Inspiration
Walking past local bakeries and grocery stores, I saw perfectly good food being tossed out daily – while friends struggled to afford quality meals. That disconnect sparked Surplus Food Saver: a way to connect community members with surplus food, cut waste, and keep money in people’s pockets.
What it does
It’s a platform where anyone can browse discounted surprise bags of fresh surplus food from local restaurants, bakeries, and markets. Users see pickup times, clear pricing, and track their environmental impact – from money saved to CO2 emissions reduced.
How we built it
We started with defining core values (sustainability, affordability) and a warm, eco-focused design system. We built a single-page app with responsive grid layouts, scroll-triggered animations, and sticky navigation – prioritizing smooth, immersive visuals and intuitive user flow.
Challenges we ran into
Balancing bold animations with performance was tough – we had to refine scroll triggers to avoid lag on mobile. Also, designing a color scheme that felt eco-friendly but warm (forest green + warm orange) took iteration to get right for Western audiences.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
Creating a seamless, visually rich experience that works flawlessly on mobile and desktop. The environmental impact section – with animated stats – resonates deeply with users, making sustainability tangible.
What we learned
Small design choices (like hover effects on cards) make huge differences in user engagement. We also learned how to align visual storytelling with a mission – turning "reduce waste" from a slogan into a clear, actionable experience.
What's next for this project
We plan to expand partner integrations to include more local farmers’ markets, add personalized pickup reminders, and build a community hub where users share their impact stories.
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