A User-Centered Approach Integrating an Interactive Product System into the Design of a Grocery Shopping Experience

Abstract

Health conditions in the United States are continuing to rise. Many of these health conditions can be resolved or suppressed by making healthier food decisions. People rely on Nutrition Fact Labels to give them information about what they are eating. For many people, Nutrition Fact Labels are not easy to understand sources of nutritional information. The increase in interactive smart technologies allows information to be communicated in new ways. This purpose of this thesis is to explain how an interactive smart technology system can be applied to a grocery shopping experience to provide people with specific, meaningful information about what they are purchasing. The paper will focus on those individuals with health conditions who have strict nutritional guidelines that they have to follow. If an individual is unable to easily understand nutritional information, and they purchase a product with a specific ingredient that they have been instructed to avoid, their health condition may be aggravated. This study includes research about they way people shop. The study also includes research identifying what nutritional information is important to people with health conditions. The result of this research is an interactive system that provides people with more meaningful information about their experiences while grocery shopping.