Institution: Northeastern University, Khoury College of Computer Science

CCS CONCEPTS: Human-centered Interaction • Persuasive design framework • HCI design and evaluation methods, Human-Food Interaction KEYWORDS: Food Waste, Design for Sustainability, Reduce Food Waste, Interaction Design, Behavior Change, Consumer Behavior, HCI, Food Sharing, Sustainability, Technology, User-Centric Evaluation

Project Overview

Problem Statement

Food waste constitutes a considerable environmental and economic challenge. Households reportedly dispose of an estimated 30 to 40 pounds of food each week due to inadequate meal planning, misunderstandings about expiration dates, and a lack of awareness about food-sharing opportunities. Although various technological interventions are available, they frequently fail to promote sustainable long-term behavioral changes.

Research Question

“How can an automated system encourage change in food sustainability behavior in individual households?"

Project Goals

Understand user behaviors surrounding food waste.
Identify pain points that contribute to household food disposal.
Design a persuasive and user-friendly interface to encourage sustainable food habits.
Evaluate the impact of persuasive design on user behavior change.

Research Methodology

User Research Approach

Five participants (ages 22-34) were recruited to gain insights into user behaviors. The research was conducted through:

Surveys & Interviews will be used to gather qualitative data on food habits.
Observation Studies where participants used interactive wireframes.
Usability Testing to evaluate user interaction with two prototypes.

Participant + Demographics

Participant ID	Age	Gender	Marital Status	Race	Sexual Orientation
P1	25	Male	Single	Asian	Gay (CIS Man)
P2	22	Female	Single	Middle Eastern	Straight (CIS Woman)
P3	30	Male	Married	Asian	Straight (CIS Man)
P4	24	Male	Single	White	Straight (CIS Man)
P5	34	Female	Married	Black/African American*	Straight (CIS Woman)

*Interracial Marriage