project Team Members: Creative Director: Deyin Zhang Designer: Yao Wang Designer: Chengyi Shen Programmer: Zhitong Cui Programmer: Hebo Gong Designer:Xiyuan Zhang Tutor:Shijian Luo
Project Name: Fresh
Project Client: Deyin Zhang 张德寅


Fresh IMG #2
Fresh IMG #3
Fresh IMG #4
Fresh IMG #5
Fresh IMG #5

Read More on Design Radiant