Toyota Mobility Foundation
Enhancing Logistics for Food Banks and Pantries
2 mins read + 5 mins watch
Timeline
10 Months
August 2024 - May 2025
mY ROLE
Product Designer
responsibilities
UX Research
0-1 Product Flows
UI Design
Usability Testing
Tools
Figma
FigJam
Adobe Creative Suite
Notion
HTML, CSS and JavaScript
Overview
For our final capstone project at IU we partnered with Toyota Mobility Foundation, where my team was tasked to tackle the logistics and mobility challenges faced by food banks and pantries across Indiana.
Through research and surveys, we found out that outdated systems, lack of communication, and no real-time inventory visibility led to a lot food wastage and missed opportunities for redistribution.
To tackle this, we designed FoodLink. It is a web-based platform where food banks, pantries as well as food donors can come and list available surplus food available. Other organizations can then easily request this food and coordinate pickups which makes food distribution more timely, transparent, and efficient.
The Problem
Hunger and fragmented logistics across Indiana’s food network
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people experience food insecurity.
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of them are children.
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people struggle to access nutritious food.
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people live in food deserts.
Across the 6.9M people in Indiana,
Despite having 1000+ food banks and pantries, many communities in Indiana still struggle to access food.
The current food distribution system is heavily dependent on manual coordination like
Emails
Phone Calls
Excel Sheets
This leads to gaps in service and inefficiencies in delivery.
Our Solution
A smarter, connected system
Food
Link
A web platform that lets food banks and pantries share surplus food in real time, so food gets where it's needed.
Welcome to FoodLink
Dashboard
Food Board
Requests
Inventory
Analytics
Log Out
We designed FoodLink, a centralized platform that connects food banks, pantries, and food donors on one seamless system.
Our platform makes it easy for organizations to share extra food, request what’s needed, coordinate pickups and deliveries, and keep track of everything in real-time, all in one place.
By simplifying communication and reducing manual effort, our system helps organizations distribute food faster, minimize waste, and stay focused on serving their communities.
A 5 mins video summarizing our work
Impact
Here’s what it makes easier
Instead of spending time tracking things manually or waiting on phone calls, food banks and pantries can quickly see what's available, request what they need, and keep things moving.
Saves time by cutting down back-and-forth communication.
Gets surplus food out faster, so less of it goes to waste.
Makes it easier for pantries to see what's available and for food banks to respond.
Helps volunteers find and sign up for deliveries without needing to be called or texted.
Gives food banks a better view of what's working and where help is needed.
Reflection
Looking Back
Conclusion
What's Next?
Before we move forward, here’s what’s currently happening and what’s coming next:
Currently conducting user evaluation sessions to gather feedback on the prototype.
Capture a baseline snapshot of existing workflows for comparison.
Talk with third-party logistics (3PL) providers to explore integration opportunities
Plan for handoff and presentation to Toyota Mobility Foundation
