Product Experience

Problem Space 

Problem Statement  

How might we help college students track their spending habits, cut back on unhealthy snacking and stay accountable with friends and families?

Problem Background  

College is a unique time in life. For many, college years come with newfound freedom, new friendships, exploring new foods from different cultures. While there are lots of positives to enjoy during these years, there are also plenty of challenges faced by college students.

People often joke about the freshman 15; first-year college students are notorious for putting on extra pounds. Gaining weight certainly isn't naturally unhealthy, but the freshman 15 are often associated with unhealthy habits like binge snacking or impulsive spending.

Read More: https://www.tastingtable.com/974938/reasons-why-college-students-have-a-hard-time-with-healthy-eating/

Research Insights

User Pain Points

When I was in college, I had the following sentiments:

As a university student that loves to try new snacks and sweets, I want to cut back on snacking so that I do not skip healthy meals frequently.

As a university student that loves to try new snacks and sweets, I want to cut back on snacking so that I spend less to stay within my budget.

Supporting Data

“85% of people we spoke to mentioned they were unhappy with the current solution ..”

83% of the users that completed the survey  admitted that their mood determined their unhealthy snacking habits

 50% said it was in between meals & this was a result of not having an accountability partner

Feedback

Most of the users (not university students) that completed the survey do not see their snacking addiction as a problem or trying to cut back, but all said they do not have an accountability partner

Landing on the Solution

• Join a weekly leaderboard with your friends & family to see who is leading in the pack and if you wager incorrectly, you owe them a reward and if you wager correctly you owe them a punishment

Weekly Rewards

• 1 week of NO leisure shopping = sponsored shopping spree worth $100
• 2 weeks of NO leisure shopping = sponsored shopping spree worth $200
• 1 week of NO junk food = enjoy a guilt-free treat of your choice
• 2 weeks of NO junk food = enjoy 2 guilt-free treat of your choice

Weekly Punishments

• 1 week of leisure shopping = hide their credit card for a week 
• 2 weeks of leisure shopping = hide their credit card for 2 weeks
• 1 week of junk food = super healthy snack of your choice for a week
• 2 weeks of junk food = super healthy snack of your choice for 2 weeks

Future Steps

I did not have much time to interview students currently in college but going forward if I was to proceed with this product, I will need to redirect my focus to my target market.

• A weekly graph of their progress with comparison from week to week
• How often do they answer prompts on their phone checking in on their moods & cravings?
• Is the app keeping them on track with their weekly goals of cutting back on junk food and unnecessary spending?

Images