During the peak of COVID-19, I observed a gap in food access and immunity-conscious options for elderly neighbors and those with health vulnerabilities. I reframed this challenge into an opportunity: how might we deliver curated nourishment that’s as thoughtful as it is accessible?
Kitchen to Couch is a digital platform that recommends food and meal plan options tailored for individuals with compromised immune systems, born during COVID-19 as a way to support my neighbors and now built around prioritizing and uplifting those most in need — especially the elderly and immunocompromised.
Platform Ideation
Platform Ideation & Systems Design
Leveraging industrial design thinking, I mapped the full user journey — from digital interaction to physical delivery. I designed Kitchen to Couch as a responsive, scalable system: meal kit curation meets digital personalization. Strategic operations guided key decisions, from prioritization logic for immunocompromised users to distribution and partnership frameworks.
This initiative is rooted in care and community. While everyone can participate and benefit, we’re built around prioritizing and uplifting those most in need — especially individuals with weakened immune systems due to age or health conditions.
Iteration & Impact
Rapid Prototyping & Feedback Loops
Initial outreach started with a hyper-local prototype — hand-delivered kits to neighbors —
to validate need and refine experience touchpoints. Using direct feedback, I iterated the platform’s UX and recipe planning logic to better align with dietary restrictions, cultural relevance, and ease of preparation.
Scalable Systems, Measurable Outcomes
What began as a crisis response evolved into a replicable model for community-centered nourishment. By embedding priority logic, resource allocation, and storytelling, Kitchen to Couch became not just a platform, but a strategic tool for advocacy, dignity, and resilience in food access.
Logistics & Mapping
Local Restaurant Integration & Community Employment
To strengthen the local food economy during COVID-19, the platform concept included partnership pathways for neighborhood restaurants struggling to compete with fast food chains. By enabling them to join as meal prep partners and host in-person events,
Kitchen to Couch offered a supplemental revenue stream grounded in community care. These collaborations also provided an outlet for cultural food expression and deeper local engagement.
Equity-Driven Logistics & Opportunity Mapping
The delivery model was intentionally designed to generate local employment, particularly through bike couriers — a low-carbon, high-tip delivery method that increased community visibility and financial impact. Integrated into the dashboard was a vision for tracking partner sales, customer interactions, and event performance, providing restaurants with data-informed tools to sustain and grow their impact.
Logistics & Mapping
Strategic Dashboards & Partner Visibility
At the heart of the platform concept is a dynamic dashboard designed to serve both logistical and strategic functions. Restaurants and delivery partners could access real-time insights into sales performance, order trends, and customer feedback. This visibility would enable small businesses to make data-informed decisions — from adjusting menus to planning community-hosted events — all within an ecosystem that values inclusion and local resilience.
Community Intelligence & Scalable Insights
Beyond operations, the dashboard served as a tool for storytelling and community mapping. By surfacing which neighborhoods engaged most, what types of meals were preferred, and how delivery methods impacted satisfaction, Kitchen to Couch laid the groundwork for an adaptive, responsive system — one where every stakeholder could see their value and shape the platform’s evolution.
Kitchen to Couch is a self-initiated project born out of a personal response to the COVID-19 crisis. What started as hand-delivered meal kits for immunocompromised neighbors evolved into a design-led exploration of equitable food systems. Through rapid prototyping, community feedback, and systems thinking, I developed a conceptual platform that prioritizes dignity, accessibility, and resilience in meal planning. While still in development, this project stands as a blueprint for how thoughtful design can address public health needs at both local and scalable levels.