Mengmeng Yao | Digital Designer
A Hackathon project that aims at helping reduce the stigma and discrimination for senior SNAP beneficiaries
Project Context
This project was completed during a 6-hour Hackathon by a team of 4, focusing on a wide-ranging topic – How can we effectively assist low- and middle-income families in the United States to maintain a healthy lifestyle, manage food insecurity, and sustain their livelihood in a sustainable manner?' Due to the time constraints, we encountered the challenge of refining our problem statement and devising a solution relying solely on secondary research. The solution we devised achieved the top position in the Hackathon voting, securing the No. 1 spot.
Timeframe
6 hours
My Role
In this project, I collaborated with 3 UX designers. As the team leader, I facilitated a Crazy 8 ideation session, which helped us generate a multitude of creative ideas. Additionally, I played a crucial role in determining the features of the application, ensuring its effectiveness in addressing the identified challenges. To present our solution in the final presentation, I crafted a series of wireframes that visually showcased our proposed approach.
Skills
secondary research, user journey map, crazy8 ideation, sketching, wireframe, prototyping, design system
Problem
During our secondary research, we found out that SNAP, one of the food stamp program provided by the government, is very effective in fighting hunger. However, SNAP and its beneficial are surrounded by stigma and discrimination. Stigma prevents eligible people, especially elderly citizens, from accessing government assistance or food pantries out of fear that community members will know they live in poverty and will judge them for it. This comes from interactions with others as well as internalized shame.
Goal
Recognizing that raising awareness and reducing stigma around SNAP necessitates a collective effort from society, we aim to leverage technology to specifically alleviate the shame and discomfort experienced by elderly SNAP beneficiaries while shopping in stores.
Electronic payment with EBT card ensures privacy during check-out session
Barcode scan to check if the product is eligible for SNAP program before check-out, eliminate the hassle and embarrassment during check-out
Home page functions tailored for the need of SNAP beneficiaries
Access and manage EBT account from the home page
Access and manage EBT account from the home page
Quickly check nearby stores that can support SNAP program
Contents aims at raising awareness, reduce stigma, and measures users can take when they met discrimination
Design Process
Too Many Seniors Are Going Hungry
Understand the Problem
Due to the constraints of time and resources, we rely on secondary researches online about food insecurity and SNAP. The most important insight we have is: SNAP is shrouded in stigma, and the demographic that has the lowest rate of participation despite eligibility is also the demographic that expresses feeling the most shame about enrolling – SENIORS.
Millions of older Americans are at risk for hunger. In 2020, 5.2 million older Americans faced the threat of hunger, representing 8% of adults age 60+ in the U.S.2
Food insecurity is greater among minority older adults. Feeding America's annual State of Senior Hunger report found that food insecurity is greatest among those who are racial or ethnic minorities, those who are younger (ages 60-69), and those who rent rather than own their homes.
Too few seniors are enrolled in SNAP
Several factors contribute to the low participation rate. Many seniors face barriers related to mobility, technology, and stigma and are discouraged by widespread myths about how the program works and who can qualify.
A little over half of all seniors who qualify for SNAP do not participate. While there has been a steady increase in senior SNAP enrollment over the past decade, only 48% of those who are eligible for the program are enrolled.
User Journey Map
According to our research findings, once individuals are approved for the SNAP program, they are required to obtain a specialized EBT card to access their benefits for shopping. To monitor and manage their balance, beneficiaries can access their SNAP account. However, using the SNAP benefits comes with strict guidelines. These guidelines limit users to specific stores and eligible items, leading to confusion and inconvenience for both beneficiaries and cashiers when ineligible items are accidentally selected. Consequently, beneficiaries often have to return the items and make changes to their purchases.
The payment process for SNAP beneficiaries typically involves several additional steps, such as dividing their groceries to make payments with different cards and entering a PIN number for their EBT card. Usually, the check-out process exposes beneficiaries to a higher risk of facing discrimination since everyone can see their struggle and their payment method.
Based on this article about the grocery shopping process for people using a EBT card, we made journey map below and we made our best assumptions to try identifying these other pain points that provided opportunities for our design.
Problem Statemenr
SNAP beneficiaries, especially senior beneficiaries, need a stigma-free environment and setting when they are shopping in store, so they can use their benefits and maintain their dignity while ensuring access to nourishment.
Ideation and Decision
Then utilizing the different opportunities, We started a a ideation brainstorm look at different service form and features to help users in eliminating/reducing the difference they faced during grocery shopping.
How Might We.....
Eliminate/reduce the differences between SNAP beneficial and other customers in store.
A special store that only SNAP members can enter and shopping
An app that using electronic payment and barcode scanning to streamline the grocery shopping and check-out process for SNAP beneficiaries.
SNAP online shopping
Final Decision
After a round of voting, We decided to go with the APP idea, since we think it involves less resources and cost to develop in the real world.
Then, we quickly jumped into sketches and wireframes.
Difference-01
The need to separate items for different payment while others are watching.
Difference-02
The need to pay for the groceries with an EBT card
Solution-01
Identify and sort the items need to be paid by EBT before cashier.
Solution-02
Electronic payment
Measuring the Success
We used the last hour to clean up the wireframe and put together a simple deck for presentation. After the presentation, we were voted the FIRST PLACE for this hackathon.
Our little celebration in Slack
Final Prototype with Revisions
Following the Hackathon, I dedicated some time to crafting a straightforward hi-fi prototype for the app, enhancing its presentability.
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To ensure the SNAP program's relevance, I made necessary adjustments to the icon.
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Additionally, I carefully employed colors from the logo, fostering a sense of consistency throughout the application.
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Considering tha seniors are the primary target users for this app, I prioritized their needs while designing the prototype. To enhance usability and inclusivity, I incorporated large buttons, high contrast elements, and easily recognizable icons. Moreover, I provided instant and clear instructions to make the app more user-friendly for seniors.
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Reflection
Participating in the Hackathon offered me valuable insights into the art of prioritization. Throughout the project, numerous brilliant ideas for the app's features surfaced, but it became evident that it was impractical to implement them all. Nevertheless, having a well-defined problem statement allowed us to navigate decision-making with relative ease. By aligning our choices with the clear problem statement, we could make informed and effective decisions about which features to include.
The Hackathon served as a valuable preparation for confronting constraints in design projects. Learning how to be resourceful and make the most out of available resources, as well as making informed assumptions for the initial steps, demanded courage and determination. These skills are essential because they often come into play frequently in real-world scenarios. Being able to adapt, innovate, and take decisive actions with limited resources is a crucial aspect of navigating real-world challenges in the field of design.