Start State

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the lead UX designer at Food4Life, a nonprofit organization that helps serve the homeless around the Atlanta area. We serve food, groceries, and different clothing items.

We started a project to help fund this nonprofit, in which we prepare fresh vegetarian meals at our kitchen facility and we deliver it to universities and offices around Atlanta. All proceeds we get are used towards the nonprofit.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Start State?

We were getting around 200 food orders daily and it was all handled manually, which was about 4–5 hours of manual work. The volunteer drivers would go out to deliver and there were delivery routes for all these drivers since the offices were in different places around Atlanta.

All this information collection was done only through WhatsApp messages and text messages. We needed someone to develop a website and app to streamline this.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Start State developed an iOS and Android app, along with a web portal. The brief we gave was to help us reduce the delivery time for collecting orders and the second point was around how we communicate with the drivers. We wanted them to have an information sheet we could hand out. 

The third point in the project was for information about extra items so these specific requests could be accommodated. Their team developed the web portal dashboard to show how many sales we did per week and how many boxes were delivered.

In terms of technology, they used Firebase and different cloud platforms. Their team also helped us explain why certain technologies would be needed so we wouldn’t end up having a huge system. They recommended a system based on our requirements and orders we would get, not just what was most expensive. 

What is the team composition?

There was an app developer, a UX designer, and 2–3 other people. We were coordinating with one main point of contact.

How did you come to work with Start State?

We used to deliver food to their offices. They saw the problem we were having and told us about their business and how they could help us grow. They wanted to be a part of our cause.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from June–October 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We just released the app. The first metric was reducing the time taken to collect orders, which was usually four hours. Now, it has been reduced to about 15 minutes because we just take a printout from the dashboard, get the orders, and see them in the dashboard. 

However, it’s only been two weeks so the value and information collected in the dashboard hasn’t matured enough yet. In terms of time and understanding the whole picture, they helped us a lot.

How did Start State perform from a project management standpoint?

Communication was really good between our teams. We communicated directly with them through Slack and email; they were available through calls, as well. They helped us with all the bug fixings close to the launch date, too. We were testing with different customers and volunteers to see what bugs would come up and they were really fast about fixing anything. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The most impressive thing was the way they handled the different aspects of the app, like the backend and the different technologies. They made recommendations based on what we required, not what was most expensive in terms of technology. 

Are there any areas they could improve? 

Since COVID-19 started, there were some ups and downs but that wasn’t because of them. They were pretty good across the different aspects. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Go over your requirements with them very thoroughly at the start. That’s what they did with us and they delivered it precisely. They deliver on what they say they will.