Case Study: The Olio App

Let me start off here by saying I am not affiliated with the Olio app in any way. I do not receive any sort of kickbacks or anything like that. I do use the Olio app and it is on this basis that I am writing about it. I would also like to demonstrate the power of Design Thinking in the real world. I know I called it a "case study" but don't worry its not going to be crazy long :)

The official Olio logo.

What is Olio?

Olio is a waste reduction app for IOS and Android. The app is available world wide and it allows people to post food and non-food items to the app where others can find the items based on distance from them and indicate interest. The app facilitates the pick up arrangements and communication between the giver and the getter. Most people list things for free on the app, but recently they opened a "for sale" section.

There is even a large group of volunteers that work with Olio Partners such as Tesco, Amazon Fresh, Iceland, and so on. These volunteers go the various partner businesses and pick up their still good but going soon food and list it on Olio for free.

How is Olio an Example of Design Thinking?

Olio's start-up story is really an absolute template for design thinking. Let's take it bit by bit.

Empathy & The Problem

First we have Tessa who is the founder of Olio. She grew up on a farm and was very aware of the amount of work that it takes to produce food. She was moving house and had everything packed up and ready to go but there were still some things left in her fridge. She couldn't bare to throw the food away so she went door to door in her neighborhood looking for people to take the food. She eventually found takers, but thought to herself, "There has got to be an easier way!"

Empathizing with herself and people like her, that just couldn't bare to waste food, the idea for a food sharing solution was born. The problem statement, "How might we make it easier for people to share food they don't want or can't use with people who need it?"

Tessa called her friend Saasha, who was a serial entrepreneur, and shared her problem. Saasha was immediately on board. She had grown up in a large family that didn't have a lot of income. Her childhood is dotted with memories of salvaging things with her mother and recycling cans for 5 cents a pop. In her family, waste was not an option. The thought of being able to help stop the waste of food was an opportunity she was not willing to let go by.

Ideation, Prototype & Testing

After spending a short time brainstorming between the two of them, a mobile app seemed to be the winning idea. The prototype was a channel in Whatsapp. The testing involved twelve people that wanted to do something about food waste. They were invited to join the channel with the idea that if they had surplus food they would post it to the group.

At first nothing happened. Then someone posted half a bag of shallots.

That single post inspired the rest of the group to begin sharing as well. It turns out its kind of addictive to share. I should know since I have shared dozens of things now on the Olio app and I absolutely love it. Even their process of choosing the name "Olio" is a lesson in thinking out of the box.

The Production

While Tessa and Saasha may not have known what they were doing was "design thinking", it certainly was and it definitely was successful. As I read about improvements and additional features added to the app, like the non-food items and the "for sale" section, I can see they are just natural design thinkers.

They empathize with a person and the problem they are having. They share ideas in their team to come up with solutions. They prototype and test those solutions, and then go on to establish them in production. They are even testing their pricing options.

The Conclusion

The Olio App is a fantastic example of Design Thinking solving a tough problem. Their mission is spot on: "We dream of a waste free world." While not yet profitable, the problem is resonating with so many people that they have investors which help them stay in business.

As time goes on, I can only imagine these creative women and their amazing team will find a way forward. Though the app is free, I personally choose to subscribe at their £4.99 a month option because I want to help as much as I can afford to. They have many other levels of subscriptions. Its basically a "pay what you can" model.

So if you're worried about the planet and want to pick up some stuff you need for a very low cost or free - check out Olio! Even better if you have stuff lying around you just can't bare to throw away but have no use for anymore, list it on the app and give it a new life the hands of someone who will put it to good use.

Another Case Study

If you want to see Design Thinking in action with a Product Designer, please check out this absolutely amazing case study Jinju (J.J.) Nam did on Olio. She dug into solving one of the biggest complaints about the app.