---
title: FridgeMate case study
description: A shared-fridge system for making food ownership and organization visible.
canonical: https://angelogonza.com/work/fridgemate
---

# FridgeMate

> A modular physical fridge and restrained digital companion for college households.

- **Role** — UX research, product design, and prototyping in a four-person team
- **Duration** — Six weeks, Spring 2026
- **Challenge** — Food waste came from hidden food, rigid storage, and unclear ownership rather than a simple lack of capacity.
- **Evidence** — Four college students tested the physical prototype and app wireframes with open-ended tasks and think-aloud feedback.
- **What changed** — Testing led to one at-a-glance dashboard and zone editing directly on the fridge map.

## Design direction

- Reconfigurable storage instead of simply adding capacity
- Visibility as the primary design driver
- A digital twin that reinforces rather than replaces physical organization

## Scope note

This was a low-fidelity concept study. Durability, Bluetooth reliability, manufacturability, and longitudinal waste reduction remain untested.

Read the visual case study at https://angelogonza.com/work/fridgemate.