Reducing food insecurity with the Feeding America App - 3rd Place National Winner for CodePath x AmazonNext 2025
Reducing food insecurity with the Feeding America App - CodePath x AmazonNext 2025
Timeline:
May - June 2025
Timeline:
May - June 2025
Platform:
Mobile App
Platform:
Mobile App
My Role:
UI/UX Design Lead
Design Sprint Facilitator
My Role:
UI/UX Design Lead
Design Sprint Facilitator
Introduction
Feeding America is an intuitive, student-centered app designed to reduce food insecurity by connecting users quickly, discreetly, and effectively to nearby food options. In this app design, we focused on addressing the key problems below within a one-month time frame as part of the CodePath x AmazonNext Design Challenge 2025, where our team earned 3rd place nationally.
Feeding America is an intuitive, student-centered app designed to reduce food insecurity by connecting users quickly, discreetly, and effectively to nearby food options. In this app design, we focused on addressing the key problems below within a one-month time frame as part of the CodePath x AmazonNext Design Challenge 2025, where our team earned 3rd place nationally.
Feeding America is an intuitive, student-centered app designed to reduce food insecurity by connecting users quickly, discreetly, and effectively to nearby food options. In this app design, we focused on addressing the key problems below within a one-month time frame as part of the CodePath x AmazonNext Design Challenge 2025, where our team earned 3rd place nationally.
My Role
I led the mapping, target selection, wireframing, design, and prototyping of this project from start to finish alongside my team. I collaborated with two designers, Cristian and Oscar, throughout the project and also served as the primary point of contact with the Amazon design team for mentorship on our design process.
I led the mapping, target selection, wireframing, design, and prototyping of this project from start to finish alongside my team. I collaborated with two designers, Cristian and Oscar, throughout the project and also served as the primary point of contact with the Amazon design team for mentorship on our design process.
I led the mapping, target selection, wireframing, design, and prototyping of this project from start to finish alongside my team. I collaborated with two designers, Cristian and Oscar, throughout the project and also served as the primary point of contact with the Amazon design team for mentorship on our design process.
Problem
Many college students face food insecurity due to affordability, access, and social stigma. These challenges affect their well-being and academic success, highlighting the need for student-centered solutions.
Many college students face food insecurity due to affordability, access, and social stigma. These challenges affect their well-being and academic success, highlighting the need for student-centered solutions.
Many college students face food insecurity due to affordability, access, and social stigma. These challenges affect their well-being and academic success, highlighting the need for student-centered solutions.
Students can’t afford to spend on food.
Students can’t afford to spend on food.
Students can’t afford to spend on food
Tight budgets and rising living costs make it difficult for students to maintain consistent access to meals.
Tight budgets and rising living costs make it difficult for students to maintain consistent access to meals.
Tight budgets and rising living costs make it difficult for students to maintain consistent access to meals.
Finding free food options easily off campus
Finding free food options easily off campus
Students struggle to locate convenient food options quickly around campus, which prevents them from getting the help they need in a timely manner.
Students struggle to locate convenient food options quickly around campus, which prevents them from getting the help they need in a timely manner.
Students struggle to locate convenient food options quickly around campus, which prevents them from getting the help they need in a timely manner.
Embarrassment discourages using on campus resources.
Embarrassment discourages using on campus resources.
Many students feel self-conscious or stigmatized when using student pantries or food assistance programs, which limits their engagement with existing support systems
Many students feel self-conscious or stigmatized when using student pantries or food assistance programs, which limits their engagement with existing support systems
Many students feel self-conscious or stigmatized when using student pantries or food assistance programs, which limits their engagement with existing support systems
Goals
Provide quick and easy access to free food
Provide quick and easy access to free food
Students need a simple, intuitive way to locate free food options near campus without wasting time or effort.
Students need a simple, intuitive way to locate free food options near campus without wasting time or effort.
Students need a simple, intuitive way to locate free food options near campus without wasting time or effort.
Enable discreet, judgment-free access
Enable discreet, judgment-free access
To reduce the stigma around food insecurity, the app should allow students to access resources confidentially and comfortably.
To reduce the stigma around food insecurity, the app should allow students to access resources confidentially and comfortably.
To reduce the stigma around food insecurity, the app should allow students to access resources confidentially and comfortably.
Target Users
College students who often skip meals due to financial constraints. These students typically seek quick and convenient food options near campus and need access to resources that are discreet and free of stigma. Understanding these needs helped us focus our design decisions on solutions that would be practical, accessible, and sensitive to the challenges faced by our users.
College students who often skip meals due to financial constraints. These students typically seek quick and convenient food options near campus and need access to resources that are discreet and free of stigma. Understanding these needs helped us focus our design decisions on solutions that would be practical, accessible, and sensitive to the challenges faced by our users.
College students who often skip meals due to financial constraints. These students typically seek quick and convenient food options near campus and need access to resources that are discreet and free of stigma. Understanding these needs helped us focus our design decisions on solutions that would be practical, accessible, and sensitive to the challenges faced by our users.
User Research
Our team conducted interviews with 10 college students across FIU to gain a deeper understanding of their experiences and challenges related to food insecurity. After collecting the insights, we used affinity mapping with sticky notes to organize the data into similar themes, allowing us to identify common pain points. This process helped us uncover key user needs and provided a solid foundation for our early ideation.
Our team conducted interviews with 10 college students across FIU to gain a deeper understanding of their experiences and challenges related to food insecurity. After collecting the insights, we used affinity mapping with sticky notes to organize the data into similar themes, allowing us to identify common pain points. This process helped us uncover key user needs and provided a solid foundation for our early ideation.
Our team conducted interviews with 10 college students across FIU to gain a deeper understanding of their experiences and challenges related to food insecurity. After collecting the insights, we used affinity mapping with sticky notes to organize the data into similar themes, allowing us to identify common pain points. This process helped us uncover key user needs and provided a solid foundation for our early ideation.
Early Ideation
As the Product design lead , I kicked off a design sprint with my team.
As the Product design lead , I kicked off a design sprint with my team.
Using Miro as a remote collaboration tool, we gathered inspiration on how other food related apps or websites crafted their UI/UX, and shared what we like about them.
Using Miro as a remote collaboration tool, we gathered inspiration on how other food related apps or websites crafted their UI/UX, and shared what we like about them.
In a separate session, we applied Jakob Nielsen’s 10 usability heuristics to guide the design of the mobile app, ensuring that our decisions were centered around the user experience and how users perceive the app.
In a separate session, we applied Jakob Nielsen’s 10 usability heuristics to guide the design of the mobile app, ensuring that our decisions were centered around the user experience and how users perceive the app.
This is how our wireframes looked like. The primary goal is to convince users our app structure is simple and efficient to use
This is how our wireframes looked like. The primary goal is to convince users our app structure is simple and efficient to use
We then turned these early ideas into high-fidelity designs, experimenting with different colors, shapes, and layouts. Through collaborative work in Figma, we refined the designs based on feedback from Amazon UX designers, ensuring a more cohesive, user-centered, and polished final result.
We then turned these early ideas into high-fidelity designs, experimenting with different colors, shapes, and layouts. Through collaborative work in Figma, we refined the designs based on feedback from Amazon UX designers, ensuring a more cohesive, user-centered, and polished final result.
We then created a high-fidelity prototype in Figma and refined it based on feedback from Amazon UX designers to ensure a cohesive, user-centered result. This final prototype was presented to the AmazonNext community and leadership at the Design Challenge Final Showcase.
We then created a high-fidelity prototype in Figma and refined it based on feedback from Amazon UX designers to ensure a cohesive, user-centered result. This final prototype was presented to the AmazonNext community and leadership at the Design Challenge Final Showcase.
Solution
Elevator Pitch
Elevator Pitch
An intuitive, student-centered app that reduces food insecurity by connecting users quickly, discreetly, and effectively to nearby food options.
An intuitive, student-centered app that reduces food insecurity by connecting users quickly, discreetly, and effectively to nearby food options.
How does our solution solve the problem?
How does our solution solve the problem?
Provides a map and list view of nearby food pantries and soup kitchens
Filters for food, availability, and program preferences
Designed for ease of use
Provides a map and list view of nearby food pantries and soup kitchens
Filters for food, availability, and program preferences
Designed for ease of use
Key Features
Future Steps
Here are the future plans for the Feeding America App:
Here are the future plans for the Feeding America App:
To validate the designs with user testing
To validate the designs with user testing
We will conduct user testing with students across multiple campuses to ensure the solution meets their needs and identifies any usability issues.
We will conduct user testing with students across multiple campuses to ensure the solution meets their needs and identifies any usability issues.
Coded Functional Prototype Development
Coded Functional Prototype Development
Begin development of a coded functional prototype based on the validated user needs. This will allow us to test and refine interactions in a realistic environment, building on the clickable Figma prototype created during the design phase.
Begin development of a coded functional prototype based on the validated user needs. This will allow us to test and refine interactions in a realistic environment, building on the clickable Figma prototype created during the design phase.
I really enjoyed the process from user research, ideation, design to prototyping of this app challenge. Couldn't have done so without my amazing team from FIU!
I really enjoyed the process from user research, ideation, design to prototyping of this app challenge. Couldn't have done so without my amazing team from FIU!
If you’d like to learn more, check out the CodePath x AmazonNext 2025 Design Challenge.
If you’d like to learn more, check out the CodePath x AmazonNext 2025 Design Challenge.
@ 2025 Sean Valencia