Projects

Oozeco

Oozeco resulted from a Service Design consultancy project that helped the client EcoGif develop a sustainable marketplace focused on food delivery (Oozeco) and an overall brand strategy for EcoGif as an umbrella brand.

Holistic

STUDENTS INVOLVED

Huizi Zhang

Qijing Huang

João Alves Marrucho

Ziwei Liu

ABOUT

EcoGif

A sustainable marketplace platform with a focus on food delivery

During this collaboration, we've helped the EcoGif team to have better insights for their start-up company. Given the client's wide array of themes and concerns, Oozeco came about as an essential tool to activate EcoGif's ideas. All in all, Oozeco is an app prototype that joins sustainable food producers, (from market traders to restaurant owners), to clients demanding eco-specific claims. We've also helped EcoGif define a clearer go-to-market strategy adjusting the branding strategy to allow EcoGif to separate their concerns. By integrating different Service Design methods and tools, we're sure EcoGifl progresses soundly. "The RCA's Service Design Masters students were instrumental in proving to us the critical part; service design will play in the evolution of EcoGif. We now have a much clearer vision of the overall services and future service models within that. Stand out moment would be the case for breaking down the big idea into realisable services!"

Opportunities and Results

As this was a two-month consultancy project for the start-up company EcoGif, we as Service Designers were neither the initiator nor part of the final project delivery. Therefore the opportunities areas we've encountered came from combining our research with Ecogif's previous research and vision. The Opportunities: 1. To support consumers in making eco-friendly, sustainable consumption a part of their daily lives by transforming the food ordering experience. 2. To encourage local restaurants into shifting to a more environmentally friendly and sustainable model, transforming their contribution to the whole business experience. The results: 1. A redesigned user experience for a start-up platform "Oozeco". 2. A branding strategy that includes "Oozeco" in the wider client vision. 3. A client team trained in essential service design tools.

Defining the problem in its complexity

Environmental issues and sustainable development are becoming increasingly important. The decision we make today will have a huge impact on the future of human society. And the challenge, therefore, was to create business value while remaining sustainable. In this project, our client wanted to focus on the food delivery industry and encourage the young generation to engage more in sustainable behaviours. How might we increase the positive impact of sustainable trade addressing young people’s demand to buy responsibly while increasing the eco-friendly supply of the food market?

Our solution

Introducing you Oozeco – a sustainable marketplace that allows buyers to make informed decisions In many ways, Oozeco is just like another food ordering service that matches the sellers' and buyers' needs. But with some key differences. One of those differences is the Eco–ID card that comes up when a client is browsing menu items. Clicking the button immediately provides an overall eco-rating, and when the buyer holds the click on it, The buyer can see the card with detailed information. There are a few more features in the video that complement the Eco-ID card system.

We have discovered an interesting fact during our research regarding the packaging issue. When we put something in the domestic recycling bin, it doesn't mean that everything gets recycled. Some recyclable products are hardly ever really recycled due to their low economic value, such as cardboard paper. However, if plastics are well collected, the recycling rate is relatively high. In conjunction with our partners' keenness to explore reusable packaging solutions, we also began to envision how at least two different packaging options could support the service. Following that train of thought, EcoGif would collaborate with different stakeholders and design different experiences. Try to collect both packaging types after the final use, always making sure the packaging would be reused or recycled.

Further branding stratehy

Our branding strategy did reflect this concern. We have suggested to set EcoGif as an umbrella brand and tried to develop Oozeco as a marketplace for sustainable products. At an early stage, both packaging and delivery would need to be outsourced. Still, as the negotiations and partnerships flourish, EcoGif could design service to integrate packaging and delivery (branded as "Packscape"). In the long run, other potential services could appear, such as a "Greencubator", co-designed partnership services, or ambitious sustainable currencies. We have equipped the Ecogif team with several service design tools at their disposal during the design process. They now can further develop their vision independently, with an added service design perspective, ensuring a long-term added value when developing these projects.

Projects

Oozeco

Defining the problem in its complexity

Our solution

students involved on the project