︎ The Fridge Chef
Flexible Spatial Design to Support Caregivers
By Mira Abdalla ︎
Hypothesis
If a smart refrigerator system offers quick, convenient, and visually engaging access to healthy home-cooked meals, then busy individuals like Sean Gomez who work irregular hours will be more likely to choose nutritious options over fast or frozen foods.
If a smart refrigerator system offers quick, convenient, and visually engaging access to healthy home-cooked meals, then busy individuals like Sean Gomez who work irregular hours will be more likely to choose nutritious options over fast or frozen foods.
- Why
Studies found that 40.3 percent of adults were obese in the US from 2021-231 and employees that worked >50 hours/ week had higher odds of obesity than those who worked <30 hours/week.2 Simply put, busy people don’t have time for healthy eating. This solution makes home-cooked meals accessible to those with too much on their plates. Studies found that 40.3 percent of adults were obese in the US from 2021-231 and employees that worked >50 hours/ week had higher odds of obesity than those who worked <30 hours/week.2 Simply put, busy people don’t have time for healthy eating. This solution makes home-cooked meals accessible to those with too much on their plates.
- How
The Fridge Chef uses cameras, The Fridge Chef uses 3D-scanning technology, and AI image recognition to scan your fridge and keep an inventory of everything inside it. It then uses AI tools to generate recipes and displays images of them on a screen on the fridge door. 3D-scanning technology, and AI image recognition to scan your fridge and keep an inventory of everything inside it. It then uses AI tools to generate recipes and displays images to generate recipes and displays images of them on a screen on the fridge door.
- What
The Fridge Chef is a high-tech refrigerator which keeps a record of all the food in your fridge and generates healthy meal ideas with the items you already have. If a recipe is missing a few items, it will tell you what you need to pick up! The Fridge Chef is a high-tech refrigerator which keeps a record of all the food in your fridge and generates healthy meal ideas with the items you already have. If a recipe is missing a few items, it will tell you what you need to pick up!
- So What
This fridge will take most of the time and effort out of cooking, making homecooked meals easy and appealing to even the busiest people. This fridge will take most of the time and effort out of cooking, making homecooked meals easy and appealing to even the busiest people!
The Link Between Design and Outcomes
With obesity running rampant, it is critical for us to assess the habits and lifestyles of Americans. 65% people consume fast food at least once a week,3 and when they go to the grocery store, frozen meals are one of the most purchased products.4 It is clear the busy American lifestyle does not encourage people to prepare homecooked meals. So clearly, something needs to change. With obesity running rampant, it is critical for us to assess the habits and lifestyles of Americans. 65% people consume fast food at least once a week,3 and when they go to the grocery store, frozen meals are one of the most purchased products.4 It is clear the busy American lifestyle does not encourage people to prepare homecooked meals. So clearly, something needs to change. cameras, This proposal is situated at the point of decision of opening your fridge to decide what to eat after a long shift at work. As you approach your fridge, its door-display lures you in with mouth-watering images of dishes. You click the first dish and it lists out all the ingredients and where they are located in your fridge. No thinking - all you need to do is reach in, grab the ingredients, and follow the simple recipe listed on your fridge door. 15 minutes later, you are sitting at home eating a healthy, homecooked meal. This simple design makes a time-consuming chore much simpler. By scanning This proposal is situated at the point of decision of opening your fridge to decide what to eat after a long shift at work. As you approach your fridge, its door-display lures you in with mouth-watering images of dishes. You click the first dish and it lists out all the ingredients and where they are located in your fridge. No thinking - all you need to do is reach in, grab the ingredients, and follow the simple recipe listed on your fridge door. 15 minutes later, you are sitting at home eating a healthy, homecooked meal. your fridge and generating meal ideas with what you have, Fridge Chef takes the thinking out of cooking and makes it fun. It even pairs to an app where you can scroll through meal options at work - deciding which you want to come home to and instantly getting notified if your fridge is missing ingredients you need to grab on the way home. This simple design makes a time-consuming chore much simpler. By scanning your fridge and generating meal ideas with what you have, Fridge Chef takes the thinking out of cooking and makes it fun. It even pairs to an app where you can scroll through meal options at work - deciding which you want to come home to and instantly getting notified if your fridge is missing ingredients you need to grab on the way home. With technology that leverages your own foods to craft recipes and a f lashy door-display that rewires your subconscious to crave homemade dishes, healthy eating is easier, quicker, and more tempting than ever.
︎︎︎Download TheFridgeChef Poster
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Works Cited
1. Samuel D. Emmerich, Cheryl D. Fryar, Bryan Stierman, and Cynthia L. Ogden, “Obesity and Severe Obesity Prevalence in Adults: United States, August 2021–August 2023,” NCHS Data Brief, no. 508 (September 2024), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db508.htm
2. Sohyun Park, Liping Pan, and Tina Lankford, “Relationship between Employment Characteristics and Obesity among Employed U.S. Adults,” American Journal of Health Promotion 28, no. 6 (July–August 2014): 389–96, https://doi.org/10.4278/ajhp.130207-QUAN-64
3. Emily Rodgers, “75+ Fast Food Consumption Statistics,” Drive Research, September 19, 2023, https://www.driveresearch.com/market-research-company-blog/fast-foodconsumption-statistics/
4. Emily Rodgers, “Grocery Store Statistics: Where, When, & How Much People Grocery Shop,” Drive Research, April 25, 2024, https://www.driveresearch.com/market-researchcompany-blog/grocery-store-statistics-where-when-how-much-people-grocery-shop/