FreshRealm is a fresh food distribution company which, over the years has transitioned into a provider for brands and retailers ranging from Kroger and Amazon Fresh to it’s recent acquisiton of Blue Apron. Beginning in 2013, I worked as ID lead on several projects focused on direct to consumer grocery delivery – in particular a reusable fresh food shipping vessel.
This early incarnation of FreshRealm was focused on revamping the food distribution ecosystem to maximize freshness, reduce waste and streamline processes.
Their direct to consumer model included the development of a reusable shipping vessel. The vessel was designed to ship through traditional mail while passively maintaining refrigeration over 72 hours.
The size and shape of the vessel was optimized for usability as well as to maximize the shipping capacity. We did extensive mockups and testing to address all user touchpoints. One challenge in particular was the requirement for external handles and latches to maintain a nearly flat profile in order to be shippable through the mail system.
In addition to the drawer system, handles, tamper proof latches and seals, we also worked extensively to address the cold-chain challenges. Ultimately we arrived at a solution that integrated co-molded conductive aluminum into the drawers, which when combined with lego-brick like modular icepacks helped to distribute cooling evenly throughout the vessel.
Although FreshRealm has since moved on to a focus on B-to-B operations, the first of it’s kind reusable vessel was well received and in use for several years.