SmartShelf
Kitchen Inventory App
Overview
Designed a pantry management app with barcode/vision intake, low-waste suggestions, and collaborative lists across devices.
Context
Food waste is a significant problem. Better inventory management can help households reduce waste and save money while making meal planning easier.
Constraints & Decisions
Constraints
Need for fast barcode scanning, accurate vision recognition, and real-time collaboration. Must work well on mobile devices with limited processing power.
Key Decisions
Used Firebase for real-time sync, implemented client-side barcode scanning, and used cloud vision API for product recognition. Built with Next.js for fast mobile experience.
System
Mobile-first web app with barcode scanner, camera-based product recognition, expiration tracking, and shared household lists. Integrates with recipe APIs for meal suggestions.
Outcome
Created a functional prototype demonstrating core features. User testing showed strong interest in collaborative features and waste reduction insights.
Learnings
Learned about computer vision integration, real-time collaboration patterns, and product design for household management. Gained experience balancing feature richness with simplicity.