Holden
reimagining the food truck experience
Stanford University, ME115A: Introduction to Human Values in Design, 3 week project
Challenge
Create a product or service that reimagines the food truck experience and introduce it in a 1-3 minute video.
User Research
To begin this project, we hit the streets of San Fransisco to gather data through user interviews. We visited the Soma Streat Food Park, where we were able to talk to both customers and vendors to get a wide perspective of the food truck experience.
Ideation and Prototyping
After gathering data through interviews, we synthesized our findings and brainstormed a potential POV to cater toward in our solution. One of the issues that both the vendors and customers brought up was the lines. Although it isn’t a unique issue, after hearing just how much it impacted the experience on both sides, our team decided to focus on improving the experience of a customer waiting in line to order and get their food, harried by the chaos of rush hour at a food truck park and desperately trying to find a seat in a sea of crowds and full tables.
In order to solve this problem, we created three prototypes based on three different How Might We’s: HMW improve the existing line solutions, HMW make the experience of waiting in line more entertaining, and HMW get rid of the lines completely?
prototype 1 (top left): lighter and easily attachable/retractable barriers (improving existing solution)
prototype 2: (top right): AR app that shows jokes and/or ads when you look at it through the camera (making lines more entertaining)
prototype 3 (bottom right): AR app that stands in line for you and shows you the line visually in the app (get rid of lines completely)
User Testing and Revisions
With our three prototypes made in lo-res versions, we went back out to test them with real users. After getting feedback for all three, we decided to focus on the third prototype and improve it based on what we observed and what the users wanted. Based on the user feedback, we removed the AR element (it was too confusing/people didn’t see why it was necessary), made the lines more clear, and changed to a vertical design to fit with the menu designs of other existing apps. We made a second prototype and took it out for another round of testing, where it was received extremely well.
prototype 1 failing to get people to stand in line
customers exploring the lo-res line app for prototype 3
Final Product
Holden is an app that stands in line for you. Built to be used in food truck parks, Holden allows you to create an avatar, order your food straight through the app, and watch as your avatar moves up in line while you enjoy the park entertainment, hang out with your friends, or find that one empty table. It notifies you when your food is ready, and you can get your food with no worries of standing in line.
