What We Did Well

• Shared Pantry could encourage communication and help individuals who feel isolated, especially during Covid-19.

• We were able to design and implement features addressing the safety concerns during the pandemic, such as masks, exchange method filters, and non-contact exchange methods. Shared Pantry offers an alternative means of acquiring essential items and could alleviate fears and reservations present in the grocery shopping experience.

• As a team, we collaborated virtually through 3 time-zones. We established cohesiveness and thoughtful design decisions through rigorous testing and iterations.

What to Improve

• Given that our app requires interacting with strangers, there is a level of risk each user poses at the point of exchange. Additionally, there is a risk for users to steer away from conversing about exchanges without platform moderators.

• Users are largely on their own in confirming that a seller has positive reviews and in trusting that their food is edible and following food safety standards. Without proper verification that food safety standards are followed, there is a chance for potential food poisoning to occur. 

What I Learned

In the beginning, it was more concerning to me about how to maintain consistency in the visual designs. Before this project, I have only collaborated with one or two designers. It was different in a multidisciplined team than a team with five designers. I learned to give constructive feedback and also back up my design decisions with testing results. I learned to embrace different visual tastes and establish consistent styles by setting up a detailed style guide. I would not have been achieving this quantity of interactions if we work separately.