Overview
Topic: Community Building and Collaboration
Type: Service Design, UI/UX Design, Branding, Business Modeling
Team: Thesis Project, MFA Products of Design at School of Visual Arts
Project Summary
Spiced Stories is a subscription-based kit that seamlessly blends the richness of South Indian movies and delectable meal recipes crafted by the South Indian community within the United States who are looking for an opportunity to share their culture and stories with others. It is the service component of my graduate thesis project titled "We Too Belong Here: Uniting and Strengthening South Indians through Community Collaboration".
It is created for a market that is hungry for authenticity and connection, the young adults between the age of 18 to 34, which in New York alone constitutes 2.5M people. It includes both working individuals and international students. And secondly for South Indians, both second generation and homesick South Indians, to help them feel closer to home.
Problem and Research
The journey of Spiced Stories began with a simple yet profound interview with a South Indian immigrant, who shared their story of having to give up their favorite foods due to the lack of accessibility and affordability in New York City. This conversation sparked a deep dive into the challenges faced by the South Indian community in finding authentic cuisine.
"You had to give up these little things in terms of food because it was so tough to find it anywhere. And so I had to give it all up."
- South Indian immigrant who moved to NYC in 1990s
Through extensive research and market analysis, it became evident that while South Indian restaurants existed, they were often exclusive and difficult to access, with limited food options and high prices. The value proposition of Spiced Stories became clear: to fill this gap by offering a diverse range of South Indian dishes that are both accessible and affordable to the community.
The service blueprint played a pivotal role in shaping Spiced Stories into the comprehensive solution. By mapping out the entire customer journey from start to finish, including every touchpoint and component involved in delivering our service, I gained valuable insights into the intricacies of meeting the needs of the audience.
Final Concept
Food is a language that helps people feel more connected with their cultures and instill a sense of pride within the individuals. However, inspecting the culinary landscape in the US, there are a limited number South Indian restaurants with a lack of diversity in their menu offerings.
Through Spiced Stories, I envision a world where the South Indian diaspora in the US feels empowered and united through shared stories, memories and flavors.
Each package is thoughtfully personalized, tailoring the experience to individual preferences gathered through user suggestions on the website. Users are invited to participate in a comprehensive quiz covering their culinary inclinations as well as their cinematic tastes. Following completion of the quiz, users can easily log in or sign up and select from the flexible subscription plans or can also opt for a trial kit before committing to a subscription.
The Spiced Stories kit will be conveniently delivered right to your doorstep. Inside the box, you'll find all the ingredients necessary to whip up the meal of your choice, accompanied by a handy recipe brochure. What's more, we've included a QR code on the brochure, granting you instant access to both the recipe and specially curated movie recommendations.
Reflections
Spiced Stories presented both successes and challenges that exemplified the complexities of entrepreneurship and innovation in a competitive market landscape. One of the primary challenges encountered was the risk of Spiced Stories being perceived as just another meal kit service in the market. Crafting a unique value proposition that differentiated Spiced Stories from competitors was a significant hurdle, requiring extensive research, creativity, and strategic planning.
Despite these challenges, one of the notable successes of Spiced Stories was the overwhelmingly positive response from the user interviews. The enthusiasm and excitement expressed by individuals eager to try out the service served as validation of the concept and its potential to fill a gap in the market for authentic South Indian cuisine and cultural immersion experiences.
Additionally, Spiced Stories provided valuable learning opportunities. Successfully navigating the complexities of market research, business modeling, and customer validation offered invaluable real-world experience in entrepreneurship and project management.
