Ariela tudio

Local Harvest Collective · Case Study

Concept ExplorationWhy is it so hard to find local eggs and honey?

This page shows how I explore a problem before conducting surveys or competitive research. I start by breaking the problem apart by asking questions, challenging assumptions, following each “what if?”, and seeing where the pieces lead.

A torn sheet of notebook paper, taped at the top, covered in pencil sketches: a barn and ploughed fields, a carton of eggs, a jar of raw honey with a dipper, carrots, a farmers market stall, a basket of radishes, a pinned map and a delivery truck, with dashed arrows circling between them. In the middle is a phone showing a Local Harvest Market app listing nearby farms and fresh local food, with a Shop Local button. The phone is struck through with a large red X.
The first idea I had was the one I had to throw away.

The thinking, in order↓

01

Before I Researched, I Questioned the Problem

Doubting the first answer

My first thought was straightforward: people need a better way to find farmers markets and local vendors. A directory. But the more I thought about it, the less convinced I was that finding the market was actually the problem.

Most people already know farmers markets exist. So maybe the problem was never Finding Them.

An engraved illustration of a wooden card index box, its tabbed cards labelled Farmers Markets, Farms, Local Vendors, and Honey slash Eggs. A folded road map with a single location pin leans against the box.

02

Then Came the What Ifs

Following one question into the next.

What if

What that would mean

What if the market doesn’t fit into people’s lives?

Convenience

Maybe the problem isn’t interest. Maybe it’s convenience.

What if I knew what was available before going?

Visibility

I could plan the market around my life.

What if I could reserve it before it sells out?

Reservation

The farmer would know how much demand exists before market day.

What if local makers were part of this too?

Discovery

One place could make more local products visible.

An engraved illustration of a farmers market stall under a canvas awning: crates of tomatoes, apples and greens on a trestle table, potted herbs and flowers around it, a chalkboard reading Fresh Local Produce, another reading Grown with Care, and a sandwich board in front reading Local, Good, Real.

Even if I solved discovery, availability, and reservations, people still had to go to the market and get it.

And then came the question that changed the idea

What if the market came to the people?

One coordinated community delivery.

Local producers could share the delivery structure while customers receive everything together. No weekly subscription. No individual farmers making deliveries all week.

03

Who Would This Actually Help?

Naming both sides

By this point, I wasn’t thinking only about someone looking for eggs anymore.

The problem wasn’t on either side. It was what wasn’t happening between them.

Two columns of people. Under Trying to Buy: the Busy Parent, who wants healthier local food for the family without losing Saturday, and the Planner, who wants to know what is available before leaving the house. Under Trying to Sell: the Local Farmer, who wants predictable demand before market day, and the Local Maker, who wants nearby customers who know what they make. Each is drawn in ink inside a circle.
the same missing connection

Trying to buy

The Busy Parent

Healthier, local food for the family without losing Saturday.

The Planner

To know what’s available before leaving the house.

Trying to sell

The Local Farmer

Predictable demand before market day.

The Local Maker

A way to be found without needing a storefront.

the same missing connection

04

A Different System Started to Form

Connecting both sides

What began as where can I find local eggs? was turning into something much bigger.

The customer gets convenience. The producer gets visibility and predictability. And the community keeps more commerce Local.

What would connect both sides?

  1. Discover local producers
  2. See what’s available this week
  3. See what’s coming next week
  4. Reserve products before they sell out
  5. Order from multiple local businesses at once
  6. Receive everything through coordinated community delivery
An ink drawing of a delivery van seen from the side, its whole cargo bay open and fitted out with shelves: a bucket of sunflowers, crates of greens, carrots, radishes, tomatoes and apples, jars of preserves, bottles of milk, a carton of eggs and a basket of bread. A crate reads Farm Fresh, another reads Support Local, and the cab door is lettered Local Harvest.

05

But These Were Still Assumptions

Marking what I hadn’t proven

At this point, I had moved far beyond my original idea of a farmers market directory. But I hadn’t proven anything.

A pencil drawing of a young woman in an apron holding out a whole homemade pie on a stand, smiling down at it. Beside her on the table is a small framed sign, hand-lettered: Homemade Pies Anyone? with a heart underneath.

I still needed to know

  • Do people actually have trouble finding local products, or is convenience the bigger barrier?
  • Would customers want weekly availability notifications?
  • Would they reserve produce before it was harvested?
  • How far ahead do people want to see seasonal availability?
  • Would Friday delivery actually make local shopping easier?
  • Would customers buy from several local producers in one order?
  • Would farmers and makers see value in knowing demand ahead of time?
  • Could reservations really help reduce unsold inventory and waste?

And most importantly

Was I solving a discovery problem, or a participation problem?

That was what I needed to find out next.
Time to Research.