In this project, the task was to create a problem statement, defining the issue for study and guiding the design and development of our apps.
I began by drafting problem statements for various app ideas derived from my initial mind map. These drafts aimed to present the issues in an educational manner, ensuring clarity. To enhance coherence, I sought assistance from ChatGPT, refining the language and eliminating unnecessary details.
My process involved generating around 11 problem statements due to evolving ideas and reconsiderations. The concept I ultimately pursued was not part of the original set. I initially leaned towards a food donation reward scheme but, upon deeper consideration and discussions with tutors, recognised potential ethical concerns. I returned to my initial mind map, extracting new points, and transformed them into a problem statement.
I looked at the idea of an app that tries to minimise the waste of water and also minimise the waste of plastic. I was thinking to do this there could be an app where it locates and pinpoints the closest by water refill stations, so you can refill your water. Reducing the amount of disposable water bottles that need to be bought therefore reducing the amount of plastic waste. Although this is a nice idea in the grand scheme of things, I just don’t think it is the right one for this project, and felt as though I could do more than that and make it a bit more interesting.
The chosen problem statement revolves around the “inflexibility of conventional recipes in the food industry regarding serving sizes. Chefs often face challenges adjusting proportions to match the number of people they are cooking for, resulting in either food waste or insufficient servings. The statement proposes a solution in the form of a Recipe Regenerator app, designed to offer adaptable recipes, effortlessly scaling to meet diverse cooking requirements, ultimately minimising waste and ensuring culinary satisfaction.”
This final problem statement aligns with my chosen app idea, where users can input a recipe, adjust the serving size, and have the quantities adapted accordingly. The focus on a specific problem, rather than attempting to solve broader issues like world hunger, adds uniqueness to the concept.
Overall, the process of writing problem statements proved enlightening, providing deeper knowledge on various topics. It not only refined the scope of my project but also increased awareness of significant global challenges.
