FEED FORWARD-SMART MANAGEMENT OF EDIBLE

SURPLUS FOR COMMUNITY-CENTRIC HUNGER

ALLEVIATION

A PROJECT PROPOSAL FOR

GE23627 DESIGN THINKING AND INNOVATION
AY 2025-2026
Submitted by

TEAM NAME Tech4Good

Mounesh Kumaran K R
TEAM MEMBERS Santhosh Kumar S
Jashwanth M

DOMAIN NAME Social Impact Technology

DATE 29-Jan-2026

FACULTY IN-CHARGE Dr R Raja Ramoorthy

RAJALAKSHMI ENGINEERING COLLEGE,

CHENNAI

DEPARTMENT OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND

MACHINE LEARNING

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CHAPTER PAGE
TITLE
NO NO

LIST OF FIGURES

INTRODUCTION

1.1 GENERAL 5

1 1.2 PROBLEM DESCRIPTION 5

1.3 PROBLEM JUSTIFICATION 6

1.4 PROBLEM SELECTION RATIONALE 7

1.5 DOMAIN OVERVIEW 7

SCOPE ANALYSIS
2
2.1 SCOPES ANALYSIS 10

KNOWN AND UNKNOW MATRIX

3 3.1 PURPOSE 11

KNOWN AND UNKNOWN MATRIX EMPATHIZE

3.2 11
PHASE

4 EMPATHIZE PHASE

4.1 USER RESEARCH OVERVIEW 12

4.2 PERSONA CREATION 13

4.3 EMPATHY MAP 14

4.4 JOURNEY MAPPING 14

5 SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE 16

FINAL PROBLEM FRAMING

6 6.1 FINAL PROBLEM SOLVING 18

6.2 HOW MIGHT WE (HMW) STATEMENTS 20

7 CONCLUSION 22

2
 LIST OF FIGURES

PAGE
[Link] NAME
NO

3.1 KNOWN AND UNKNWON MATRIX 11

4.1 PERSONA 1 -PRIMARY USER 12

4.2 PERSONA 2 -SECONDARY USER 13

4.3 EMPATHY MAP 1 13

4.4 EMPATHY MAP 2 14

4.5 JOURNEY MAP 14

5.1 CONCEPTUAL OVERVIEW 15

5.2 SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE 15

5.3 WORKFLOW SUMMARY 16

6.1 HOW MIGHT WE (HMW) STATEMENTS 20

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 CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION

1.1 GENERAL
Food availability and consumption within society are dynamic processes that require
continuous attention, coordination, and responsible management. Food security outcomes are
strongly influenced by timely redistribution, effective communication between food providers
and support organizations, and early identification of surplus before it becomes waste. Despite
advancements in food production and distribution systems, a significant amount of edible food
continues to be discarded due to delayed action, fragmented coordination, and limited visibility
across stakeholders.

Conventional approaches to food donation and redistribution are largely informal and event-
driven. Food providers such as hostels, hotels, catering services, and event organizers typically
rely on personal networks or ad-hoc communication to donate surplus food. While well-
intentioned, this approach provides only intermittent and unreliable opportunities for
redistribution. Surplus food often emerges unpredictably, and without structured mechanisms,
it is frequently disposed of before reaching those in need.

In parallel, the adoption of digital platforms, location-based services, and real-time

communication technologies has increased substantially. These technologies enable rapid
information sharing, coordination, and monitoring of resources across communities. However,
most existing food-related applications are oriented toward commercial delivery, inventory
management, or consumer convenience. They do not adequately address the unique challenges
of surplus food redistribution, such as time sensitivity, ethical handling, volunteer coordination,
and integration with non-profit organizations.

Furthermore, individuals and institutions often face uncertainty regarding whom to contact,
how much food can be accepted, or whether redistribution is feasible within the available time
window. This uncertainty leads to hesitation, delayed decisions, or disposal of edible food. On
the receiving side, NGOs and shelters frequently rely on incomplete information and manual
coordination, limiting their ability to respond promptly and efficiently.

This project is motivated by the need to bridge the gap between surplus food generation and
effective redistribution. By integrating real-time surplus reporting, priority-based allocation,

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volunteer and logistics coordination, and transparent validation mechanisms, the proposed
platform aims to reduce food wastage while improving access to food for underprivileged
communities. The system is designed to support ethical, efficient, and inclusive food
redistribution without replacing existing humanitarian efforts.

1.2 PROBLEM DESCRIPTION

Current food redistribution practices predominantly rely on episodic and informal coordination
following surplus generation. While such efforts occasionally enable food donation, they
provide only limited visibility into surplus availability and demand between events. Gradual
accumulation of excess food, delayed decision-making, and short shelf-life constraints often
go unnoticed until the food becomes unsuitable for redistribution and is ultimately wasted

Although food providers increasingly use digital communication tools and location-based
services, the information generated through these channels is rarely integrated into a structured
redistribution workflow. Existing platforms typically focus on commercial food delivery or
inventory management and present isolated data without contextual relevance to surplus food
handling, ethical redistribution, or time-sensitive coordination. As a result, valuable surplus
food information remains fragmented and underutilized.

Additionally, records related to food availability, donation history, pickup confirmations, and
beneficiary reach are often maintained across multiple informal channels or manual logs. This
fragmentation makes it difficult for food providers, NGOs, and coordinators to obtain a
comprehensive view of redistribution activities, past trends, and operational effectiveness.

The absence of a unified, surplus-focused system that consolidates food availability data,
highlights critical time-sensitive opportunities, and supports structured coordination among
food providers, volunteers, and recipient organizations represents a significant limitation in
current food redistribution practices.

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1.3 PROBLEM JUSTIFICATION
Food wastage and food insecurity typically develop progressively rather than occurring as
isolated events. Early indicators such as repeated surplus generation, declining consumption
patterns, delayed pickup responses, or missed redistribution opportunities often precede large-
scale food disposal by several hours or days. Failure to recognize and contextualize these
patterns in a timely manner can result in preventable wastage and missed opportunities to
support vulnerable populations.

Beyond operational inefficiencies, the social and psychological impact of uncertainty among
stakeholders is significant. Food providers may experience hesitation or disengagement due to
unclear redistribution pathways, while volunteers and NGOs may face frustration caused by
late notifications or incomplete information. Conversely, poorly designed alert mechanisms or
excessive notifications can lead to fatigue, reduced participation, and loss of trust in the
platform.

A system that emphasizes trend-based insights, structured organization of surplus data, and
guided coordination among stakeholders can address both operational and human challenges.
By supporting informed decision-making rather than rigid automation, such a solution aligns
with ethical, practical, and community-centered expectations. The justification for this project
lies in its potential to improve continuity of food redistribution efforts, reduce fragmentation
across stakeholders, and enhance social responsibility outcomes without introducing undue
burden or risk.

1.4 PROBLEM SELECTION RATIONALE

The problem of fragmented surplus food redistribution was selected due to its high societal
relevance, practical feasibility, and strong alignment with current digital and communication
technologies. Unlike purely charitable or emergency-driven food relief efforts, this problem
allows for a structured, data-informed, and coordination-focused approach that complements
existing humanitarian and community support systems rather than replacing them.

The increasing availability of location-based services, real-time communication tools, and

digital record-keeping presents an opportunity to move beyond isolated, ad-hoc food donations
toward systematic analysis of surplus patterns and redistribution needs. However, without
appropriate organization, contextual prioritization, and ethical handling, such information

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provides limited operational value. This project focuses on aggregating, organizing, and
summarizing surplus food information in a manner that is both operationally meaningful and
socially responsible.

From a design perspective, surplus food redistribution involves multiple stakeholders with
distinct needs and constraints, including food providers, volunteers, NGOs, shelters, and food-
insecure individuals. Addressing this challenge requires a human-centered approach that
balances technological capability with trust, usability, safety, and ethical responsibility. These
considerations make the selected problem well-suited for an end-to-end design thinking project
that integrates data coordination, community workflows, and inclusive user experience design.

1.5 DOMAIN OVERVIEW

The surplus food redistribution domain encompasses food availability management, time-
sensitive coordination, ethical handling of edible resources, and community-level engagement.
Key components include identification of surplus food, prioritization of need, logistics
coordination, volunteer participation, and communication among food providers, support
organizations, and beneficiaries.

Recent advancements in mobile computing, cloud-based platforms, geolocation services, and

real-time communication technologies have enabled rapid information sharing and
decentralized coordination. However, meaningful integration of these technologies into surplus
food redistribution remains limited. The domain requires solutions that prioritize reliability,
transparency, safety, and human oversight to ensure ethical and effective redistribution.

The proposed system operates within the domain of digital social impact and food security
support, focusing on coordination, analytics, record organization, and stakeholder
communication rather than direct food production or commercial delivery. By combining real-
time surplus reporting, priority-based allocation, volunteer and logistics coordination, delivery
validation mechanisms, and impact monitoring dashboards, the project aims to improve
continuity and efficiency in food redistribution efforts while respecting the roles of NGOs,
volunteers, and community institutions.

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 CHAPTER 2
SCOPE ANALYSIS
2.1 SCOPE ANALYSIS
The scope of the Feed Forward system focuses on designing a digital coordination platform
that enables structured, ethical, and time-sensitive redistribution of edible surplus food within
urban and semi-urban communities. The project is scoped to support interaction between food
providers, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), volunteers, and community coordinators.

S – Situation / Problem

• Surplus food management is largely dependent on informal communication and periodic

donations, providing only snapshot-level visibility.

• Food availability and wastage patterns remain unobserved or unreported in real time.

• Surplus food generated by hotels, hostels, caterers, and events is underutilized and not
integrated into structured redistribution workflows.

• Medical-like records for food safety, quantity, expiry time, and pickup history are
fragmented across platforms or maintained manually.

• Food providers experience uncertainty and hesitation due to lack of continuous, structured
feedback mechanisms.

• The problem occurs in community and urban environments including hostels, hotels, event
venues, NGOs, and shelters between scheduled operations.

C – Constraints

• Food quality and safety cannot always be clinically certified before redistribution.

• Large variability exists in surplus quantity and type across different providers.

• Risk of delayed pickups leading to spoilage and loss of trust.

• Limited access to cold storage or preservation infrastructure.

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• Data privacy, consent, and ethical handling requirements for donor and NGO information.

• Need for operational simplicity to encourage adoption by non-technical users.

• Technical constraints related to device compatibility, GPS accuracy, and internet

availability.

O – Objectives & Outcomes

Objectives:

• To support continuity in community food redistribution operations.

• To organize and analyze surplus food data in a structured and time-sensitive manner.

• To assist NGOs and volunteers with summarized, actionable surplus information.

• To reduce food wastage through early identification and coordination.

• To reduce uncertainty and hesitation among food providers and NGOs through clarity and
transparency.

Intended Outcomes: • Improved understanding of surplus generation trends. • Better-

prepared NGO response and logistics planning. • Enhanced coordination between food
providers and volunteers. • Reduced fragmentation of food donation information. • Increased
volume of edible food successfully redistributed.

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P – People

Primary Stakeholders:

• Food providers (hotels, hostels, caterers, event organizers)

• NGO coordinators and shelter managers

Secondary Stakeholders: • Volunteers • Community organizations • Local support groups

Decision Makers: • NGO administrators • Food provider managers • Community

coordinators

E – Estimates

• Smartphones or web-enabled devices for users.

• Mobile and web application development resources.

• Cloud database and secure storage infrastructure.

• Mapping and notification service integration.

• Time for user research, testing, and validation.

• Basic food safety guidelines and operational validation support.

S – Scope to Explore

• Integration with different types of food providers (small restaurants to large caterers).

• Multiple matching algorithms for priority-based NGO allocation.

• Alternative data visualization approaches for surplus trends.

• Exploration of care coordination features such as pickup scheduling and route

optimization.

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 CHAPTER 3
KNOWN AND UNKNOWN MATRIX

3.1 PURPOSE

The Known and Unknown Matrix is used to systematically identify what information,
assumptions, constraints, and uncertainties exist in the early stages of the design thinking
process. It enables structured exploration of the problem space and highlights areas requiring
further user research, technical validation, and stakeholder engagement.

The matrix helps to:

 Reduce ambiguity in system requirements.

 Identify risks and design constraints early.
 Guide empathize and ideation phases.

 Prioritize research and validation activities.

3.2 KNOWN AND UNKNOWN MATRIX

Figure 3.1 known and unknown matrix

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 CHAPTER 4
EMPATHIZE PHASE

4.1 USER RESEARCH OVERVIEW

User research was conducted to understand behaviours, challenges, motivations, and

operational constraints of key stakeholders involved in surplus food redistribution. The primary
user groups include:

 Food providers (hotels, hostels, event managers, caterers)

 NGO coordinators and shelter managers

 Volunteers involved in food pickup and delivery

Research methods included informal interviews, observational studies, literature review, and
analysis of existing food donation workflows. The findings highlighted time pressure, lack of
coordination tools, trust concerns, and inconsistent communication as major pain points.

4.2 PERSONA CREATION

Figure 4.1: Persona-1 Primary User

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 Figure 4.2: Persona-2 Secondary User

4.3 EMPATHY MAP

Figure 4.3: Empathy Map – NGO Coordinator Perspective

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 Figure 4.4: Empathy Map – Food Provider Perspective

4.4 JOURNEY MAPPING

Figure 4.5: User Journey Map – Food Donation Process

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 CHAPTER 5
SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE

Figure5.1: Conceptual Overview of Food Surplus Redistribution Platform

Figure 5.2: System Architecture of Food Surplus Redistribution Platform

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Figure 5.3: Food Donation and Redistribution Workflow Summary

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 CHAPTER 6
FINAL PROBLEM FRAMING
6.1 FINAL PROBLEM SOLVING
“How can we design a reliable, ethical, and easy-to-use digital coordination system that enables timely
identification, prioritization, and redistribution of surplus edible food among food providers, NGOs,
and volunteers, while minimizing wastage and operational uncertainty?”

This problem statement represents the culmination of insights gathered from the empathize,
scope analysis, and system design phases. It captures not only the technical challenge of
coordinating surplus food redistribution but also the human, social, and ethical dimensions
associated with food insecurity and responsible resource management.
Key Dimensions of the Problem
1. Timeliness
Surplus food is inherently time-sensitive. Once prepared, its quality and safety degrade
rapidly, often within a few hours. Current informal systems fail to detect and
communicate surplus availability early enough for effective redistribution. Delayed
identification results in edible food being discarded despite the presence of unmet
community needs. Therefore, the system must support real-time or near real-time
reporting, rapid matching, and prompt logistics coordination to convert surplus into social
value before spoilage occurs.

2. Trust and Ethics

Food donation involves sensitive ethical considerations related to food safety, dignity of
beneficiaries, and accountability of donors and NGOs. Food providers are often hesitant to
donate due to fear of legal liability, reputational risk, or misuse of donated food. NGOs, on
the other hand, must ensure that the food they distribute is safe and responsibly sourced.
The platform must incorporate transparent processes, validation mechanisms, and traceable
records to build confidence among all stakeholders while preserving the dignity and safety
of recipients.

3. Multi-Stakeholder Coordination
Surplus food redistribution is not a single-user problem. It involves coordination between
food providers, NGOs, volunteers, and sometimes local authorities. Each stakeholder
operates with different priorities, constraints, and resources. Without a unified platform,
communication becomes fragmented and inefficient, leading to missed opportunities and
duplicated efforts. The system must act as a neutral coordination layer that aligns these
diverse actors toward a common social objective.

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4. Reduction of Fragmentation
Currently, surplus information is scattered across phone calls, messaging apps,
spreadsheets, and informal networks. This fragmentation prevents stakeholders from
developing a comprehensive understanding of surplus trends, demand patterns, and
operational bottlenecks. A centralized digital platform can transform isolated data points
into structured knowledge, enabling better planning, accountability, and long-term
improvement of redistribution strategies.
Together, these dimensions justify the need for a digital coordination system that is not
merely functional but also socially responsible, transparent, and adaptive to real-world
constraints.

6.2 HOW MIGHT WE (HMW) STATEMENTS

The following “How Might We” statements translate the abstract problem into actionable
design challenges. Each statement targets a critical pain point identified during user research
and system analysis, guiding ideation and solution development.
6.2.1. How might we enable food providers to report surplus food in under one minute?
Food providers typically operate in fast-paced environments such as hotels, hostels, and
catering services, where staff have limited time to engage in non-core activities. A complex
reporting process discourages participation and increases the likelihood of food being discarded
instead of donated.
To address this challenge, the system should provide:
 A minimal-step reporting interface with pre-filled templates for common food
categories.
 Options for voice input or quick-select buttons for quantity and food type.
 Automatic location detection using GPS.
 Smart defaults based on previous donations.
Reducing reporting friction directly increases participation rates and ensures that surplus is
captured early, improving redistribution success.
6.2.2. How might we ensure NGOs receive only relevant and time-critical alerts?
NGOs often manage multiple responsibilities with limited staff. Excessive or irrelevant
notifications can cause alert fatigue, leading to delayed responses or ignored messages.
Conversely, missing critical alerts can result in lost redistribution opportunities.
The platform should implement:
 Priority-based notification filtering using expiry time, distance, and food type.
 Customizable alert preferences for NGOs.
 Escalation logic for high-urgency surplus events.
 Consolidated dashboards summarizing active surplus offers.

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This ensures that NGOs receive actionable information without being overwhelmed, enabling
faster and more reliable decision-making.
6.2.3. How might we build trust in food safety and donor reliability?
Trust is a foundational requirement for successful redistribution. NGOs must trust donors to
provide safe food, while donors must trust that their contributions will be handled responsibly.
Trust-building mechanisms may include:
 Donor verification and rating systems.
 Digital checklists for food handling and storage conditions.
 Timestamped donation records and pickup confirmations.
 Transparent tracking of food from source to destination.
These measures create accountability and reduce uncertainty, encouraging sustained
participation from both donors and NGOs.
6.2.4. How might we coordinate volunteers without overburdening them?
Volunteers play a crucial role in transportation and last-mile delivery but are often constrained
by time, distance, and personal commitments. Poor coordination can lead to burnout, missed
pickups, or uneven workload distribution.
The system should support:
 Opt-in availability scheduling.
 Automatic task matching based on proximity and time windows.
 Load balancing to distribute tasks fairly.
 Route optimization to reduce travel effort.
By respecting volunteer limitations and preferences, the platform can maintain long-term
engagement and reliability.
6.2.5. How might we visualize redistribution impact clearly for all stakeholders?
Visible impact reinforces motivation and accountability. Food providers want to know their
donations are meaningful, NGOs require performance data for reporting, and volunteers benefit
from seeing the outcomes of their efforts.
Impact visualization can include:
 Dashboards showing meals served, food saved, and beneficiaries reached.
 Time-based trends and geographic heatmaps.
 Individual contribution summaries.
Such transparency strengthens trust, encourages continued participation, and supports data-
driven improvement of operations.

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6.2.6. How might we minimize human error while preserving human decision control?
While automation can improve efficiency, food redistribution involves ethical judgments that
should remain under human control. Incorrect automation could result in unsafe distribution or
misallocation of resources.
The system should therefore:
 Provide decision support rather than full automation.
 Use validation prompts and error checks.
 Allow manual overrides by authorized users.
 Maintain audit logs for accountability.
This hybrid approach balances efficiency with responsibility, ensuring that technology
enhances human judgment rather than replacing it.

Figure 6.1: How Might We (HMW) Statements for Food Surplus Redistribution Platform

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 CHAPTER 7
CONCLUSION
The Feed Forward – Smart Management of Edible Surplus for Community-Centric Hunger
Alleviation project addresses a critical and persistent social challenge: the disconnect between
the generation of edible surplus food and its timely, ethical redistribution to communities in
need. Throughout this project, the problem has been examined not merely as a technical
inefficiency, but as a complex socio-technical issue involving human behavior, trust,
coordination, time sensitivity, and resource constraints.
Through structured scope analysis, known–unknown exploration, and an in-depth empathize
phase, the project identified that food wastage is rarely caused by lack of willingness to donate,
but rather by fragmented communication, uncertainty in coordination, and the absence of
reliable systems that stakeholders can trust. Food providers often face ambiguity regarding
whom to contact and how quickly redistribution can occur, while NGOs and volunteers struggle
with incomplete information, delayed notifications, and inconsistent logistics. These gaps
collectively lead to preventable wastage even in regions where hunger remains widespread.
The proposed solution responds to this challenge by introducing a digital coordination platform
designed specifically for surplus food redistribution. Unlike commercial food delivery systems
or isolated donation channels, the platform focuses on real-time surplus reporting, priority-
based matching, volunteer coordination, and transparent validation workflows. By centralizing
information and structuring interactions among food providers, NGOs, and volunteers, the
system enhances visibility into surplus availability and demand, reduces operational
uncertainty, and enables faster, more informed decision-making.
A key strength of the proposed approach is its emphasis on ethical responsibility and human-
centered design. The platform does not attempt to automate moral or safety-critical decisions;
instead, it provides decision support tools that assist stakeholders while preserving human
judgment and accountability. Features such as verification mechanisms, audit trails,
confirmation workflows, and impact visualization contribute to building long-term trust among
participants and ensure that food redistribution occurs with dignity, safety, and transparency.
Furthermore, the project consciously positions itself as a supportive layer over existing
charitable and community initiatives rather than a replacement for them. NGOs, shelters, and
volunteer groups retain full operational autonomy, while benefiting from improved
coordination, reduced administrative burden, and better access to actionable information. This
complementary approach increases the likelihood of real-world adoption, as it aligns with
current practices while enhancing their effectiveness through technology.
From a technical perspective, the modular system architecture allows for scalability and
adaptability across different community sizes and operational contexts. The platform can
evolve to incorporate advanced analytics, predictive surplus modeling, integration with
municipal programs, and partnerships with larger food networks without disrupting its core
functionality. This ensures that the solution remains relevant not only as a pilot system but also
as a long-term infrastructure for social impact.
Beyond its immediate functional goals, the Feed Forward project demonstrates how design
thinking and digital innovation can be applied to address humanitarian challenges in a

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structured and sustainable manner. By combining user research, problem framing, ethical
considerations, and system-level design, the project illustrates that technology can play a
meaningful role in strengthening social responsibility when guided by empathy and real-world
constraints.
In conclusion, the proposed platform offers a practical, scalable, and socially responsible
pathway to reduce edible food wastage while improving access to food for underprivileged
communities. It transforms surplus from a logistical burden into a valuable social resource,
fosters collaboration among diverse stakeholders, and contributes to a more resilient and
compassionate food redistribution ecosystem. With further development, pilot testing, and
stakeholder engagement, the system has strong potential to create measurable and lasting
impact in the domain of community-centred hunger alleviation.

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