Project Fringe was an intensive design program that took PepsiCo employees out of the office and into the realm of innovation and strategy. As an Innovation Fellow, I guided a team of young men and women, from across a wide range of roles and backgrounds, through a gauntlet of challenging design exercises and brainstorming sessions. We tackled real life problems that questioned the future of food in America, and how PepsiCo could adapt to a rapidly changing culinary landscape. Through months of collaborative assignments, my team honed their problem solving skills and created a strategic solution presented to the CEO and VPs of PepsiCo. Ultimately, they left armed with a new arsenal of design methodologies, to help them think outside the cubicle .
Brief
A design brief was handed down by PepsiCo VPs
We then dissected and manipulated the brief, extracting from it the fundamental goals that would become the foundation of our research
We created our own new brief that succinctly encompassed both the physical and emotional values of the problem at hand
Learning
With our new brief in hand it was time to discover what people actually want from their local food communities. My team put on their detective hats and conducted home interviews. In our discussions, the interviewees guided us through their daily routines, culinary habits, likes, dislikes, wishes, etc. Coupled with keen observations of their personal space and possessions, we gathered a real understanding of who these people are and what they care about. In the office they may merely amount to numbers on a spreadsheet, but they are three-dimensional people, each with their own unique dreams, worries, and outlooks. Their emotional decisions drive those numbers. The team learned that it takes a degree of empathy to discover real insights, and to fully grasp the underlying factors that make a product successful.
Example Interview
Synthesis
Now we put our mountain of raw information to good use, and connected the common themes, emotions and beliefs of our various interviewees. The ideation flowed freely. No idea was too small. No post-it note was left unturned. By grouping our collective thoughts, the team found the core problems we needed to address. We honed our ideas down to a clear concept that solved for a better system and engaged the customer on a more meaningful level.
Envision
Taking all the information we gained from our learning and synthesis, we turned the abstract concept into life. Via vision boards, the team created a look and feel that captures the essence of our plan. Our focus was on the full experience of the user. To be a true consumer advocate, the team envisioned themselves navigating the scenarios of our system. We expanded upon our concept, investigating all points of contact and then refined our ideas into a concise and comprehensive presentation.
NABL
NABL is a mutually beneficial system whereby PepsiCo can
ENABLE PEOPLE TO SUPPORT THEMSELVES AND THEIR COMMUNITIES, WITH FOOD, IN A HEALTHY AND MEANINGFUL WAY.
Americans care about their food more than ever. Food is the foundation of community, identity and culture. Farmers markets are flourishing across the country because people want to feel connected to their food source. They want to support local agriculture and to know that they are contributing to a healthy, ethical lifestyle. Small farmers and entrepreneurs that create these healthy products want to reach out to this large audience, but there are so many hurdles in terms of production, logistics, pricing and awareness. It is difficult for them to compete with the lower costs and conveniences of the modern supermarket.
America can have its cake and eat it too. NABL partners these small producers, looking to scale up, with the vast food knowledge and expertise that PepsiCo has to offer. Better shipping, packaging, advertising, and networking results in lower costs and a wider reach. In return for their services, PepsiCo can receive payment in dues or a small percentage of sales, and can use the option to buy out a successful product in the future.
Consumers sign up with NABL for free, and for them it is a hub of curated, small-batch products, a gateway to discovering new local flavors. Through the NABL website and app, they can find information about their products (origin, where to buy, who makes it, etc.). They can even volunteer to help grow these small businesses in exchange for coupons or a points system. On PepsiCo's end, the website and app give up-to-date information on consumer trends and patterns, and tracks the progress of all their NABL clients.
Food is joy for the people that provide it, as well as the people that eat it. NABL joins these forces together to create an economically and agriculturally sustainable community, satisfying appetites and consciences alike.
At the end of our journey, my team went back to their desks with a fresh sense of confidence and purpose. Project Fringe taught us that there is power in collective thought and collaboration, it is the jet fuel of innovation. We learned to be vocal and vulnerable in order to progress and succeed. With the knowledge and tools for research and ideation, no problem is too big to overcome.