A smart fridge management application to maintain inventory and reduce food waste at home

Concept ideation for a home screen for a smart fridge, that helps with inventory management, temperature management & shopping list updation.

6 min readNov 28, 2023

I was thinking of a problem statement from my daily life. One thing I look at, most of the time, is the fridge (thinking that food would magically appear out of nowhere!) Why not have an app, that would make it smart?

ℹ️ This is a project that I did in a short timeframe of 3 hours (1 hr research & ideation + 1 hr designing + 1 hr documentation). Majorly assumptions, competitive analysis, product study & real-life scenario analysis helped me articulate a quick solution.

🔎 Why is it a need for now?

The fridge is a daily used product physically, & plays an important role in food safety & storage. This mobile app would help with the following:

Inventory management
Not run out of supplies
Not overload stuff & waste food
Ensure food safety (expiry dates)
Maintain temperature for better storage even when not near the fridge
Remote access

❓Discovery & Assumptions

I learned & assumed the following about the users & prerequisites…

AI-powered camera & wifi are present in the fridge, to capture photos, scan, & update on the app.
Fridges have RF ID scanners or barcode scanners, to scan products before keeping them in the fridge, for updating inventory with product details like quantity, expiry etc.
The app has a basic database of refrigerative products.

⚠️ Problem discovery

The below given may be the possible problems that users face in their real lives.

Overbuying and Food Waste:
Users often purchase more groceries than they can consume before items expire, leading to food waste and financial loss.
Forgetting Expiry Dates:
Managing and remembering the expiration dates of various food items can be challenging, resulting in the consumption of expired products.
Disorganized Fridge:
Users may struggle with maintaining an organized fridge, making it difficult to locate specific items and contributing to clutter.
Impulse Buying:
Users might succumb to impulse buying at grocery stores, resulting in the purchase of items they don’t actually need or use.
Limited Meal Variety:
Users may find it challenging to plan diverse and creative meals based on the available ingredients, leading to repetitive cooking.
Energy Consumption Concerns:
Users worry about the energy consumption of their fridges, especially when away from home, impacting both environmental concerns and energy bills.
Meal Planning Uncertainty:
Users often face uncertainty about what to cook based on the ingredients available, causing stress and indecision.
Inefficient Grocery Shopping:
Users may lack a streamlined process for grocery shopping, resulting in inefficient trips and potential overspending.
Food Spoilage Due to Temperature Fluctuations:
Inconsistent temperature control in the fridge may lead to food spoilage and safety concerns.
Lack of Remote Oversight:
Users desire the ability to monitor and manage their fridges remotely, especially when away from home for extended periods.
Difficulty in Adjusting Settings:
Users may find it challenging to adjust and control their fridge’s settings, impacting both food preservation and energy efficiency.
Limited Visibility During Absence:
Users may experience anxiety about the condition of their fridge and its contents when they are away from home for an extended period.

Based on the identified pain points and considering the potential impact and relevance, here are three main problems to address with the smart fridge app:

Food Waste and Inefficient Grocery Shopping:

Problem: Users often overbuy groceries, forget about expiration dates, and struggle with meal planning, leading to food waste and inefficient grocery shopping.
Solution: Implement features such as real-time inventory tracking, expiration date notifications, and recipe suggestions to help users optimize their grocery shopping, reduce food waste, and plan meals more efficiently.

2. Disorganization and Difficulty in Fridge Management:

Problem: Users face challenges in maintaining an organized fridge, locating items, and efficiently managing the contents.
Solution: Introduce features for categorizing and organizing items within the app, providing a live view of the fridge contents, and enabling remote oversight. This helps users keep track of their inventory and maintain an organized fridge space.

3. Energy Consumption and Remote Control Concerns:

Problem: Users worry about the energy consumption of their fridges, especially when away, and may find it difficult to adjust settings for optimal energy efficiency.
Solution: Incorporate energy consumption tracking, remote temperature control, and settings adjustment features. This addresses users’ concerns about energy usage, allows for remote oversight, and ensures optimal fridge performance.

👫 User stories

These were the few possible user stories that I can think of for the usage of the app.

As a user, I want to easily view the contents of my fridge, so I can quickly check what items I have available.
As a user, I want to categorize items in my fridge, so I can find and manage them more efficiently.
As a user, I want to assign values to items in my fridge, so I can have an estimate of the total value of the contents.
As a user, I want to receive notifications when items are running low or have expired, so I can restock and reduce food waste.
As a user, I want to be alerted if the fridge temperature is outside the optimal range, so I can ensure the safety and quality of my stored food.
As a user, I want to generate a shopping list based on items that need replenishing, so I can streamline my grocery shopping experience.
As a user, I want to customize temperature settings for different types of items in my fridge, so I can maintain optimal conditions for various foods.
As a user, I want to search for specific items in my fridge, so I can quickly locate them without manually browsing through the contents.
As a user, I want to track the value of items in my fridge over time, so I can monitor changes and make informed decisions about my grocery budget.
As a user, I want to be able to access the smart fridge app on my mobile device, so I can check my fridge status and create shopping lists while on the go.
As a user, I want to customize the app’s settings, such as units of measurement and notification preferences, to suit my personal preferences.
As a user, I want to easily share the shopping list with other household members, so we can coordinate and contribute to the grocery shopping.
As a user, I want the smart fridge app to provide insights and tips on how to organize my fridge for better efficiency and food preservation.

Some nice-to-have features can be included.

As a user, I want to integrate the smart fridge app with online grocery services, so I can easily order items directly from the app.
As a user, I want to receive suggestions for recipes based on the items in my fridge, so I can plan meals more efficiently.

〜 User flow

Section 1 The top section has a nice greeting & a search bar to instantly search for any item needed in the fridge.

Section 2 The temperature control, data & energy consumption is given for easy access.

Section 3 If there are any expiring items, the app will show them in this section with their names for easier identification & immediate caution

Section 4 This section shows the contents of the fridge, with a toggle between the live view & the list view of the fridge. Also, categories of food items are given for easier search & views. The items, on clicking would have entry, expiry & who put it in details.

Section 5 Footer would have a home Lists — shopping list curation, update, etc Recipes — Recipe creation, curation, old recipe database Manage — Profile, family management, alert settings, device settings, etc.