Students will meet real stakeholders in the local food product market, ask questions to understand their experiences with getting healthy food, and create empathy maps grounded in direct quotes and observations from at least two users.

Students will synthesize their farmer, store, and customer research into clear, evidence-based problem statements that focus on increasing access to healthy foods in their community.

Students will generate many possible solutions to improve healthy food access in their community, using real user quotes and needs from earlier phases. They will move from broad idea generation to selecting and sketching top concepts that can be prototyped and tested with users.

Students will build and improve testable versions of their healthy food access solutions, using real user feedback and evidence about product markets, wants vs. needs, and food distribution to guide revisions.

Students will validate their healthy food access prototypes with new users, refine their designs based on feedback, and present their final solutions at the Food Chain Celebration through interactive booths and a student-led panel that traces their design journey from user research to final iteration.