Pantri
A meal planning and produce tracking system that combines ripeness-indicator stickers with a mobile app to help users choose produce at the right time, reduce food waste, and plan meals more efficiently.
Role
Project Manager, UX Designer, Graphic Designer/Branding
Team
Liana, Tyler, Rafael, Cory
Duration
16 weeks
The Problem
People constantly squeeze avocados, check bananas, or try to estimate when produce will actually be ready to eat. A lot of produce gets wasted simply because people buy it at the wrong stage of ripeness.
Current grocery systems don't really help users plan around timing. Stores tell us what the product is, but not when it will actually be ready to use. Grocery shopping, meal planning, and produce tracking are usually treated as completely separate experiences.
Research Insights
30-40%
of the U.S. food supply is wasted, with a large portion at the consumer level
63%
of grocery shoppers expect stores to actively support a healthier lifestyle
1/3
of U.S. adults already meal-plan, creating a ready audience for this solution
Research Methods
Methods Used
- POEMS observations
- From-To Mapping
- Shopping behavior research
- Secondary online research
Target Users
- Students
- Busy shoppers
- Home cooks who meal plan regularly
“Users felt unsure while choosing produce because stores do not clearly communicate ripeness or timing.”
Key Research Insight
User Testing
We pursued two goals: identify the most intuitive color system for ripeness, and gather feedback on the app prototype.
For the color system, we built a produce ripeness sheet, had participants place colored stickers where they felt most natural, and ran multiple rounds to track the data. Red and orange proved too inconsistent, so we eliminated them, landing on white for unripe, light green for middle, and dark green for ripe—the combination that felt most natural across all testers.
Testing also revealed that the app needed a sharper focus. We moved away from health statistics and simplified the experience around what mattered most: reducing food waste and helping you use produce at the right time.
Existing Systems & Market Gap
Current grocery experiences don't consider meal planning, inventory management, produce freshness, and in-store shopping as one system.
Grocery Stores
- Basic produce stickers
- No ripeness guidance
- No meal planning integration
Meal Planning Apps
- Recipe organization
- Shopping lists
- No physical grocery connection
Freshness Tech
- Smart freshness sensors
- Ethylene tracking systems
- Too technical for everyday users
Pantri Solution
- Ripeness-indicator stickers
- Meal planning + grocery integration
- Simple visual shopping experience
Concept Direction
A meal planning and produce tracking system for shoppers who want to stop wasting food and start shopping with intention.
Think of it as a translator between your calendar and your kitchen: it takes the meals you're planning and converts them into exactly what to buy, when to buy it, and when to use it. What connects the physical and digital is ripeness—the language the system speaks throughout.
Logo System & Ripeness Sticker
The physical heart of Pantri. The P mark does double duty as both brand mark and produce sticker—an ethylene-reactive label that responds to the gases produce naturally releases as it matures.
As ethylene increases, the sticker shifts through its color stages, giving you a real-time read on ripeness at a glance—no picking it up, no prior knowledge, no guesswork. Each color variant of the mark corresponds to a ripeness stage.
When a shopper builds their meal plan, the app tells them exactly which sticker color to look for in the store. The physical and digital sides of Pantri speak the same language.
The Pantri App
Home
The Home tab summarizes today's meals, upcoming meals, and “Use Soon” alerts all in one place so nothing is forgotten. It's your daily kitchen dashboard.
Plan
Plan your meals for the week, and the app figures out what ripeness level each ingredient needs to be ready on the right day. Tuesday's fruit salad needs produce that peaks Tuesday, not Friday.
Shop
Shop turns your meal plan into a grocery list with ripeness colors on each item so you know exactly what to look for in-store. Instead of checking every avocado, you just look for the color that matches your timing.
Pantry
Your Pantry shows everything sorted by ripeness level and where it lives in your kitchen, using the same color language as the stickers on the produce. At checkout, you scan a QR code and the store pushes your purchase into the app.
Profile
When you first open the app, onboarding captures your diet preferences, storage habits, your local store, and more. You set it once and the whole experience builds around it.
Design System
Color Palette
Egg Shell
#FEFDEE
Celery
#84C446
Bell Pepper
#0A6A27
Brand Mark
The logo uses three dots in dark green, light green, and white, directly mirroring the ripeness system so the brand communicates the product before you even open the app. The P mark does double duty as both brand mark and produce sticker.
What's Next For Pantri
User Test Beyond the Classroom
Test the system with more households and age groups to understand how Pantri performs in real daily life.
Partner with Grocery Stores
A real-store pilot would help test how the sticker system works with shoppers and store employees at scale.
Measure Impact on Food Waste
Track food waste before and after adoption to understand how effectively Pantri reduces waste over time.