1. Selected problems

a) Food Waste in Bogota

b) University grastronomic offer

c) Clothes in Bogota

d) Recyclable and reusable materials at the university

2. Interview structure: questions asked

a) Interview 1- Problem Food Waste in Bogota

• ¿Puedes contarnos de dónde viene tu experticia en el área de comidas?

• ¿Por qué en el modelo de negocio de comida rápida se generan tantos desperdicios?

• ¿Cómo se deciden las cantidades a producir?

• ¿Por qué se desperdician productos?

• ¿Cuáles son los productos que más se desperdician?

• ¿Las pérdidas monetarias en desperdicios son significativas?

b) Interview 2- Problem Clothes

• What do you know about the issue of clothing waste, and how would you describe its impact on the environment and society?

• How does consumer behavior influence the generation of textile waste?

• How do you think connecting individuals with charities for clothing donations can impact the current waste problem in the fashion industry?

• What are the main challenges you’ve observed in getting people to donate clothes rather than dispose of them?

• What role do you think technology could play in making the donation process more efficient and widespread?

• What actions can be taken to promote greater reuse and recycling of clothing?

c) Interview 3- Problem University Gastronomic offer

• ¿Qué estrategias utilizas para visibilizar el restaurante? ¿Cuáles han funcionado?

• ¿Qué tan fácil es que el número de clientes aumente?

• ¿Fue difícil atraer clientes al comienzo?

• ¿Alguna vez has tenido algún problema que haya afectado la percepción del restaurante? ¿Cómo hiciste para recuperarte?

• ¿Has hecho grandes inversiones en publicidad? ¿Han dado resultado?

d) Interview 4- Problem University Gastronomic offer

• ¿Qué tan seguido comes en la Universidad (e.g. desayuno, almuerzo, comida, onces, etc.)?

• ¿Normalmente cómo eliges un restaurante para comer en la universidad?

• ¿Qué porcentaje de la oferta gastronómica de la universidad crees que conoces?

• ¿Qué tan seguido pruebas un restaurante nuevo en la universidad?

• ¿Cuándo tienes ganas de probar un restaurante nuevo en la universidad, donde sueles buscar opciones?

e) Interview 5- Problem Clothes

• ¿Qué haces con la ropa que ya no quieres o necesitas? ¿Suelen estar en buenas condiciones?

• ¿Cómo te sientes respecto al impacto ambiental de desechar ropa? ¿Tienes esto en cuenta al momento de desecharla?

• ¿Estarías dispuesto a donar tu ropa? ¿Por que?

• ¿Sabes de alguna fundación o a donde podrías llevar la ropa que ya no usas? ¿Cómo te enteraste de ellas? Si no, ¿dónde crees que encontrarías esta información?

• ¿Qué obstáculos has encontrado al intentar donar tu ropa y cómo impactan en tu disposición a hacerlo? ¿Qué cambios te facilitarían el proceso de donación?

• ¿Qué tipo de información haría que te fuera más fácil donar tu ropa o te motivara a hacerlo? ¿Cómo te gustaría recibir esta información (por ejemplo, app, sitio web, redes sociales)?

f) Interview 6- Recyclable and reusable materials at the university

• ¿Qué tan consciente crees que es la comunidad universitaria sobre la importancia de reciclar y reutilizar materiales?

• ¿Cuáles crees que son los principales desafíos de estudiantes y personal para reciclar y reutilizar adecuadamente en el campus?

• ¿Qué tipo de recursos o herramientas consideras que serían más efectivos para facilitar la identificación y disposición de materiales reciclables y reutilizables en el campus?

• ¿Cómo crees que una herramienta que permita a los usuarios rastrear y reportar material disponible para reciclaje, podría influir en la participación y compromiso con la reducción de residuos?

• ¿Qué papel podrían jugar las asociaciones locales y los negocios en apoyar las iniciativas de reciclaje y reutilización en el campus, y cómo crees que se podría fomentar esta colaboración?

3.Summary audios

a) Interview 1 Summary Original

b) Interview 2 Summary Original

c) Interview 3 Summary Original

d) Interview 4 Summary Original

e) Interview 5 Summary Original

f) Interview 6 Summary Original

4. Identify insights

a) Interview 1

Situation 1: Generation of a product

What: A product is being prepared by a restaurant

How: Through demand estimation, restaurants decide upon the quantity that they are going to produce of a product. This considers the weekday, the month, the hours, special events and location of the restaurant.

Why: Without a demand estimations, there are 2 situations that can happen. Firstly, the restaurant could generate a lot of surpluses of a specific product, which translated into economic loss. On the other hand, if not enough quantity of a product is generated, there is a loss of possible income, and the brand image and customer satisfaction can be affected.

Who: Restaurants preparing products

Situation 2: Surplus disposal

What: A product surplus is being disposed

How: Restaurants keep track of when a product is produced and according to its specifications, they know for how many hours or days it can be consumed. Therefore, when that time expires, they dispose of the product.

Why: Products have a lifetime, after a certain amount of time they must be disposed either for sanitary reasons or for quality reasons. Sanitary reasons are usually tied with regulations. Quality depends on at which stage the restaurant still considers a product can be consumed without raising enough quality concerns in the customer.

Who: Restaurants that need to dispose products

Situation 3: Economic resources waste

What: A dead cost is generated from surplus products being disposed

How: When a product is disposed of, no income is coming from it, so every cost related to it is not generating profit and therefore is a dead cost.

Why: In the generation of a product, many costs are associated. For example, raw materials and labor. Those costs should be covered by the selling of the product.

Who: Restaurants that lose money out of products disposal

Situation 4: Food waste generation

What: Food waste in Colombia is generated every day

How: The waste comes from restaurants, supermarkets and companies that produce food. Approximately 9.6 million tons of food are wasted in Colombia each year.

Why: In restaurants this happens due to surplus production or expired inputs, in supermarkets expired or damaged food and in factories because of expired inputs or mistakes in the value chain that make the product not able to reach quality standards.

Who: Restaurants that generate food waste

Interview 2

i. Situation 1: The Environmental Impact of Textile Waste

What: The environmental consequences of textile waste are becoming more severe.

How : The accumulation of non-biodegradable textiles in landfills contributes to soil and water contamination, and the decomposition process releases harmful greenhouse gases.

Why: The fast fashion industry’s emphasis on constant consumption and the disposal of barely worn clothes exacerbate this issue. A lack of sustainable practices and widespread awareness compounds the problem.

Who: The fashion industry and consumers.

ii. Situation 2: Clothing Disposal in Landfills

What: Clothes are being thrown away and end up in landfills.

How : After being worn out or going out of fashion, individuals dispose of their clothes in regular trash, leading to them being sent to landfills where they contribute to environmental pollution.

Why: Lack of awareness or convenience in finding alternative methods of disposal, such as donation or recycling, leads to this situation.

Who: Consumers who are unaware of or indifferent to alternative disposal methods.

iii. Situation 3: Charities Receiving Clothing Donations

What: Charities receive donations of clothing from the public.

How : : The charities sort and clean the donated clothes, ensuring they are in good condition before passing them on to beneficiaries or selling them in thrift stores.

Why: They aim to redistribute these items to people in need or sell them to fund other charitable activities.

Who: Donders, charity workers and volunteers who manage the donation process, beneficiaries who receive the clothes.

iv. Situation 4: Barriers to Clothing Donation

What: Many people face barriers when trying to donate clothes in good condition.

How : Potential donors may feel discouraged by these barriers and opt to throw away clothes instead.

Why: Common obstacles include a lack of information about donation centers, inconvenient donation processes, and misconceptions about the value of donated items.

Who: Potential donors who are unsure of where or how to donate and charities that struggle to communicate their needs.

v. Situation 5: Technology Facilitating Clothing Donations

What: Technology could be used to connect people who want to donate clothes with organizations that can reuse or recycle them.

How: Platforms and apps allow users to easily find nearby donation centers, schedule pickups, or learn about charities in need of specific items.

Why: Simplifying the donation process and providing accessible information can encourage more people to donate instead of discarding clothes

Who: Companies developing these solutions, users who want to donate clothes, and the charities that benefit from increased donations.

Interview 3

i. Situation 1: Attracting new customers

What: A new restaurant is trying to attract new customers

How: Doing promotional offers and engaging with students through social media

Why: They want to have a solid base of clients to increase their sales and being able to cover their costs

Who: New restaurants around the university

ii. Situation 2: Students try new restaurants

What: Students go to try a new restaurant

How: They heard it from some friends who recommended it to them

Why: They want to have new experiences and try new things

Who: University students who wants to experience new restaurants

iii. Situation 3: Restaurants tracking customers opinions

What: Restaurants ask the customers their opinion and suggestions

How: By asking the customers who attended the restaurant to fill out a form

Why: They want to know what they can improve and how to do it

Who: Restaurants close to the university who want to improve their quality and service

iv. Situation 4: Student give their opinion from a new restaurant

What: A student enjoyed their meal and the service from a new restaurant that opened near the university and give their opinion

How: By telling their friends about the new restaurant and the food

Why: The student wants to help the restaurant to increase their customers.

Who: The student who attended the restaurant

Interview 4

i. Situation 1: Looking for a new place to eat at or near the university campus through word of mouth

What: Looking for a new place to eat at or near the university campus. A small group of students is standing outside one of the campus buildings, at lunchtime, debating where to eat lunch near campus.

How: Through word of mouth, by asking friends. They look undecided and quite bored by the task; it seems to be a recurring problem.

Why: To discover hidden gems, popular spots, or places with good reviews that might not be widely advertised.

Who: A group of young university students, both men and women, probably between 18-24 years old.

ii. Situation 2: Looking for a new place to eat at or near the university campus through Instagram profiles like restaurandes

What: Looking for a new place to eat at or near the university campus. A small group of students is standing outside one of the campuse buildings, at lunchtime, debating where to eat lunch near campus.

How: Through looking at Instagram profiles like restaurandes in search of ideas for what to eat and where to go. They look undecided and quite bored by the task; it seems to be a recurring problem.

Why: To discover hidden gems, popular spots, or places with good reviews that might not be widely advertised.

Who: A group of young university students, both men and women, probably between 18-24 years old.

iii. Situation 3: Trying a new restaurant and it didn't go well

What: Trying a new restaurant in situ. A small group of students is silently finishing their meal in a restaurant they hadn’t tried before. Their faces are not expressive, the place looks dirty and overall, not very well maintained.

How: By visiting the restaurant and experiencing its food, service, and atmosphere. They all look evidently unhappy with the overall quality of the restaurant.

Why: To explore new dining options or to diversify their culinary experiences, but unfortunately, it didn’t meet expectations, leading to disappointment.

Who: A group of young university students, both men and women, probably between 18-24 years old.

iv. Situation 4: Trying a new restaurant and it did go well

What: Trying a new restaurant in situ. A small group of students is finishing their meal in a restaurant they hadn’t tried before. Their faces express satisfaction with the food and the overall quality of the restaurant. They are all laughing.

How: By visiting the restaurant and experiencing its food, service, and atmosphere. They all look evidently happy with the overall quality of the restaurant.

Why: To explore new dining options or to diversify their culinary experiences, fortunately, it did meet expectations, leading to the discovery of a previously hidden gem.

Who: A group of young university students, both men and women, probably between 18-24 years old.

Interview 5

i. Situation 1: People are trying to donate some of their clothes

What: A family is putting in the trash some old clothes they don't use anymore

How: They look guilty because the clothes are in good condition, but they don't want to keep them because they never use them.

Why: Because they didn't find a good alternative, but they wish the clothes somehow could be reused.

Who: Families with clothes to spare.

ii. Situation 2 People are donating their old clothes to a charity

What: A family is giving their old clothes to a charity

How: They look happy, and their expressions reveal satisfaction because of the donation they are making.

Why: Because they did a good deed and helped people in need, and they gave a new purpose for the clothes they were no longer using instead of trashing them.

Who: Families with clothes to spare.

iii. Situation 3 People’s clothes get rejected by charity

What: A family is at a church trying to donate some clothes they don't use any more, but the church rejects the clothes.

How: They look frustrated and annoyed because the people in the church don't want to receive the clothes they want to donate.

Why: The clothes are not sorted and some of them have some small stains and are not in perfect condition. And some of the clothes are for grown adults and they say they only receive children's clothes.

Who: Families that have clothes to spare.

iv. Situation 4 People are trying to look for information to donate their clothes

What: A family is looking for information about a place where they can donate some spare clothes, they don't use anymore but are in good condition. Some of them are looking online and the others are asking other people they know.

How: they look confused and overwhelmed because every web site says something different and there is not that much information.

Why: There's not a centralized place where they can find all the info they need, and some places just recive an specific type of clothes.

Who: A family that has clothes to spare.

Interview 6

i. Situation 1: University students don’t have visibility about the locations where they can take reusable materials

What: Students are unaware of where to dispose of recyclable and reusable materials on campus, leading to confusion and improper disposal of waste.

How: The lack of clear information causes students to feel overwhelmed and uncertain about how to manage their recyclable materials. This often results in improper disposal or accumulation of waste. Providing a straightforward, accessible guide to recycling locations and processes would help reduce this confusion and streamline the recycling experience.

Why: Improving visibility and accessibility for recycling supports better waste management and sustainability practices. It offers students a clear and convenient way to dispose of materials, thereby fostering more responsible environmental behavior.

Who: Students gain from easier access to recycling options and resources for their projects, while the university benefits from enhanced waste management and sustainability outcomes.

ii. Situation 2: A student wants to donate some materials at a reusable location

What: Students have the intention to donate materials but struggle to find suitable locations or face challenges in the donation process.

How: The student feels a sense of satisfaction and purpose when they can easily locate a donation spot. Knowing their materials are being reused rather than discarded positively impacts their motivation to contribute.

Why: Providing accessible information about donation locations helps students participate in sustainability efforts, reduces waste, and supports their desire to make a positive impact.

Who: Students benefit by having an easy way to donate items, while the university benefits from increased engagement in sustainability and reduced waste.

iii. Situation 3: Stationery and similar businesses are significant producers of scrap materials

What: Stationery stores and similar businesses generate a considerable amount of scrap materials, which often goes to waste. This waste contributes to environmental issues and reduces the potential for resource recovery.

How: These businesses may struggle with managing and disposing of scrap materials effectively. They might not have efficient systems in place for recycling or reusing these materials, leading to unnecessary waste and missed opportunities for resource recovery.

Why: Implementing effective recycling and reuse systems for scrap materials can help reduce waste and support sustainability goals. By managing scrap materials properly, businesses can contribute to environmental protection and potentially save on disposal costs.

Who: Businesses benefit from reduced waste management costs and enhanced corporate sustainability. The community benefits from decreased environmental impact and increased availability of recycled resources.

iv. Situation 4: Not all businesses are willing to collaborate on a recycling and reusable culture

What: Some businesses are reluctant to participate in recycling and reuse initiatives. This resistance can hinder the establishment of a robust recycling culture and limit the effectiveness of sustainability programs.

How: Businesses may feel that participating in recycling and reuse programs involves too much effort or cost without immediate benefits. They may also be concerned about the logistics and potential impact on their operations.

Why: Overcoming reluctance and engaging more businesses in recycling efforts is crucial for creating a comprehensive and effective recycling culture. Addressing concerns and demonstrating the long-term benefits can lead to broader participation and improved sustainability outcomes.

Who: Businesses gain from participating by enhancing their corporate social responsibility and potentially reducing waste management costs. The community benefits from a more widespread recycling culture and reduced environmental impact.

5. Journey maps

6. Brainstorming process prototype

6.1 Identify opportunities:

a) Food Waste in Bogota: Opportunities exist to significantly reduce food waste in Bogotá by focusing on optimizing food management and distribution practices. There is a chance to transform how restaurants predict and manage food production, which can lead to more efficient use of resources and less surplus waste. By improving how food freshness and quality are monitored, we can further enhance the sustainability of food operations. Additionally, there is potential to create a more effective system for redistributing excess food and connecting it with those in need. Exploring innovative ways to market and utilize unsold food can also contribute to a more sustainable food ecosystem. These opportunities collectively offer a path towards a more responsible and efficient approach to food waste management.

b) University gastronomic offer: Opportunities can be identified from insights and feedback regarding the university's dining options. This includes developing systems that inform students about different dining options, highlight healthy and sustainable food choices, and provide clear information on where to find various eateries and their offerings. By improving awareness and accessibility, the students can be enhancing to the overall dining experience and encourage to explore and enjoy the full range of gastronomic options available.

c) Clothes in Bogota: Opportunities can be identified from insights and interviews related to clothing management. One key opportunity is to enhance initiatives that educate the public on sustainable clothing practices. This includes creating campaigns to inform people about how to properly donate or recycle clothing and where to find donation centers. As well, as integrate facilities that helps on the donation clothe process.

d) Recyclable and reusable materials at the university: The derivatives opportunities from the insights and interviews on the problem of reusing academic materials can be focused on the lack of knowledge of the students. The key opportunity is to enhance campaigns, tools and activities that educate students on recycling and reusing practices. These campaigns should provide clear information on how to properly dispose of or donate academic materials, where to leave them, and effective ways to repurpose items. By improving awareness and providing practical guidance, the university can foster better recycling habits and support a more sustainable campus environment.

6.2 Generate novel solutions:

Diverge:

For this process we did a brain storm of several ideas to solve the 4 problems, below is the summary of what we came up with.

a) Food Waste in Bogota:

• Advanced Prediction: Improve accuracy of demand forecasts

• Data Integration and Analysis Tools: Combine and analyze data from various sources to understand demand patterns better.

• Optimization Strategies for Resource Allocation: Optimize staff and inventory management based on demand predictions.

• Demand Estimation Optimization: Develop advanced prediction and data analysis tools to improve demand estimation in restaurants.

• Real-Time Freshness Monitoring: Develop systems to track the freshness of products continuously.

• Quality Assessment Tools: Implement tools to evaluate and report on product quality in real time

• Alert and Reporting System: Create alerts and reports for when product freshness or quality issues are detected.

• Product Monitoring Systems: Create systems to monitor the freshness and quality of products in real time.

• Surplus Food Identification: Develop systems to identify and track surplus food in real time.

• Partnerships with Charitable Organizations: Establish and manage partnerships with food banks and charities for redistribution.

• Logistics and Distribution Planning: Create efficient logistics and distribution plans to deliver surplus food to partner organizations.

• Food Redistribution Programs: Implement programs to redistribute surplus food to charitable organizations or food banks.

• Digital Marketplace Development: Create an online platform to list and market surplus food that didn't sell during predetermined hours.

• Automated Surplus Listing: Allow the platform to upload inventory to list and track unsold food.

• Demand-Surplus Food Redistribution Platform: Implement a digital platform where food that did not have demand during the predetermined selling hours can be marketed.

• Repurpose of the food: Take the food waste and through chemical methods transform it into biofertilizers for some plants.

• Reuse the food: Take the food and mix it with animal food to give it to animal farms such as pigs and chickens.

b) University gastronomic offer:

• Development of a Campus Dining Recommendations App: Create a mobile app specifically designed for university students to discover dining options near the campus.

• Enhanced Restaurant Discovery Through Social Media Integration: Develop a platform or feature that integrates with Instagram and other social media to showcase restaurant recommendations and reviews.

• Feedback and Quality Assurance System for New Restaurants: Implement a system where new restaurants near campus can receive and respond to student feedback in real time.

c) Clothes in Bogota:

• Development of a User-Friendly Donation Platform: Create a digital platform or mobile app that streamlines the process of donating clothes by connecting individuals with local donation centers and charities.

• Awareness Campaigns: Launch social media campaigns to raise awareness about the environmental impact of textile waste and promote sustainable practices on creative videos and posts.

• Enhanced Donation Experience for Charities: Develop tools and systems that help charities manage and process clothing donations more efficiently.

d) Recyclable and reusable materials at the university:

• Development of a Campus Recycling and Donation Map: Create an interactive digital map or app that provides students with real-time information on recycling and donation locations across campus.

• Launch a Business Engagement and Incentive Program: Implement a program designed to engage and incentivize businesses to participate in recycling and reuse initiatives.

• Development of a University Reuse Resources: Implement a platform that facilitates the exchange and tracking of reusable academic resources among students and allows businesses to contribute their surplus materials as academic resources.

Converge:

As a group we decided on focusing on the food waste problem in Bogotá because we think it's the most interesting one. To converge the ideas we developed in the previous step, we began mixing and matching them, as shown in the following pictures.

The converging process led to the following solutions:

Demand Estimation Optimization: Develop advanced prediction and data analysis tools to improve demand estimation in restaurants.

Product Monitoring Systems: Create systems to monitor the freshness and quality of products in real time.

Food Redistribution Programs: Implement programs to redistribute surplus food to charitable organizations or food banks.

Demand-Surplus Food Redistribution Platform: Implement a digital platform where food that did not have demand during the predetermined selling hours can be marketed.

Now from the solutions we came up with we sorted into the following categories:

• The rational choice: Food Redistribution Programs (Something that is more common and easier)

• The most likely to delight: Demand Estimation Optimization (Very useful for the restaurants)

• The darling: Demand-Surplus Food Redistribution Platform (Innovative, and ingenious)

• The long shot: Product Monitoring Systems (Complex to implement and can be very expensive to develop and use)

After discussing we decided to go for the darling one because it was the idea that exited us the most and would be a good challenge to execute.

6.3 Final prototype idea:

We decided that the solution to the problem could be directly an app. Therefore, we decided that building a high-fidelity prototype with the main features could be a great idea to decipher if the main features would target the main issues of the problem.

We started brainstorming and decided that the main features for the user (as a client, not the restaurant), would be to: see the variety of restaurants offering mystery boxes containing food waste, select the box, pay for the box and select a pickup point.

7. Video

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/dd748a4a-f479-4a78-abd6-caf665544516