EatBefore is a digital platform designed to address household food waste by helping people keep track of the food they already have, recognize when food needs attention, and take action before it becomes waste.
The project was motivated by the scale of food waste in Indonesia. Research from Bappenas found that the consumption stage contributes a significant portion of national food waste, with households accounting for the majority of this stage. Even more importantly, a substantial portion of discarded food is estimated to still be suitable for consumption. This suggested that the problem was not simply a lack of awareness about food waste, but a gap between knowing that food needs to be used and actually taking action at the right time.
Our initial research supported this direction. In our 2025 survey, 72% of respondents reported frequently forgetting to check food expiration dates, while 81% expressed interest in using an application to help remind them about their food. These findings helped frame EatBefore not as another information or awareness platform, but as a tool designed to make everyday decisions easier.
The main experience was structured around three core areas: Pantry, Monitor, and Consume. Pantry helps users maintain visibility of their food inventory, while Monitor draws attention to items that are approaching their use-by dates. Consume then connects this information to practical actions, encouraging users to use food before it becomes waste. The system was also expanded beyond consumption by introducing Market Point, a pathway for redistributing surplus food that is still suitable for consumption, alongside a recovery pathway for unavoidable organic waste.
Throughout the project, I contributed to user flows, information architecture, interface design, and interactive prototyping. The research findings played an important role in determining how information should be presented: rather than overwhelming users with dates, lists, and warnings, the interface aims to translate food information into clear and timely actions.
But recently, I revisited EatBefore and gave it a new visual direction, rethinking the interface and experience with a fresh approach.
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