Empowering MealConnect with Mobile Innovation
Introduction
Feeding America’s MealConnect platform plays a critical role in managing food donations and rescue operations across the country. The platform, originally web-based, was designed to track food that is being rescued across the vast Feeding America network. However, as a lot of its functionality is executed in real-time, often while on the road, there was a growing need for a mobile solution. Red Foundry stepped in to provide a comprehensive mobile experience that would simplify and streamline the work for agencies, drivers, store employees, and food banks.
Problem Statement
MealConnect users – including donors, agency partners, drivers, and food banks – faced challenges due to the lack of a mobile platform. Agency drivers had no reliable way to communicate with store employees, meaning they couldn’t alert them when they were en route to collect donations. This led to inefficiencies, especially when donations were time-sensitive.
The goal was to create a solution that provided information instantly at the users’ fingertips, enabled easy receipt processing, and allowed seamless communication between various participants involved in the process.
Customer Personas
The MealConnect ecosystem is complex, involving multiple participants with different needs:
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Agencies: Non-profit organizations responsible for collecting and distributing food.
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Agency or Food Bank Drivers: Responsible for transporting food from donors to agencies or food banks.
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Food Banks: Central hubs managing food distribution and coordinating with agencies and drivers.
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Donors: Any employee of a participating store who coordinates the handoff of donated food.
Red Foundry identified these personas and tailored mobile solutions for each. By understanding the specific “jobs to be done” for every participant, the mobile app was designed to simplify communication and logistics.
Solution Overview
Red Foundry delivered mobile functionality designed to meet the needs of each persona:
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Drivers: Gained the ability to communicate with donors and alert them when they were en route. Push notifications ensured that pickups (scheduled and ad hoc) were seamlessly organized. Receipt creation was made easy by introducing a streamlined mobile flow.
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Agencies: Received automatic notifications and real-time updates, making it easier to manage pickups and track the progress of food rescues.
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Donors: Were now able to communicate with delivery drivers, improving the handoff process.
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Food Banks: Made key data easily accessible in the mobile app, giving them instant access to what they need, even while on the go.
Key features included:
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Organization-to-Organization Chat: Ensured that communication was not dependent on a specific employee being available at the donor’s location.
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Ad Hoc Pickups: Enabled faster, more flexible responses to urgent situations (e.g., when a freezer breaks down).
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Receipting and Reporting: Users had access to real-time data and could process receipts instantly, simplifying administration and tracking.
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Accessible Data: Providing useful information in a streamlined manner.
Implementation Process
Red Foundry’s approach was rooted in a deep understanding of the users’ needs:
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Identifying Personas and Needs: Red Foundry conducted in-depth research and knowledge transfer to identify the key personas (agencies, drivers, food banks, and donors) and their unique needs.
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Ride-a-long Sessions: To understand the day-to-day challenges drivers and agencies faced, Red Foundry performed ride-a-long sessions, allowing the team to see firsthand how donations were collected and what obstacles arose.
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Design and Development: Wireframes were created to reflect initial ideas, followed by a smooth transition into final designs that aligned with users’ workflows.
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Testing and Feedback: Testing phases, feedback collection, and iterative development ensured that every persona’s goals were met.
Wireframes and final designs will be included to illustrate how the app evolved from concept to a fully functioning tool that users rely on.
Results
Red Foundry’s mobile solution significantly improved the efficiency of MealConnect:
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Enhanced Communication: Organization-to-organization chat functionality bridged the communication gap between delivery drivers and store donors.
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Increased Efficiency: Automatic notifications and real-time updates helped users better manage both scheduled and ad hoc pickups. Easy receipt creation streamlined the receipting process.
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Positive User Feedback: Users praised the app for making their jobs easier, particularly the instant access to information and the ability to coordinate more effectively.
Additionally, the project has been nominated for the 2025 Chicago Innovations Social Innovator Award, showcasing the impact of the solution on the local and national level.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AveC8nD1Kw
Conclusion
By focusing on the unique needs of each persona within MealConnect, Red Foundry successfully delivered a mobile solution that has streamlined the process of food rescue, increased operational efficiency, and improved communication across participants. This case study illustrates how Red Foundry’s user-centered design approach has made a meaningful difference in the fight against hunger.
