The smart device for detecting nitrite content in pickles
Healthy Eating Habits
Food Safety
Hygiene
Education
Awareness
The smart device for detecting nitrite content in pickles
Healthy Eating Habits
Food Safety
Education
Awareness
Hygiene
POKO
Type
Thesis Project
Duty
UX Designer
Tools
Figma
Rhino
Time
2020
User Research
Conducted in-person visits to the homes of the three participating families. Observed participants' cooking habits, kitchen layouts, and interactions with various kitchen tools and utensils.
Single family
40 years old
Elderly couple
70 years old
Extended Family
40 years old
Synthesis
Kitchen Layout and Organization:
Noted the organization and arrangement of kitchen spaces to understand the accessibility and placement of cooking and measuring tools.
Cooking Habits and Practices:
Observed participants' cooking routines, ingredient preparation methods, and the frequency of using pickled foods and other ingredients.
Interaction with Measurement Tools:
Focused on how participants use and interact with different measuring tools, including their preferences, ease of use, and challenges faced during measurement.
Food Hygiene
Food safety
Trust
Education
Freshness
Enhance relationship with family
Target User
Conveniently know whether nitrite exceeds the standard
Has educational significance for whole families
Needs to use it everyday
Mia
Full time mother
Location: USA
Mia
Bio
Frustration
Need
As a 37-year-old full-time mother. Mia prioritizes food safety, cleanliness, and organization in her kitchen but faces challenges in maintaining these standards, particularly due to concerns about food safety for her children and health risks associated with pickles.
Difficulty in maintaining kitchen hygiene and cleanliness.
Concerns about food safety, especially with children.
Love for pickles, but health concerns create unease.
Context
Pickle is a favorite food of many of us, but what many people don't know is that food pickled with salt can easily produce nitrite, which could cause cancer.
Cancer
Nitrites react with hemoglobin, forming methemoglobin, reducing oxygen transport and causing symptoms like shortness of breath and dizziness.
Heart Disease
Nitrites may impact cardiovascular health by forming reactive nitrogen species, potentially leading to oxidative stress and inflammation, increasing the risk of heart disease.
Problem
Color recognition problem
50 ppm
100 ppm
250 ppm
Inconvenience
🤔
The devices for detecting nitrite are currently industrial products. It is difficult for users to develop a long-term habit of using them.
🤔
Even with the use of a test strip, it's hard to distinguish the colors to determine if it's edible.
🔬 Equipment hassle
The cumbersome equipment set can hardly blend into our daily life.
🎨 Color confusion
Colors on the test strips can be hard to distinguished sometimes.
🍽️ Unclear standards
Current testing methods are not suitable for pickled vegetables.
Goal
🔬 Integrated design
We aim to design an integrated, lightweight device for daily use.
🎨 Visual friendliness
We need a more visually friendly way to present the results.
🍽️ Standards for pickles
Safety standards adapted for pickled vegetables is required.
Design
😄 Emoji Result
Convert colors into emojis to be more intuitive and visually friendly.
🧩 Modular Design
Integrate the testing equipment into daily use to cultivate a long-term usage habit.
⚡️ Specific standard
The result given on the impact of nitrate content in pickles on health.
POKO
User Journey
Step 1. Insert the test strip
Step 3. Press the button to initiate
Simple as it can be.
Step 2. Place the pickles on concave area
Step 4. Result displayed on the screen
>
<
01
Safety First
Our product can test the nitrite level of fermented food like pickles and kimichi, and indicate whether it’s safe to consume or not.
02
Easy Use
To get the results, simply place some of your chosen food on the plate, insert the test strip, and press the button.
03
Quick & accurate
Accurate results will be shown after about 20 seconds in the form of different expressions, so that users can make informed decisions quickly.
Design Principle
< 20 ppm
20 - 30 ppm
> 30 ppm
>
<
Danger
The “yuk!” face indicates high nitrite content, advising users not to consume the food.
Caution
The “emm...” face suggests caution, recommending limited consumption, perhaps once a week.
w
Safe
The smiley face signals safe nitrite levels, indicating that the food is safe to consume.
Removable Plate
The plate for placing kimchi is removable; after testing, users can take it off to use as a plate. This part is reusable and washable.
Detection Base
The sensors and circuits related to detection are in this part, completely separate from the kimchi. Additionally, our design is tailored to fit the kitchen environment—simple and clean.
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