1.Discover and Align
2. Co-create and Collaborate
3. Measure and Validate
The Forsyth Farmers' Market (FFM)
We concentrated our primary research at the Forsyth Farmers' Market in Savannah, Georgia. Established in 2009, this nonprofit organization exists to promotes the good of the people and the environment in Savannah. FFM management has created a partnership with local vendors by giving them the space to sell their grown and prepared foods. They also host additional events and activities to foster their goals.
Tokens and SNAP Benefits
The Forsyth Farmers' Market was one of the first markets to accept SNAP/EBT cards from the Federal Supplemental Nutrition Assitance program. SNAP/EBT cardholders can get double their requested amount for shopping in tokens. Token usage is an integral part of the Forsyth Farmers' Market mission to make healthy food choices more accessible.
5,190
A growing opportunity:
market trips to the Oregon City Farmers' Market during their POP program, totaling 1,781 children (2017)
Why did we focus on children and the youth?
During observations, we noticed some parents had children at the farmers' market, but the kids were not participating in the shopping. Right now in America, there is a growing opportunity to engage children to the farmers market through immersive initiatives like Power of Produce (POP).
While farmers’ markets are introducing programs like Power of Produce, these are temporary events that only take place during a farmers’ market.
83%
A way to introduce new foods:
Of children at the Charlottesville Farmers' Market during POP, tried and liked a new food. (2017)
Why is the service platform on an app?
We analyzed current industry trends to understand the technologies people were comfortable and how we may bring these rising trends into the servicescape of farmers' markets. After further research, we focused on the trends we found relevant to the farmers' market today: Sustainability, Smart Space, and Less is More.
Future trends visualized after analyzing industry reports for 2018/2019, primarily from Lippincott, Fjord, and Gartner.
Interviews with vendors and market management
After secondary research and observations, we spoke to vendors and management to understand their perspective.
Speaking with Marissa gave us an understanding of how passionate vendors are about their contribution to the market.
Marissa
Vendor & Farmer, Whippoorwill Farms
Matt and Sam offered an interesting perspective as vendors who used the farmers' market as a way to advertise their restaurant, The Grey Market
Matt & Sam
Vendors, The Grey Market
Ashleigh informed us about
the management's
partnership with vendors.
Management provides
vendors with space they need
to sell their goods.
Ashleigh
Market Manager
Cultural Probe
The cultural probe at the market gave us some insight into possible areas of opportunity at the market.
Meet Tasha, Malik, and their parents
Primary and secondary research informed our persona, Tasha, Malik, and their parents, Sasha and Marcel. We chose to use a family to create a more dynamic persona that would be most likely targeted and affected by our service concept.
About them:
The family is in Savannah, GA to meet the grandparents. The parents want to go to the farmer’s market to buy some produce for their family barbecue. They have been to many farmers' markets but they hope to get Tasha and Malik interested in farmers' markets since the kids have never been to one before.
Tasha: 6 yrs old
"I can't wait to shop like a grown-up like Mommy and Daddy!"
Malik: 11 yrs old
"I don't have any choice but to go with my parents but I guess it could be fun"
Sasha and Marcel (the parents)
"We really hope the kids enjoy it. We know Sasha is excited about the shopping but we hope she can get more out of it. We hope Malik gets off his phone for a little and interacts with some people at the market
The family's blueprint
An extensive blueprint was created to visualize the existing journey of a typical visit to the farmer's market. The blueprint considers both the children's and the parent's separate journeys.
Things to note from the Blueprint:
Malik isn’t very present but he is using his phone.
The kids are hesitant to try a new food, they have no reason to.
People often interact with people they know or just met at the farmers market