Improving mealtime experiences for older people living independently through the use of a personalised easy to open package.
50% Friendship, 50% Fresh Food is a food sharing service that is all about enhancing the meal experience for older people living independently.
It aims to reduce the feeling of loneliness and isolation that many people who live in these situations often face on a daily basis, by providing them with company in the form of the person cooking for them and delivering their meal.
The project also focused on using mostly non-technical elements, to provide more of a human and in-person connection.
Research
Research was conducted with Age UK in the form of a focus group that I organised. I also undertook further research with my neighbours and grandmother.
In addition, I took on work as a residential care worker to get a better understanding first hand of what this demographic of older people with increased needs were facing.
Final Product
The final product consisted of a customised box, that was personally delivered by the person cooking the meal.
The box features:
Easy to open
Contained a handwritten message with instructions for storage and reheating. Letting them know who the meal was from and what it was.
A seal of approval:
The seal on each meal, represents the meal being packaged with care and untampered. It was also used to keep the insulating cork lid attached to the meal during transport.
The internal part of the seal contained ideas on how the containers could be re-used or recycled as plant pots, to store other dishes in and the cork could also be used as a placemat
