• First Thursday
• Fresh Finder
• Seattle Parks

On Monday, (the 23rd) I got one of the top 3 presentations of the day on SlideShare! Thanks for the valuable knowledge Kathy!

Final Projects

• Fresh Finder
• First Thursday
• Seattle Parks

End Of Course Reflections

• Corey Christiansen
• Danielle Gatsos
• Derek Belt
• Erika Takeuchi
• Kwame Harlin
• Nicole Maroutsos
• Sam Aitymbetov
• Yun Li

FreshFinder: The Farmers Market App

“(Farmers) markets add value to the community on so many levels. They’re such a great way to support local farmers, a place to go see your neighbors. To slow down a little bit.” — Chris Curtis, Director, Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance

Welcome to FreshFinder, the mobile application that connects you with information maps and tips for exploring Seattle’s awesome farmers market community. A unique app with minimal competition, FreshFinder is the go-to source for everything related to farmers markets in Seattle. Our region values local produce, freshness and supporting farmers in nearby communities.

So where do Seattleites go to locate markets, share vendor information and find great produce? Currently, there is nowhere to go on the iPhone for this information. FreshFinder plans on changing that.

Scope

FreshFinder benefits shoppers who need information “here and now,” as well as those who plan ahead. On a couch or at the bus stop, whenever a user needs to plan their next trip to a farmers market or research what’s in season, they can always access FreshFinder.

It’s a mobile guide to farmers markets in Seattle and plays the role of tool, media and social actor. FreshFinder answers such questions as: What are the vendors selling and at what times during the year? When are the markets open? Where are they located? How do I get there?

Features

FreshFinder is a versatile application with many features and capabilities. Its first version will launch with minimal features, but the app will grow with each additional update and version. Here is a quick look at the features available with FreshFinder:

• GPS & Map
  FreshFinder uses GPS capabilities to help users locate the closest and most accessible farmers markets in Seattle. It features multi-touch map integration via Google Maps, and there are search capabilities for the closest farmers markets by item. For example, a user can find the market nearest them where fresh cucumbers are available.
  .
• Web-Based
  FreshFinder’s downloadable interface communicates with a web-based database over the iPhone’s network connection. This allows the application to update information about farmers market schedules and locations, as well as provide user-generated feedback such as comments and reviews.
  .
  
• Calendar
  A built-in monthly calendar displays the days and hours of operation for each farmers market in Seattle. This important feature allows users to manage their time efficiently, as many markets are only open during certain months or have shorter hours during the winter season.
  .
• Market Details
  Users can view the details of a particular farmers market by tapping on a market in the calendar, map or search feature. Contact information, address, hours and parking information are available.
  .
• Produce Tips
  A unique function of FreshFinder is the tips feature that educates users on which produce is in season and how they’ll know if it is ripe and delicious.
  .
• User Reviews
  FreshFinder allows users to leave comments and reviews about markets, items and vendors. For example, say you meet a nice couple selling homemade soap at the Columbia City Farmers Market. The soap is amazing and you want to spread the word. With FreshFinder, you can leave feedback on the soap, the vendor or the market from within the application. Comments can be shared via Facebook and Twitter.

Versions

FreshFinder’s first iteration will be simple and straightforward. As updated versions are released, more features will be added. This allows for a quality application with fewer bugs and stronger usability. Plus, updates make users happy.

By keeping things fresh (get it?) we give users more incentive to continue using the app. Here is a quick overview of the app’s three planned versions:

Phase 1

• Basic GPS capabilities
• Google Maps integration
• Farmers market details (includes only hours, address and contact information)
• Calendar

Phase 2

• Search for a market based on items sold (produce, wine, artwork)
• Expanded market profiles including which items are available and parking information
• Reviews and feedback
• Produce tips

Phase 3

• Share via Facebook and Twitter
• Upload photos
• What’s in season interactive map

Scenarios

FreshFinder makes it easy to find the nearest farmers market and explore Seattle’s thriving community of farmers markets.

The built-in GPS feature allows users to see all of the closest farmers markets on a Google map and drill down for directions and detailed information. Users may also search by market, item and vendor to discover available produce, goods and crafts.

FreshFinder’s target audience is familiar with the farmers market experience, so the application is designed to provide users with up-to-date information in a timely and enjoyable manner. The following scenarios reflect this.

Scenario #1
Getting Directions

Tia is hosting a dinner party Sunday night. She knows the West Seattle Farmers Market takes place every Sunday, but she doesn’t know when or where and has never been despite its close proximity. Before venturing up the hill and braving midday traffic, she uses FreshFinder to find directions.

1) Tia taps “ Markets Near Me” on the home screen and the built-in GPS feature pinpoints the West Seattle Farmers Market as the closest market to her home in the Delridge neighborhood.

2) She taps the blue arrow next to the market’s name in the Google Maps feature to learn more about the West Seattle Farmers Market.

3) Tia learns the market is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, which means she can go right after lunch. She taps “Directions” to find out exactly where the market is located.

4) Turns out, the market is closer than she thought, and the Google Maps feature informs her it will take less than 10 minutes to get there.

Scenario #2
Searching by Item

Daylen needs to find a farmers market that sells raspberries because he has a big date this weekend and wants to make a very special dessert. He opens FreshFinder and in just a few taps knows exactly where to go to find what he is looking for.

1) Daylen taps “Search” on the home screen.

2) He wants to eat raspberries, and he’s looking for the best ones around. So he taps “By Item” on the search screen.

3) Daylen uses the touch screen to search for raspberries and taps “Broadway” because it has the highest user reviews.

4) He scrolls through the reviews for raspberries at the Broadway Farmers Market, pleased that nearly all of them are 4 stars. He reads a few with a simple tap.

Task Flow

FreshFinder’s user interface is welcoming and intuitive. It takes advantage of the Apple Human Interface Guidelines and provides users a clear path to the information they seek. It is a simple application but a deep one with many features and capabilities.

Here is an example of the FreshFinder flow chart, starting with the home screen:

Rationale

The number of farmers markets in King County alone jumped from nine in 1999 to 39 in 2009, according to the 2010 Farmers Market Report issued by the King County Agriculture Program. Surveys also show that 85% of King County residents buy locally produced food more than once each year, and sales at farmers markets have grown dramatically in the last decade—from approximately $3.5 million in 1999 to $20-30 million in 2009. In fact, Washington is among the top 10 states in the U.S. when determining at the fastest growing rate of farmers markets (USDA, 2010).

The growing business of farmers markets and the desire for locally grown produce is the rational behind FreshFinder. Patrons of farmers markets need a mobile app that serves the way they shop. Mary Embleton, director of the Cascade Harvest Coalition, says: “According to recent public opinion research commissioned by King County, most consumers indicated a willingness to choose local produce if they were aware of where to find it and how to distinguish it from non-local items.” FreshFinder offers an easy way to find markets and provides tips for identifying high-quality produce, as well as the opportunity to engage with others via user reviews and comments.

Additionally, FreshFinder is a resource that tourists can use to locate farmers markets in Seattle. A growing trend called “agritourism” is emerging and refers to those who visit our beautiful city and perceive food to be part of the travel experience. They are attracted to events like Sunday farmers markets that offer items such as wine, cheese and meat. In Seattle, Pike Place Market gets all the attention and deservedly so—it is one of the longest running farmers market in the country. But there are nearly 40 other fresh markets operating within King County. Tourists may not know about these markets, and FreshFinder puts this information at their fingertips.

There is a place for FreshFinder in this community. Creating an application that taps in to the cultural phenomenon of farmers markets is a smart and profitable business move for organizers and local vendors alike. The top reasons cited for not attending a farmers market is not having access to enough information and not knowing where the closest ones are located (Govindasamy, Zurbriggen, Italia, Adelaja, Nitzsche & VanVranken, 1998). FreshFinder benefits users by informing them about Seattle’s established farmers market community. It benefits the markets by expanding their customer base.

Audience

They call Seattle the Emerald City, and that was before the metropolis of 617,000 went “green” with environmental civic pride. Ours is a community united in sustainable practices—from compostable coffee cups to the nation’s most expansive recycling program. It’s not just the people, either. It’s the politics. Seattle’s Office of Sustainability and Environment works to make the area a healthier place to live, and pro-green Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn recently traveled to Washington, D.C. to accept the city’s $20 million grant for energy efficiency and conservation programs.

Our passion for local food and fresh produce is evident in Seattle’s farmers market community. It’s important to understand the diversity of farmers markets in our area so that we can identify the kinds of shoppers who will use the FreshFinder app. A 2010 survey conducted by the University of Illinois recognized five particular categories of people who regularly attend farmers markets: enthusiasts, recreational shoppers, serious shoppers, low-involved shoppers and basic shoppers. The study also identified that freshness is the largest advantage farmers markets have over large grocery stores. FreshFinder’s audience in Seattle gravitates towards local vendors because their foods tend to be fresher due to reduced shipping time.

Research shows the largest percentage of farmers market attendees to be over 51 years of age, so FreshFinder must focus on them. Unfortunately, only 17% of iPhone users are over 55, so this is clearly one of the application’s biggest challenges. However, the local trend skews younger as farmers markets in Seattle are more visible than their national counterparts. Many have become established parts of the communities they serve. By targeting a younger audience, focusing on those who have already have smartphones, FreshFinder can expand its user base and tap into the community power of farmers markets in Seattle.

Competitive Analysis

There are a number of existing iPhone applications that service the farmers market community nationwide. None offer the feature list included in FreshFinder, and most do not service the greater Seattle area. Here is a look at some of the apps that are similar to FreshFinder:

• Locavore (Buster McCleod)
  This application caters to the Seattle market but is a national app at heart. It features an outstanding map of the U.S. that shows exactly which states an item is available in. The “I Ate Local” section shows status updates from around the world via Facebook Connect. The GPS feature lists only a few farmers markets in Seattle even though there are dozens more. This application is available for $2.99.
  .
• California Farmers’ Market Finder (Darwin 3D, LLC)
  This app is restricted to California, which makes it an indirect competitor of FreshFinder. The biggest complaint discussed in its app reviews are the limited number of cities the app is available in, while some positives are the large database of more than 500 markets that lists locations, and directions to each market. The ability to filter by county and enter market updates on the go are also touted in as positive reviews. This application is free.
  .
• Farmers’ Markets (Apptika, Inc)
  It is difficult to gain a solid understanding of the positives and negatives of this application as there are no reviews. However, the app’s description lists the top features as a market locator and the ability to see which products are available at each market. This is the most expensive farmers market application in the iTunes App Store, selling for $4.99.
  .
• Farmers Markets (Phlogistic Apps)
  This application offers a market locater but little else in the way of features. It provides the addresses of local markets and maps to find them. This app would suffice for “market enthusiasts” but provides very little information a “serious shopper” would find useful. This application is available for $0.99.
  .
• Farmers Market Companion (J2 App Dev)
  This application offers many features that would compliment FreshFinder including a vegetable identifier, tips on how to select good produce and information on how to store different fruits and vegetables. It also has recipes and tips on how to prepare market finds. This application is available for $0.99.

Data Source

Considering FreshFinder is a hybrid mobile application that requests much of its information from a web-based database, the data it delivers to users is deeper and far more detailed than would be available if it were a native application. This gives FreshFinder a wide range of possibilities and a roster of features that is unmatched in the mobile marketplace.

Most of the data comes from outside sources, including nonprofits and government reports. FreshFinder scrapes these websites for market information, but relies heavily on additional input from markets and vendors. Of course, it always takes a few “early adopters” to show the other markets and vendors that updating their information through FreshFinder is a benefit to their bottom line.

Here are brief explanations of where FreshFinder’s data will come from:

• Locate a farmers market nearby
  Use existing GPS features to localize search and provide directions through the built-in Google Maps feature.
• Hours of operation and contact information
  Available individually on organization and market websites, though a complete list is provided in the King County Agriculture Program’s annual Farmers Market Report.
• Discover what’s in season
  Washington state’s seasonal crops are widely known and can be input into the web-based database. Epicurious built an interactive U.S. map with just this information, and a localized version of it would be a nice addition to the FreshFinder roster.
• Leave feedback and share via the Social Web
  All of this data is user-generated and can be implemented through Facebook Connect and other standard iPhone integrations. Feedback and reviews must be stored on the web-based database.
• Learn more about each market
  Available in full through the Farmers Market Report and by working with market organizers and vendors. Possible information to include is market history and the number of visitors each year.

A great deal of FreshFinder’s information is readily available online. The rest of it, including which items are available at each market, must be submitted from the vendors and organizers themselves. Because many small farms and farmers struggle to reach a wide audience, creating a simple submission process via the FreshFinder website can work wonders for their marketing and communications efforts. This will take some time to implement, but it’s what will separate FreshFinder from the pack. It also benefits the vendors, markets and, most importantly, the consumers.

Sponsoring Organization

FreshFinder seeks one sponsoring organization to take the lead, and we recommend the Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance (NFMA). With seven markets operating under its umbrella, the NFMA is the largest of the big three associations that oversee 13 of the area’s farmers markets.

As a 501(c)3, the NFMA is governed by an 11-member board of directors, four of whom are farmers who sell at the markets. It employs eight full-time staff, including Director Chris Curtis, a 1973 graduate of the University of Washington known as the mother of Seattle’s farmers market scene. The NFMA has offices in the University District.

FreshFinder and the NFMA are natural partners due to the organization’s reach and influence. In 2009, the NFMA collectively donated more than 47,000 pounds of fresh food to local food banks and in 2004 received the Mayor’s End Hunger Award in recognition of the work it does on behalf of the hungry in our communities. Clearly, this is an organization that cares about the greater good. Farmers markets play an important and valued role in our community, and their missions are simple: support local farmers, bring fresh, healthy food to the community, provide an opportunity for small business to sell their goods, and create a lively, family-friendly activity.

By partnering with FreshFinder, the NFMA can deliver the local produce and crafts that make up this thriving community to an even greater audience. The application enhances the experience for existing customers and gives new shoppers the chance to interact with the farmers markets before they go.

Promotion

Fresh Finder is perfectly positioned to tap into Seattle’s already successful farmers market community. Whether it’s the NFMA or King County’s PugetSoundFresh.org, there are plenty of organizations, websites and publications willing to help FreshFinder build a following.

First, we must communicate with the farmers markets directly as well as the governing organizations to discuss the reasons why FreshFinder can support their businesses. We also will include in the promotional strategy tourist organizations such as Seattle-King Count Visitors Bureau, Visiting Seattle, Washington State Trade Center, Getting Around Seattle, Seattle tourist info, and others.

Here are a few specifics that detail FreshFinder’s promotional strategy:

iTunes App Store

FreshFinder will debut as a free application. It is a utility app that promotes many nonprofits in our area, and it should be made available to the widest possible audience. It will be easier to promote if it’s free, and considering FreshFinder’s partners are the local farmers whom the markets are trying to keep afloat, the more eyeballs (and fingertips) we can get on application the better. Our best bet for making that happen is to offer the application free of charge in the iTunes App Store.

Website

We will build an interactive website that features the FreshFinder icon, logo and color scheme along with screen shots and links to share via Facebook, Twitter and email. All of the features will be listed along with a brief description of what the app can do. The site will take advantage of SEO tactics by using meta tags such as “farmers market,” “fresh fruit” and “local produce.” It also will house a Tumblr blog that updates users about forthcoming versions as well as farmers market news from around the region. GoDaddy.com shows the URL FreshFinderApp.com to be available, so we’ll purchase that (and others) to help with our marketing and branding efforts.

Mass Media

In reaching out to local organizations and publications that support farmers markets in Seattle, we’ll craft a media press release that links to the website and includes details about the FreshFinder app. In addition to targeting organizations such as the Washington State Farmers Market Association, we’ll contact The Seattle Times, Seattlepi.com, Seattle Weekly and Seattle Magazine, just to name a few. We will also submit FreshFinder to the leading app review sites: AppCravr, 148apps, AppVee, iPhoneAppReviews.net, iUseThis, Apple iPhone School, AppStoreApps.com, iPhoneApplicationList, and Apps Safari.

Social Media

FreshFinder will be set up on Facebook, MySpace and Twitter to engage potential users in discussion. We’ll submit the app article to Digg and make an instructional video to post on YouTube, while the presentation walk-through will be posted on Slideshare. We’ll also take part in discussions and promote the app on local forums, discussion boards and Facebook pages such as The Farmers’ Market, I Support Farmers Markets, Slow Food USA, and many others.

Advertising

We will participate in the AdMob Download Exchange to promote FreshFinder from inside dozens of other relevant apps. We’ll also develop posters and postcards that can be placed in local businesses and tourist destinations such as hotels. It’s also worth taking advantage of free classified advertising on the Seattle section of Craigslist.

Vendors’ word-of-mouth

Vendors will be one of the main promotional channels for FreshFinder. We’ll promote it as a marketing tool for them to reach new customers and ask them to promote it wherever possible—at their stands, on their websites, etc.

Promo Schedule

Promotion of FreshFinder will be made in three stages to generate buzz with the target audience:

• Pre-launch—create expectations and demand for app
• Launch— Create awareness and attract early adopters
• Post-launch—Expand to new audiences, generate positive feedback

References

Feagan, R. B. & Morris, D. (2009). Consumer quest for embeddedness: a case study of the Brantford Farmers’ Market. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 33, 235-243. doi:10.1111/j.1470-6431.2009.00745.x.

Govindasamy, R., Zurbriggen, M., Italia, J., Adelaja, A., Nitzsche, P. & VanVranken, R. (1998). Farmers Markets: Consumer Trends, Preferences, and Characteristics. #36722, P Series. Rutgers University: Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics. Retrieved from http://econpapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:rutdps:36722.

Hinrichs C.C., Gillespie G.W., & Feenstra G.W. (2004). Social Learning and Innovation at Retail Farmers Markets. Rural Sociology, 69, 31-58. doi:10.1526/003601104322919892.

Jarosz, L. (2008). The city in the country: Growing alternative food networks in Metropolitan areas. Journal of Rural Studies, 24(3), 231-244. doi: 10.1016/j.jrurstud.2007.10.002.

King County Agriculture Program. (2010). Farmers Market Report. Retrieved from http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/waterandland/agriculture/documents/farmers-market-report.aspx.

Logozar, B. & Schmit, T.M. (2009). Assessing the Success of Farmers’ Markets in Northern New York: A Survey of Vendors, Customers, and Market Managers. #55941, EB Series. Cornell University: Department of Applied Economics and Management, http://econpapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:cudaeb:55941.

Smithers, J., Lamarche, J., & Joseph, A. E. (2008). Unpacking the terms of engagement with local food at the Farmers’ Market: Insights from Ontario. Journal of Rural Studies, 24(3), 337-350. doi: 10.1016/j.jrurstud.2007.12.009.

USDA (Aug. 4, 2010). USDA Announces that National Farmers Market Directory Totals 6,132 Farmers Markets In 2010. Retrieved from USDA website.

Wakeman, I., Light, A., Robinson, J., Chalmers, D., & Basu, A. (2010). Bringing the Virtual to the Farmers’ Market: Designing for Trust in Pervasive Computing Systems. In Trust management. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-13446-3_17.

Wooldridge, D. (2010). The business of iPhone app development: making and marketing apps that succeed. New York: Apress.

Zepeda, L. (2009). Which little piggy goes to market? Characteristics of US farmers’ market shoppers. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 33(3), 250-257. doi:10.1111/j.1470-6431.2009.00771.x.

FreshFinder Team

The mobile application FreshFinder was created by three students as part of a graduate-level course at the University of Washington in Seattle. Led by Senior Lecturer Kathy Gill, students in the Master of Communications in Digital Media (MDCM) program were tasked with creating an application idea and seeing it through the promotional phase as the cornerstone of their Building Mobile Applications course.

FreshFinder was created by:

Derek Belt

A former newspaper reporter, Derek Belt joined the MCDM in 2009. He works in marketing and communications and feels digital media is the natural next step for a writer who won’t do print anymore. Derek grew up in Fall City, Wash., and attended the University of Washington. He graduated with a degree in journalism and spent three years writing for the Mobile (Ala.) Press-Register.

Nicole Maroutsos

This was the last MCDM course for Nicole Maroutsos, a music director at Dial Global in Seattle. She also has worked as a client service specialist for Fisher Broadcasting and holds a BA in political science from the University of Washington.

Sam Aitymbetov

A graduate student in the UW’s MCDM program, Sam was awarded a Fulbright Fellow to study new media and evolving Internet technologies. Originally from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, he worked previously for AKIpress, the largest news agency in the country. Among his many interests are news production, internet marketing, social media and techno-business.

Housekeeping

• Reading posts this week: Corey (Hitting the Jackpot With An iPhone App) and Kwame (Marketing Your iPhone App: Price and Pretty)
• Peer Review WebQ Live (due Sun 22 Aug 2010 – 6 pm)
• Updated gradesheet

The Pitch

• FirstThursday
• FreshFinder
• PlaySpace

Brainstorming Promotions

• Case Study – Slideshare.net
• 50 Ways to Market Your iPhone App — Have you IDed review sites (blogs or MSM) that might be interested in your app? Directories? Have you thought about using Slideshare.net as a promotion vehicle (slide walkthrough, with our without audio)?
• 15 Suggestions For Marketing Your iPhone App — see the bit about content on your website and be sure to make custom app store links using your own website
• How to Market Your Mobile Application from Smashing Magazine

Hands-On: Review Promotion Plans and Wireframes

Demo request: Corey

Group work:

• Round 1: PlaySpace reviews FreshFinder (pitch), FreshFinder reviews FirstThursday, FirstThursday reviews PlaySpace
• Round 2: PlaySpace reviews FirstThursday, FreshFinder reviews PlaySpace, FirstThursday reviews FreshFinder (pitch)

Reviews should focus on helpful feedback and questions — especially questions! Please focus on the new content — which is promotion plan and screenflows — also, feedback on logos/name, please.

Please jot these notes down electronically and send TO ME via email (subject line: iPhone Class – App Reviews). I will convey the feedback to the teams Tuesday when I include my comments, so they will be semi-anonymous.

General recommendations from Kathy

• Provide an information flow overview — think of it like a site map on a web site — like this one from FirstThursday
• Remember to provide illustration of competing/complementary apps – like this from PlaySpace
• Provide details on data – like this from PlaySpace
• Be sure to spell/grammar check (frequent mistake: it’s versus its)
• Address “favorites” or “bookmarks” and any other customization — why you are or are not including
• Because these are place-centric — consider adding a “tweet this” or “update Facebook status” feature
• SeattleParks -> consider TheMountaineers as a sponsor.

Next Steps

• Final application proposal (one per team) : Due Sunday 22 August at 6 pm. I will compile these into one document, so they need bio info (see the UGA New Media Lab project). Please be sure your final material contains all the parts. If you have been working in Word, please send me the Word Document. For posting on the web site, please use the “draft page” that has been created for your project.
• See Our Projects post (which is also linked on assignments page)
• Blog post: course reflection due Sunday 22 August at 6 pm (part of participation grade)
  This final assignment substitutes for a final exam. In this essay, you should reflect upon what you have learned in the course; give examples (evidence!); illustrate how your thinking changed or detail other “ah-ha” moments. How will you apply this learning? Look at your course goals from week one and see how they changed (or stayed constant) as the course progressed. 600-800 words.
• Peer Review WebQ

Course Evaluations

Welcome to FreshFinder, the mobile application that connects you with information, maps and tips for exploring Seattle’s awesome farmers market community. A unique app with minimal competition, FreshFinder is the go-to source for everything related to farmers markets in Seattle. The trend of farmers markets in King County is growing. Our region values local produce, freshness and supporting farmers in nearby communities. So where do Seattleites go to locate markets, share vendor information and find great produce? Currently, there is nowhere to go on the iPhone for this information. FreshFinder plans on changing that.

Scope

FreshFinder benefits shoppers who need information “here and now” as well as those who plan ahead. On a couch or at the bus stop, whenever a user needs to plan their next trip to a farmers market or research what’s in season, they can always access FreshFinder.

It’s a mobile guide to farmers markets in Seattle and plays the role of a tool, media and social actor. It answers such questions as: What are the vendors selling and at what times during the year? When are the markets open? Where are they located? How do I get there?

Features

FreshFinder is a versatile application with many features and capabilities. It’s first version will include with minimal features, but the app will grow with each update and version. Here is a quick look at the main features available with FreshFinder:

• GPS & Map
  FreshFinder uses GPS capabilities to help users locate the closest and most accessible farmers markets in Seattle. It features multi-touch map integration via Google Maps, and there is search capabilities for the closest farmers market by item; for example, a user can find the farmers market nearest them where fresh cucumbers are available.
  .
• Web-Based
  FreshFinder’s downloadable interface communicates with a web-based database over the iPhone’s network connection. This allows the application to update information about farmers market schedules and locations, as well as provide user-generated feedback such as comments and reviews.
  .
• Calendar
  A built-in monthly calendar displays the days and hours of operation for each farmers market. This important feature allows users to manage their time efficiently, as many markets are only open during certain months or have shorter hours during the winter season.
  .
• Market Details
  Users can see details of a particular farmers market by tapping on a market in the calendar, map or search feature. Contact information, address, hours and parking information is available.
  .
• Produce Tips
  A unique function of FreshFinder is the tips feature that educates users on which produce is in season and how they’ll know if it is ripe and delicious.
  .
• User Reviews
  A social feature of FreshFinder allows users to leave comments and reviews about certain markets and/or vendors. For example, let’s say you meet a nice couple selling homemade soap at the West Seattle Farmers Market. The soap is amazing and you want to spread the word. FreshFinder users can leave feedback on the soap itself, the vendor or the market from from within the app. Comments can be also shared via Facebook and Twitter, making it easy to share with your friends your farmers market favorites.

Versions

The first iteration of the FreshFinder application will be simple and straightforward. As updated versions are released, more features will be added. This allows for a quality application with fewer bugs and stronger usability.Plus, updates make users happy.

By keeping things fresh (get it?) we give users more incentive to continue using the app. Here is a quick overview of the app’s three versions:

Phase 1

• Basic GPS capabilities
• Google Maps integration
• Farmers market details (only includes hours, address and contact information)
• Calendar

Phase 2

• Search for a market based on items sold (produce, wine, artwork)
• Expanded market profiles including which items are available and parking information
• Reviews and feedback
• Produce tips

Phase 3

• Share via Facebook and Twitter
• Upload photos
• What’s in season interactive map

Scenarios & Task Flows

Click each screen shot for larger views.

Scenario #1

Tia is hosting a dinner party on Sunday night. She knows about the West Seattle Farmers Market that takes place every Saturday morning, but she has never been despite its close proximity. Before venturing up the hill and braving midday traffic, she decides to check Fresh Finder to see if it’s even worth the trip.

She taps “Find Market” on the home screen and chooses “Markets Near Me” to take advantage of the app’s built-in GPS feature. Once the map screen loads and drops a few red pins where the nearest farmers markets are located, Tia taps the West Seattle pin and selects the “What’s Available” button on the next page. She then users a gesture to scroll through the list of items and likes what she sees—asparagus, bok choi—but it’s cheese that catches her attention. She had no idea they even sold cheese at farmers markets. Maybe it would be worth a trip.

Scenario #2

Daylen is a regular at the Fremont Farmers Market. He’s also a vegetarian. Tonight, he has a date with Erika and the usual fare—i.e. village greens and Perrier—just won’t do. He wants to make the best salad possible, and he knows from experience the Fremont Farmers Market does not have the key ingredient he’s looking for—fresh beets. So he opens up the Fresh Finder app on his iPhone and in four taps knows exactly where to go to find what he’s looking for.

On the home screen, Daylen chooses “Search by Item” and scrolls down to select beets. A map of the farmers markets that sells beets pops up, of which there are eight. But that’s not good enough, so he taps the “Best of” tab on the tab row and a table view rises from the bottom up with a list, in order, of the top-rated beets. There are only five, and he assumes the other three have not yet be rated. He taps University District Farmers Market and is impressed by the overwhelmingly positive user reviews. He views the second-, third- and fourth-rated beets but none stack up to the first. And it’s only a 10-minute drive to the market on Sunday. Perfect.

Scenario #3

Carly recently heard about the incredible honey at Georgetown Farmers Market. She lives on Beacon Hill and would like to go, but she has no idea where the market in Georgetown is actually located. A quick tap of the Fresh Finder app and another tap on the “Search by Market” button brings her to a table-cell style that lists each farmers market alphabetically. She taps Georgetown and then “Directions to Here” to bring up the map screen.

She pinches and zooms to see where the market is located. Ah, it’s between Vale and Nebraska streets. Carly knows exactly where that is. She taps the “What’s Available” button to see a list of all the items being sold at the Georgetown Market. Breads, beans, eggs and honey. It’s all there. But she really wants to know about that honey, so she taps “Honey” and up comes a screen with information about Brookfield Farms and several other vendors. She taps “Brookfield Farms” and is presented with contact info and a button to get directions. Easy as that.

And here is a snapshot of the application’s task flow, starting with the home screen:

Rationale

According to the 2010 Farmers Market Report issued by the King County Agriculture Program, the number of farmers markets in King County jumped from nine in 1999 to 39 in 2009. Surveys also show that 85% of King County residents buy locally produced food more than once each year. Sales at farmers markets have grown dramatically in recent years—from approximately $3.5 million in 1999 to $20-30 million in 2009. In fact, Washington is now among the top 10 states in the U.S. when considering the fastest growing rate of farmers markets (USDA, 2010).

The growing business of farmers markets and the desire for locally grown produce is our rational behind FreshFinder. Patrons of farmers markets need a mobile app that serves the way they shop. Mary Embleton, director of the Cascade Harvest Coalition, says: “According to recent public opinion research commissioned by King County, most consumers indicated a willingness to choose local produce if they were aware of where to find it and how to distinguish it from non-local items.” FreshFinder offers an easy way to find markets and provides tips for identifying high quality produce as well as the opportunity to engage with others via photo uploads and user reviews.

Additionally, FreshFinder is a resource that tourists can use to locate farmers markets in Seattle. A growing trend called “agritourism” is emerging and supports the opportunities FreshFinder has with those visiting our beautiful city. Agritourism refers to tourists who perceive food as part of the travel experience and are attracted to events like Sunday markets which offer items like wine, cheese and meat. In Seattle, it’s Pike Place Market. But there are nearly 40 other fresh markets operating within King County. Tourists may not know these markets exist or which days of the week they operate. FreshFinder puts this information at their fingertips.

There is a need for FreshFinder in the iTunes App Store. Creating an application that taps in to the cultural phenomenon of farmers markets is a smart and profitable business move for organizers and local vendors alike. The top reasons cited for not attending a farmers market is not having access to enough information and not knowing where the closest ones are located (Govindasamy, Zurbriggen, Italia, Adelaja, Nitzsche & VanVranken, 1998). FreshFinder benefits users by informing them about Seattle’s robust farmers market community. It benefits the markets by expanding their customer base.

Audience

They call Seattle the Emerald City, and that was before the metropolis of 617,000 went “green” with environmental civic pride. Ours is a community united in sustainable practices—from compostable coffee cups to the nation’s most expansive recycling program. It’s not just the people, either. It’s the politics. Seattle’s Office of Sustainability and Environment works to make the area a healthier place to live, and pro-green Mayor Mike McGinn recently traveled to Washington, D.C. to accept the city’s $20 million grant for energy efficiency and conservation programs.

Our passion for local food and fresh produce is evident in Seattle’s farmers market community. It’s important to understand the diversity of farmers markets in our area so that we can identify the kinds of shoppers who will use the FreshFinder app. A 2010 survey conducted by the University of Illinois recognized five particular categories of people who regularly attend farmers markets: enthusiasts, recreational shoppers, serious shoppers, low-involved shoppers and basic shoppers. The study also identified that freshness is the largest advantage farmers markets have over large grocery stores. Our audience tends to gravitate towards local vendors because local foods tend to be fresher due to reduced shipping time.

Research shows the largest percentage of farmers market attendees to be over 51 years of age, so FreshFinder must focus on them. Unfortunately, only 17% of iPhone users are over 55, so this is clearly one of our application’s biggest challenges. We hope iPhone users in this group accept our application and that it generates interest in younger generations who want to buy fresh and support local businesses.

Competitive Analysis

There are a number of existing applications that center around farmers markets in the iTunes App Store. However, none offer the feature list included in FreshFinder, and most do not service the greater Seattle area. Here is a look at some of the apps that are similar to FreshFinder:

• California Farmers’ Market Finder (Darwin 3D, LLC)
  This app is restricted to California, which makes it an indirect competitor of FreshFinder. The biggest complaint discussed in app reviews is the limited cities the app is available in, while the positive features are the database of over 500 markets that lists locations and directions. The ability to filter by county, as well as a feature allowing users to enter a market update on the go, are also touted in positive reviews. This application is free.
  ..
• Farmers’ Markets (Apptika, Inc)
  It is difficult to gain a solid understanding of the positives and negatives of this application as there are no reviews. However, the app’s description states that its features include the addresses of local markets, what products are available at each market, the months/days/hours of operation, market contact information and the web address for each market. This is the most expensive farmers market application, selling for $4.99.
  .
• Farmers Market Companion (J2 App Dev)
  This application offers many features that would compliment FreshFinder. This includes a vegetable identifier, tips on how to select good produce and information on how to store different fruits and vegetables. It also has recipes and tips on how to prepare market finds. This application is available for $0.99.
  ..
• Farmers Markets (Phlogistic Apps)
  This application offers a market locater, which is the basis for FreshFinder, but offers little else in the way of features. It provides the addresses of local markets and maps, and while this would suffice for “market enthusiasts” it provides very little information a “serious shopper” would find useful. This application is available for $0.99.
  .
• Locavore (Buster McCleod)
  This application caters to the Seattle market but is a national app at heart. It features an outstanding map of the U.S. that shows exactly which states a particular item is available in. For example, raspberries are in season for four more months in Washington. Facebook Connect within the “I Ate Local” section shows updates from around the world, while the GPS only shows a few farmers markets in Seattle even though there are dozens more. This application is available for $2.99.

Data Source

Considering FreshFinder is a hybrid mobile application that requests much of its information from a web-based database, the data it delivers to users is deeper and far more detailed is otherwise available via native application. This gives FreshFinder a wide range of possibilities and a roster of features that is unmatched in the mobile marketplace.

The data comes from outside sources, including nonprofits and government reports. FreshFinder collects its data by scraping these websites and relies heavily on updated information from markets and vendors. Of course, it will take a few “early adopters” to show the other markets and vendors that updating their information continuously is of benefit to their bottom line.

Here are brief explanations of where FreshFinder’s data will come from:

• Locate a farmers market nearby
  Use existing GPS features to localize search and provide directions through Google Maps.
  .
• Hours of operation and contact information
  Available through the King County Agriculture Program’s annual Farmers Market Report.
  .
• Discover what’s in season
  Washington state’s seasonal crops are widely known and can be input into the web-based database. Epicurious has an amazing interactive U.S. map with this information, and a localized version of this map would be a nice addition to the FreshFinder roster.
  .
• Leave feedback and share via the Social Web
  All of this data is user-generated and can be implemented through standard iPhone integration. Feedback and reviews must be stored on the web-based database, while adding Facebook and Twitter sharing is simply a matterof coding.
  .
• Learn more about each market
  Available through the Farmers Market Report and by working with market organizers. This includes history, neighborhood information/location, number of visitors each year, etc.

A great deal of FreshFinder’s information is readily available online. Building the web-based database is time consuming, but once it’s complete it requires less resources as vendors and organizers are indoctrinated to the submission process. Because many small farms and farmers struggle to reach a wide audience, a simple submission process via FreshFinder can work wonders for their marketing and communications. This will take time to implement, but it’s a worthwhile process that benefits the vendors, markets and, most importantly, the consumers.

Sponsoring Organization

Chris Curtis of the Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance.

FreshFinder seeks one sponsoring organization to take the lead, and we recommend the Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance as FreshFinder’s sponsoring organization. With seven markets under its umbrella, it is the largest of the big three associations that oversee 13 of the region’s farmers markets.

As a 501(c)3, the NFMA is governed by an 11-member board of directors, four of whom are farmers who sell at the markets. It employs eight full-time staff, including Director Chris Curtis, a 1973 graduate of the University of Washington, and has offices located in the University District.

FreshFinder and the NFMA are natural partners due to the organization’s reach and influence. In 2009, the NFMA collectively donated more than 47,000 pounds of fresh food to local food banks and in 2004 received the Mayor’s End Hunger Award in recognition of the work it does on behalf of the hungry in our communities. Clearly, this is an organization that cares about the greater good. Farmers markets play an important and valued role in our community, and their missions are simple: support local farmers, bring fresh, healthy food to the community, provide an opportunity for small business to sell their goods, and create a lively, family-friendly community activity.

By partnering with FreshFinder, the NFMA can bring farmers markets to an even greater audience. The application enhances the farmers market experience for existing customers and gives new shoppers the chance to interact with the market system before they go.

Promotion

Fresh Finder is perfectly positioned to tap into Seattle’s already successful farmers market community. Whether it’s the NFMA or King County’s PugetSoundFresh.org, there are plenty of organizations, websites and publications willing to help FreshFinder build a following. First, we must communicate with the farmers markets directly as well as the governing organizations to discuss the reasons why FreshFinder is a good thing for them to support.

We will build an interactive website that features the FreshFinder icon, logo and color scheme along with screen shots and links to share via Facebook, Twitter and email. All of the features will be listed along with a brief description of what the app can do. The site will take advantage of SEO tactics by using meta tags such as farmers market, fresh fruit and local produce. It will also house a Tumblr blog that updates users about forthcoming versions as well as farmers market news from around the region.

In reaching out to local organizations and publications that support farmers markets in Seattle, we’ll craft a social media press release that links to the website and includes the FreshFinder logo. GoDaddy.com shows the URL FreshFinderApp.com to be available, so we’ll purchase that to help with our marketing and branding efforts. In addition to targeting organizations such as the Washington State Farmers Market Association, we’ll contact The Seattle Times, Seattlepi.com, Seattle Weekly and Seattle Magazine, just to name a few.

FreshFinder will debut as a free application. It is a utility app that promotes many nonprofits in our area, and it should be made available to the widest possible audience. It will be easier to promote if it’s free, and considering our partners are the local farmers whom the markets are trying to keep afloat, the more eyeballs (and fingertips) we can get on FreshFinder the better. Our best bet for making that happen is to offer the application free of charge in the iTunes App Store.

Team: Erika, Kwame and Yun

The First Thursday iPhone app would help curious art lovers explore Seattle’s famous First Thursday art walk in Pioneer Square and learn more about local artists and their collections.  When First Thursday started in 1981, art dealers used to paint footprints on the sidewalk of to help guide people from gallery to gallery.  Since then, the art walk has since grown to cover over 54 blocks, leaving it hard to know where to start.  The First Thursday iPhone app would be the perfect pocket companion to the art walk, allowing you to easily view nearby galleries relative to where you are on a map.  It would also provide a quick way to view and search for participating studios and galleries, find out what their hours are, and learn about the artists and their art.

Rationale:

According to the First Thursday website, First Thursday in Pioneer Square is one of the first art walks in the United States.  It all started in 1981 when a group of Pioneer Square art dealers printed handout maps, did small-scale promotions, and painted footprints on the sidewalk on the first Thursday of the month.  Today, we find Pioneer Square remains at the heart of Seattle’s art scene with a wide range of art from sketches to mixed-media installations that often rotate month to month.  And on the first Thursday of every month, faceless brick buildings and studios big and small open their doors and transform Pioneer Square into one big, free art festival.  Arts and culture play an essential role in making Seattle a vibrant city bubbling with creativity, innovation, and opportunity that is a remarkable place to live, work and visit.

The art scene and community in Pioneer Square is also significant because it contributed to the urban renewal that occurred in an area which used to even be feared by police themselves.  The area north of Yesler Way, the main east-west street that runs through Pioneer Square once was known as “the Deadline,” the northern border of the “restricted district” where crime, drugs and prostitution filled the streets and buildings.  In the 1960s, rehabilitation of the neighborhood began and artists began to carve out space in the area.

An iPhone app could allow both locals and tourists to better explore and appreciate this vibrant and organic art scene and community.  It would provide an on-the-go tool where people can easily find and navigate to participating studios and galleries, and learn more about the art and artist.  The app would also help artists promote their work and connect with fans and buyers.

First Thursday does have a paper walking map and website, but it is pretty cumbersome to unfold the 20×30 poster-sized map and the website is not optimized for mobile devices.  Additionally, the map and website are not updated very frequently, so the information is static, pretty high level, and outdated.  For example, the venue page on the website for Noble Horse Gallery is still promoting an exhibit that ran from November to December of 2008.  And 619, a building that houses over 100 artists among its 6 stories is nowhere to be found on the walking map.  Even the website and walking map are at odds, listing different start times for First Thursday.  Additionally, the map is not widely distributed –this past First Thursday, it was only available in small quantities at a random table in Occidental Park.  An iPhone app would better serve the First Thursday explorer, because the information can be at your fingertips and much more dynamic– allowing you to look at a GPS-enabled map, filter for studios/galleries, and share and connect with others.

Audience:

The First Thursday’s audience is comprised of community-conscious art enthusiasts, art investors, and tourists in the area who come to experience the talent of local artists in the form of visual and performance arts.  Unfortunately, there is virtually no information on just who frequents the art walk.  We tried to get in touch with the Alliance for Pioneer Square who is listed as the contact for First Thursday for more information, but did not hear back.  It is difficult to gauge the exact number of attendees to First Thursdays each month due to the numerous indoor exhibitions from private galleries combined with public exhibits along the pioneer square streets and parks. Generally, based on observation alone Pioneer Square First Thursdays can attract hundreds of visitors each month.  It also tends to attract a wide variety of characters from people dressed in full costume for the occasion to those who just can’t pass up a free event.

Scope and key features:

Below, we have grouped major features of the First Thursday app into 3 different versions.  In version 1, we plan to focus on the surfacing basic navigation, venue and artist information, and sharing tools.  In version 2, we look to bring in more personalized and interactive features.  And in version 3, we look for partners that can broaden the reach of the app.

Version 1

Location Services: integration with Google maps to display venues closest to your current location

• Find artists and venues by category:
  • Art type
  • Art medium
  • Venues
  • Artists
• Venue and artist detail pages with basic information such as hours, address, description, and also UGC info like ratings, comments, and a photo gallery.
• Boolean search functionality
• About page that lists information about First Thursday, a link to the First Thursday website and a way to email in feedback and questions.
• Share options: share favorite artists and venues with friends through email, Facebook, and Twitter
• Save favorites: Bookmark favorite artists and venues that you want to follow or save by adding them to your Favorites folder

Version 2

• Incorporate nearby restaurants on the map
• Plan a specific art walk path and share this with friends
• Action sheet where you can connect with artists by email, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
• Push notification reminders for First Thursday and optional reminders for events by your favorite artist/venue

Version 3

• Integrate turn by turn technology to help guide people inside buildings
• Possible integration with FourSquare
• Possible integration with Seattle Art Museum
• Tastefully weave in advertisements for sponsors/advertisers

Screen shots:

Information flow:

Scenarios:

People who are visiting First Thursday would use the iPhone app for 4 core scenarios: 1. Locating nearby galleries, 2. Figuring out where the hot spots are, 3. Finding a specific type of art, 4. Saving and sharing favorites.

Scenario 1: Locating nearby galleries

Let’s say you’ve just found parking at 3^rd and Occidental (lucky you), and you’re excited to gallery hop, but are not sure where to start.  With the first Thursday iPhone app, you would simply click the “Nearby” tab, allow the app to find your location and then you would see a map with a blue dot showing your current location and red pins marking the studios/galleries closest to you.  Then, you could get more details on the studio/gallery and current art being showcased.  And when you’ve settled on the first destination, you just click on the address and it will help guide you there with walking directions.

Scenario 2: Figuring out where the hot spots are

It’s easy to miss a lot of the First Thursday gems – from an alley that has a buffet spread and a jazz singer to an exhibition and concert that salutes the female designers behind many great bands called “Thunderbitch.”  With the First Thursday app, you can get a better pulse on the hot spots by tapping the “Most popular” button on the home screen.  From there, you can browse the top rated studios and events. You can also access additional information about the exhibit and artist and then map out directions.

Scenario 3: Finding a specific type of art

Sometimes you’re on a mission….like finding the perfect painting to fill that big boring wall that is going to make or break the feng shui in your new apartment. You’re really into Japanese art, so you turn to the First Thursday iPhone app to quickly hunt down galleries to visit.

You can do this in 2 ways.  You can use the search box from the home screen and query “Japanese art” to see a list of results and then click, “Show all on map” to find the one nearest to you.

Or if you’re having second thoughts about Japanese paintings and want to see what your options are, you can start by selecting the “Browse Categories” tab and select the type of Art you are looking for: “Paintings.”  And then, you can view the list of studios and artists and read about and view samples of their art.

Scenario 4: Saving and sharing favorites

With First Thursday’s diverse range of art, you’re bound to find something you love.  With the iPhone app, you get to decide whether to keep it to yourself or tell the world about.  You can take photos of your favorite artwork and then post them to the venue details page.  Or rate the studio 1-5 stars and share comments with the community such as, “Loving Punch Gallery’s orange crush theme!  And, the free oranges and orange crush!”  You can also easily share a studio or artist page with friends through email, Facebook and Twitter.

To post a photo to the gallery page, you click on “choose  photo” and then pick the photo from your iPhone collection.

Data sources:

The First Thursday website and the Alliance for Pioneer Square would be our initial base for information about participating venues.  The website currently lists 86 venue profiles with a main photo, address, description, art category, typical hours, and sometimes featured exhibit.  Additionally, their website has a profile request form if you want to be listed in the participating venues section, so we would want to get access to submissions so we could also update the app.

However, since first hand use has shown that there is a lot of out to date information on the website, we are prepared for a lot of “door to door” information gathering.  There is an incentive for venues and artists to participate and update their information in the app to attract additional foot traffic and grow awareness of their art.  When we chatted with one of the vendors who had a mobile booth in Occidental Park, she agreed that most people would be happy to help give their information or at least a business card to get an app started.  The Dumbo Art under the Bridge Festival app, which we discuss below, leveraged participation from the artists and they received artist biographies, statements, photos and videos.

Lastly, we would want to invite the community to help keep information current and to flesh out information about the venues as they each often have their own quirks, styles and attractions.

Competing apps:

There aren’t any true competitors here, however, there are a few apps within the art industry that serve as good models and talking points for how this First Thursday app could function to solve some of the scenarios we outlined.

AMNH Explorer

This personal tour guide for the American Museum of Natural History in New York City has a number of features and design elements that we would look to leverage.  We plan to mimic the home screen design by showcasing art from a First Thursday artist in the background and having translucent overlay buttons that large enough to be finger-friendly.  Additionally, we like how the “Directory” tab screen displays a list with visual icons.    On the back of an exhibit card, you can open an action sheet to share through email, Twitter and Facebook, add a bookmark and mark that you’ve visited the exhibit.  They also have turn by turn directions to help you navigate through a digital floor plan of the museum to a given exhibit, which is something we would look to adopt in a later release of our app.

There are a few things that aren’t intuitive about the app – you need to press a small info button in the bottom right corner of the exhibit card to view the back of the card for the interactive features.  And when you select a specific exhibit, you lose the bottom nav bar and to get to the home screen, you need to press “Directory” or step your way back. You also need to connect to the museum’s wifi through your settings and safari first according to the video.   However, they do have a 3 minute video tutorial that walks you through all the key features and use cases of the app, which you can find off of the info button on nav bar, which was well done if you find it.  They also leveraged this video on their website, although it unfortunately falls below the fold of the page.  We also plan to create a video tutorial, which would serve as both a marketing tool and a how-to tutorial.

Dumbo Art under the Bridge Festival (Free in iTunes) – This app was created to help people navigate the 3 day art festival in Brooklyn.  The artist information in this app, including the artist vision, recorded statements, photos, and information about the project, was all submitted by the festival artists themselves.  Our goal would be to model leverage artist participation in the First Thursday app to get detailed artist pages and keep the date up to date. Additionally, we would leverage the photo gallery where you swipe your finger to view additional photos in full screen, and the sharing features on the artist page where you can easily send to a friend via Facebook and email.

Lastly, we would want to invite the community to help keep information current and to flesh out information about the venues as they each often have their own quirks, styles and attractions.

Competing apps:

There aren’t any true competitors here, however, there are a few apps within the art industry that serve as good models and talking points for how this First Thursday app could function to solve some of the scenarios we outlined.

AMNH Explorer

This personal tour guide for the American Museum of Natural History in New York City has a number of features and design elements that we would look to leverage.  We plan to mimic the home screen design by showcasing art from a First Thursday artist in the background and having translucent overlay buttons that large enough to be finger-friendly.  Additionally, we like how the “Directory” tab screen displays a list with visual icons.    On the back of an exhibit card, you can open an action sheet to share through email, Twitter and Facebook, add a bookmark and mark that you’ve visited the exhibit.  They also have turn by turn directions to help you navigate through a digital floor plan of the museum to a given exhibit, which is something we would look to adopt in a later release of our app.

There are a few things that aren’t intuitive about the app – you need to press a small info button in the bottom right corner of the exhibit card to view the back of the card for the interactive features.  And when you select a specific exhibit, you lose the bottom nav bar and to get to the home screen, you need to press “Directory” or step your way back. You also need to connect to the museum’s wifi through your settings and safari first according to the video.   However, they do have a 3 minute video tutorial that walks you through all the key features and use cases of the app, which you can find off of the info button on nav bar, which was well done if you find it.  They also leveraged this video on their website, although it unfortunately falls below the fold of the page.  We also plan to create a video tutorial, which would serve as both a marketing tool and a how-to tutorial.

Dumbo Art under the Bridge Festival (Free in iTunes) – This app was created to help people navigate the 3 day art festival in Brooklyn.  The artist information in this app, including the artist vision, recorded statements, photos, and information about the project, was all submitted by the festival artists themselves.  Our goal would be to model leverage artist participation in the First Thursday app to get detailed artist pages and keep the date up to date. Additionally, we would leverage the photo gallery where you swipe your finger to view additional photos in full screen, and the sharing features on the artist page where you can easily send to a friend via Facebook and email.

NY ArtBeat, an art and design events guide, allows you to find current and upcoming art events in New York City. We like the way that UGC content such as reviews and recommendations allow people to sort through the art events. We plan to leverage their “Most Popular” page, which would be based on user ratings to help people find the studios and galleries not to miss on First Thursday. People will be able to rate and add comments to the artist and venue detail pages, allowing them an outlet for them to contribute and share their experiences.

Artnear pro helps you find galleries and museums around the world, and browse and see images of current shows, openings and more.  We would model the First Thursday app’s “Favorites” tab functionality and design after their “Bookmarks” pages. We like the visual list and the ability to then view the details page. Our details page would also include sharing functionality.

Possible organization sponsor:

We would target the Pioneer Square Community Association as our government sponsor for the iPhone app.  PSCA is the core sponsor for the First Thursday art walk, artist’s market in Occidental Park, and the First Thursday website.

The mission and vision for PSCA align nicely with the goal of the First Thursday iPhone app.  The PSCA is a non-profit organization devoted to the betterment of Pioneer Square with a mission to create housing and community development opportunities in Seattle’s Pioneer Square neighborhood. Their funding is coming from the city, business and property owners, and the major sports franchises. Former Seattle mayor Charley Royer and Nitze-Stagen developer Kevin Daniels co-chair the group, which is operating under the slogan “New Energy for Seattle’s Historic Neighborhood.”

Support from the PSCA would also be quite practical since their website and the First Thursday website currently contains abundant information about the Pioneer Square district and art walk such as attractions, landmarks, local vendors, cafes and restaurants, bars, and more. These databases of information and the design elements from the First Thursday website could serve as a strong base for the iPhone app.

Other possible sponsors include CityArts, Seattle’s Convention and visitors Bureau, Seattle Art Blog, and City of Seattle – Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs, all of whom have supported the First Thursday website in some way.

Since the First Thursday app is aiming to providing a practical and social tool that can better boost awareness and participation in this local event, the benefit of the app will help to reach PSCA’s goals that making Pioneer Square the most unique, eclectic, and dynamic neighborhood in Seattle.

Promotion Plan

Partnering with local venues

We would partner with local art and tourist attractions and sites to get the word out offline and online about First Thursday and the new iPhone app.  Many local studios and tourist offices have websites, so we would ask them to help promote First Thursday and the app to their visitors.  To capitalize on their offline foot traffic, we would supply them with marketing materials such as postcards and posters that featured art from a selected First Thursday artist on one side and provided information about First Thursday and the new app on the other side.  Partners would include the hundreds of local art galleries and studios in the Pioneer Square area, museums, art and event magazines and sites, and tourist offices such as: Washington State Convention and Trade Center – Tourist Information Center, Seattle-King Count Convention and Visitors Bureau, Visiting Seattle, Getting Around Seattle, Seattle tourist info, Seattle Art blog, City Arts Magazine, The Stranger, Seattle Art Museum, and Frye Art Museum.

Letting the First Thursday crowd know

We would work with The Alliance for Pioneer Square to get prominent placement on the First Thursday website.  We would ideally want to get a banner module above the fold on the site in the top right corner (see snippet below with black outlined area) that introduces the new app and invites people to learn more and download it.

We would additionally create an “App” tab off the homepage that links to a stand-alone-page with a video that gives an overview of the apps top features and with a short description and list of key benefits. We would leverage the American Museum of Natural History’s iPhone app page and video as a model.  On our app detail page, we would also include a “Share this” button so that fans could easily share our app information with their friends through Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Digg, etc.

Additionally, we would set up a booth in Occidental Park for a few months to demo the app, hand out information, and create awareness around the app among attendees.  And we would want to send a special email alert or get prominent placement in the newsletter that goes out to the First Thursday mailing list.  We would work with local venues and artists to commission a poster that we would give out to the first 100 people that stop by the First Thursday app booth and to giveaway raffle off one of a kind art pieces autographed by the artist.

Generating chatter

The sharing features within the First Thursday app itself will help fuel awareness and promotion of First Thursday and the app through word of mouth marketing.  On the artist and venue pages, people can share a link to their favorites and a comment with their friends on Facebook, Twitter and email.  And in version 2 and 3 of the app, you will be able to share your favorite art walk paths with friends and the First Thursday app community and check-in in with FourSquare.

It appears that First Thursday is beginning to leverage social media, but we would want to expand its presence and try to sustain engagement through giveaways and secrete invites.  First Thursday already has a Facebook page, but it only has 18 fans, and does not have a Twitter account.  We would work to help get the fan base up and market First Thursday events and the iPhone app.  One idea would be to send out secret invites to fans for launch parties and concerts at First Thursday venues.  There are a number of Seattle bands and artists that we believe could draw quite the crowd from big names like Pearl Jam to indie artists like Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head.  Another idea would be to kick off a scavenger hunt where people would leverage the app to navigate from venue to venue and figure out clues.  If executed right and with sweet prizes, we think this could generate some great participation, chatter, and PR coverage.

Paid advertising & app review sites

Additionally, we would look to leverage existing promotion vehicles and advertising tactics.  We would submit our app to some popular iPhone application review and profiling sites such as: AppStoreApps.com, AppCraver, AppSafari for exposure.  Depending on sponsorship funding, we would also test paid search, mobile marketing, and buying ad space from various art magazines and newspapers.

• Housekeeping
• Guest Speaker : Jim Bricker
• GeekSpeak
• Lecture/Screenflow Practice
• Hands-On : Review Our Apps

Housekeeping

• Reading posts this week: Danielle (replacing the CC); Erika (value of website for promotion); Nicole (Advertising? Really? + AppStore); Sam (economic models); YunLi (The art of pricing)

Guest Speaker and GeekSpeak

• Guest Speaker: Jim Bricker, OrderPizza
• GeekSpeak: Danielle on SDK

Lecture/Screenflow/Final Project

• Heuristic Analysis (ppt, Slideshare)
• Screenflow exercise (pairs)
• Final Project (format)

Hands-On: Review Our Apps

• Round 1: PlaySpace reviews FreshFinder, FreshFinder reviews FirstThursday, FirstThursday reviews PlaySpace
• Round 2: PlaySpace reviews FirstThursday, FreshFinder reviews PlaySpace, FirstThursday reviews FreshFinder

Reviews should focus on helpful feedback and questions — especially questions! What would you say to your internal team if you were the agency reviewing this pitch? Would you recommend continuing development? Why or why not? Please jot these notes down electronically and send TO ME via email (subject line: iPhone Class – App Reviews). I will convey the feedback to the teams Tuesday when I include my comments, so they will be semi-anonymous.

Team Time

Next Steps

• Screen flow (wireframe draft) : due August 16 at 9 am
• Promotion plan (draft) : due August 16 at 9 am
• Class pitch : due August 16 at 6 pm
• Final application proposal (one per team) : Due Sunday 22 August at 6 pm. I will compile these into one document, so they need bio info (see the UGA New Media Lab project) and we need to agree on a format.
• See Our Projects post (which is also linked on assignments page)

Team: Derek, Nicole & Sam

Intro

Say you want rhubarb, fresh rhubarb. Not everyone sells rhubarb and some growers sell better rhubarb than others. Currently, there is nowhere to go on the iPhone for this information if you live in Seattle. FreshFinder plans on changing that.  This mobile application will be the go-to source for everything related to farmers markets in the Northwest.  A unique app with minimal competition, FreshFinder will quickly gain popularity as a resource for the growing community of farmers market’s devotees.

Scope

The FreshFinder mobile app connects consumers with the information they need to better explore Seattle’s thriving farmers market community. It will benefit both shoppers who need information “here and now” and those who do some planning. On a couch or at the bus stop, whenever a user needs to plan their next trip to a farmers market and see what’s in season, they can always access FreshFinder.

FreshFinder is a mobile guide to farmers markets in Seattle and plays the role of a tool, media, and social actor. It will answer such questions of users as: Who has the best produce and fruit? Which local growers and artisans are at each farmers market? What are they selling and at what times during the year? When are markets open? Where are they located? How do I get there?

Our application will be targeted to iPhone users and will exploit its GPS-feature for localization and multitouch map integration (Google Maps). FreshFinder is a hybrid mobile application that has a downloadable interface that communicates with a web-based database over the phone’s network connection to request information about recent changes of farmers markets schedule, locations, and user-generated feedback (comments, reviews).

The core function of FreshFinder is to display on phone screen what produce is in season and which farmers markets sell it with address provided. On the next stage of application development, this feature will be expanded with information about produce sold by each vendor.

The search function in the app allows users to instantly find the closest farmers market by food, arts/crafts, vendor, and user reviews. Results are displayed on Google Maps and integrated with GPS to calculate route to the farmers market.

Another feature of the app is a calendar displayed with highlighted days and hours of operation for each market. In addition, it shows a description (years in operation, parking, number of vendors and visitors, ownership) and contact information for each farmers market. This requires integration with iPhone built-in voice call and email services.

A social feature of FreshFinder allows users to leave comments and reviews about certain markets and/or vendors. Let’s say you met a nice couple selling homemade soap at the West Seattle Farmers Market. The soap is blowing your mind each and every morning. A person can leave a review about the soap, the vendors or the market, and users can take this recommendation to heart if they’re looking for soap. Heck, even if they’re not looking for soap this type of user-generated feedback can entice one to buy. The comments can be also shared via Facebook, Twitter.

On the next stage of mobile app development, FreshFinder’s comments and reviews could be used to create a “Best of…” feature that lists the top farmers markets to find certain fruits, vegetables, arts, crafts, trinkets and more.

Rationale

Farmers markets are a form of street market, oriented to support the retail trade of local grown products and to connect agricultural producers directly to consumers. The business is based on a new marketing approach and targeted to consumers who seek freshness, wholesomeness, and distinctiveness of products (Hinrichs, Gillespie, & Feenstra, 2004). Shopping at farmers’ markets has gained popularity in Washington in recent years.

Washington is among the top 10 states in the US with the fastest growing rate of farmers markets (USDA, 2010). According to the Farmers Market Report of King County Agriculture Program (2010), the number of farmers markets in King County has increased since the early 1990s:

- in 1999 – 9 markets,

- in 2009 – 39 markets.

Surveys also demonstrate that 85% of King County residents buy locally produced food more than once each year.  As much as 89% of these people buy this local produce from farmers markets.

This growing business attracts new farmers who want to sell at farmers markets. For instance, in 1993 the Seattle-based University District Farmers Market had 17 farmers and the Fremont Sunday Market had 8 farmers selling agricultural products. By 2009, this number has reached at least 250 farmers selling at farmers markets in the county. Of those, approximately 100 were King County farmers and the rest were from all over the Washington State. Sales at farmers markets have also grown dramatically – to $20-30 million in 2009 from approximately $3.5 million in 1999.

Studies show that farmers markets can play role of mediating social institutions that encourage social learning and innovation by farmers and vendors through engagement with customers (Hinrichs et al., 2004).

Consumer Embeddedness

Farmers markets, in comparison with large supermarkets, leverage consumption based on desire and satisfaction rather than necessity. Many studies show that consumer motivation for shopping at farmers markets is tightly connected to person’s lifestyle and consists of 3 reasons (Smithers, Lamarche & Joseph, 2008):

- the most significant motivation is the desire to support local farmers and sustainable agriculture, in general;

- the second reason is more materialistic – the need to buy qualitative food, and diversify shopping opportunities. These shoppers want to “get there early, get what you need and get out before the hordes arrive”;

- the third reason is the desire of social interaction and communication between friends and relatives, from the one side, and personal interactions between farmers and consumers, from the other.

Hinrichs et al. (2004) explain it: “Rather than the self-interested movements of atomized, “rational” economic actors, as assumed by neoclassical economics, economic behavior is embedded in and mediated by a complex, often extensive web of social relations.” The gaining popularity concept of embeddedness explains the motivation of consumers for shopping at farmers markets with desire to buy food produced locally and therefore fresh and healthier, in contrast with large supermarkets where food is delivered from distant places (Feagan & Morris, 2009).

Mary Embleton, director of the Cascade Harvest Coalition, confirms: ”According to recent public opinion research commissioned by King County, most consumers indicated a willingness to choose local produce if they were aware of where to find it and how to distinguish it from non-local items.”[1]

Another growing trend is agritourism when tourists perceive food as part of a travel experience, symbolic and ritualistic activity, especially during holidays or Sunday markets (for example, wine, cheese, and meat products).

Information Gap

The main feature and, at the same time, main disadvantage of farmers market is direct marketing approach in building consumer base. For instance, the main channels of advertising are world of mouth, roadside signs, flyers, brochures. Internet and mass media have relatively lower share due to limited marketing budgets of farmers markets (Logozar & Schmit, 2009). Thus, many new and small farmers markets face such obstacles as law visibility, lack of promotion and problems with customer base creation.

From the other side, consumers who did not shop at any farmers’ markets indicate among the major reasons for not attending farmers markets was that they didn’t have information about them in addition to “no farmers’ market around” (Govindasamy, Zurbriggen, Italia, Adelaja, Nitzsche & VanVranken, 1998).

In these circumstances, FreshFinder has double the benefit. From one side, it provides consumers with information about farmers markets in Seattle and King County and contributes to the promotion of these markets and expansion its customer base.

Overall, it is clear that the business of farmers markets in the Seattle area is booming and continuing to grow.  Creating an application that would tap into this cultural phenomenon would be a smart business move and would likely be well-received by the farmers market community as nothing like FreshFinder already exists.

Audience

They call Seattle the Emerald City, and that was before the metropolis of 617,000 went “green” with environmental civic pride. Ours is a community united in sustainable practices—from compostable coffee cups to the nation’s most expansive recycling program. It’s not just the people, either. It’s the politics. Seattle’s Office of Sustainability and Environment works to make the area a healthier place to live, and Mayor Mike McGinn (as pro-green as they come) recently traveled to Washington, D.C. to accept the city’s $20 million grant for energy efficiency and conservation programs.

Whew! That’s a lot to take in. But it’s a quick and necessary snapshot of the lives we live as Seattleites. Even if we aren’t “green” ourselves, we certainly know some people who are. There is so much to be proud of here, and our passion for local food and fresh produce is evident in Seattle’s robust farmers market community. There are at least a dozen weekly farmers markets in the greater Seattle area, not including iconic Pike Place Market downtown. Many of the city’s farmers markets pop up on the weekends and have been located in the same spot for years. They are part of the city’s fabric, and they are growing still.

Farmers markets attract a diverse crowd and so it’s important to identify the various types of shoppers as the FreshFinder audience.  A survey conducted in February of 2010 by the University of Illinois recognized five particular categories of people who regularly attend farmers markets: market enthusiasts, recreational shoppers, serious shoppers, low-involved shoppers and basic shoppers.  These categories bring to our attention that there are differing motivations for people to come to Farmers Markets – while some attend for weekly produce, others go for a social experience and some just love markets and supporting local vendors.  Despite the category of shopper a market attendee may fall into, FreshFinder will be a great resource as the mobile application will provide helpful information involving many different aspects of the markets.  For example, the most important thing to a market enthusiast would be knowing when, where and what time all local markets occur and this information would be readily available in the FreshFinder application.  To a serious shopper, the most useful information might be what produce is available at each market to ensure that they will find what they are seeking.  The attending vendors feature and community photo upload feature would help provide this information to that serious shopper.  The review feature will ensure that those in all five categories of farmers market shoppers will be able to find out which markets best fit their style of shopping and interests.

The study at the University of Illinois identified that freshness was the largest draw of farmers markets as opposed to regular grocery stores.  Therefore, those in the audience for our application are people who place importance on fresh foods.  As local foods tend to often be the freshest due to less shipping, our audience tends to gravitate towards local vendors.

While people of all ages attend farmers markets, multiple studies have shown that the largest percentage of attendees are over 51 years old.   FreshFinder targets multiple age groups, however this is the most crucial age group to focus on generating interest.  Unfortunately, only 17% of iPhone users are over 55 and this is one our greatest challenges.  It is our hope that the iPhone users in this age group accepts our application and that our application generates interest in farmers markets among younger generations.

Competitive Analysis

The most important thing to keep in mind when creating a new application is that it doesn’t matter if it is a new idea, as long as it’s the best in how it functions.  There is a small number of existing applications that center around farmers markets in the iPhone app store, however none of them offer all of the features included in FreshFinder and most do not service the greater Seattle area or the Pacific Northwest.  Below are the existing apps that are the most similar to FreshFinder and there direct competition.

California Farmers’ Market Finder (Darwin 3D, LLC):  This is the most robust farmers market resource available on in the iPhone app store.  At this time, it is restricted only to California, which makes it an indirect competitor of FreshFinder.  The biggest complaint discussed in app reviews is the limited cities the app is available in – FreshFinder would remedy this by growing and adding other markets other than Seattle.  The positive features of this application are that the database features over 500 markets, it lists locations/directions, the ability to filter by county in California and a feature where a user can enter a market update on the application and it automatically updates the related website.

Farmers Market Companion (J2 App Dev):  This application is also not a direct competitor to FreshFinder; however it offers many features that would compliment FreshFinder and work well with our locator feature.  This includes a veggie identifier, tips on how to select good produce, information on how to best store different fruits/vegetables, as well as recipes and tips on how to prepare market finds.  This application is available for $0.99.

Farmers Markets (Phlogistic Apps):  This application offers a market locater, which is the basis for FreshFinder, however it offers little else.  It provides the addresses of local markets and maps.  While this would suffice for “market enthusiasts,” it provides little information that a “serious shopper” would find useful.  This application is also available for $0.99.

Farmers’ Markets (Apptika, Inc): This iPhone application is the most expensive farmers market application and it sells for $4.99.  It is difficult to gain a solid understanding of the positives and negatives of this application as there are no reviews posted.  The description of this app states that its features include the addresses of local markets, what products are available at each market, the months/days/hours of operation, market contact information and the web address for each market.

Data Source

Considering FreshFinder is a hybrid mobile application that requests much of its information from a web-based database, the data it delivers to users is much deeper and far more detailed than would otherwise be available to a standard native application. This gives FreshFinder a wide range of possibilities and a roster of features that is unmatched in the mobile marketplace.

Most of the data used will come from outside sources, including nonprofits and government reports, though it will rely on updated information from the markets and vendors themselves to stay accurate and up to date. FreshFinder’s website can accomplish this task by maintaining a submission form for markets/vendors that automatically updates their information.

Here are FreshFinder’s features and a short explanation of where the application’s data will come from:

• Locate a farmers market nearby—Use existing GPS features to localize search and directions through Google Maps.
• Hours of operation and contact information—Available through the King County Agriculture Program’s annual Farmers Market Report and other online resources; users can make calls or send emails using the iPhone’s built-in voice call and email services.
• See which vendors are at each farmers market—This information is readily available online through multiple channels including the FMR and NWS; it will also take communication between the FreshFinder team and farmers market organizers.
• Find what each vendor is selling—Also readily available online; an easy-to-use submission/update feature must be included on the companion website so vendors/markets can keep this information current.
• Discover what’s in season—Washington state’s seasonal crops are widely known and can be input into the web-based database. Epicurious has an amazing interactive U.S. map with this information, and a localized version of this would be a nice addition to the FreshFinder roster.
• Search by food, arts/crafts, vendor, user reviews—This information can be pre-populated from within the application. If users want to search for strawberries, for example, the application would use the market/vendor information to relay the search results.
• Leave feedback and share via the Social Web—All of this data is user-generated and can be implemented through standard iPhone integration. Feedback/reviews must be stored on the web-based database, while adding Facebook and Twitter sharing is simply a matter of coding.
• Learn more about each market—Available through the FMR and by working with market organizers. This can include history, neighborhood information/location, number of visitors each year, etc.

A great deal of FreshFinder’s information is readily available online. Building the web-based database is certainly a time-consuming endeavor, but once it’s complete it will require less resources as vendors and organizers are indoctrinated to the submission process. This can be as simple as building a web-based form that can be updated whenever a vendor feels it’s necessary. Because many small farms and farmers struggle to reach a wide audience, a simple submission process via FreshFinder can work wonders for their marketing and reach. It will take time to implement this process, but it’s a worthwhile process that would benefit the vendors, markets and, most importantly, the consumers they are trying to reach.

Sponsoring Organization

There are nearly 40 farmers markets representing 250 farming families in King County alone.  Many of these families depend on the sales from farmers markets to remain on their land and continue farming. Many markets are nonprofit organizations, while others operate as part of a sponsoring organization such as the Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance or Kirkland Downtown Association. In Seattle, there are three associations that sponsor 13 farmers market—the Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance (NFMA) is the largest, with seven markets operating under its jurisdiction.

Though farmers markets are a countywide success story, FreshFinder seeks one sponsoring organization to take the lead in the mobile space. We recommend the NFMA as FreshFinder’s sponsoring organization, as it is the largest and most successful of the county’s farmers market associations. It is also the most tech-savvy of them all, according to Compete.com, with its website pulling in nearly 9,000 unique visitors per month as opposed to the 5,000 for the Washington State Farmers Market Association.

The NFMA is a 501(c)3 with an 11-member board of directors, four of whom are farmers who sell at the markets. It employs eight full-time staff, including Director Chris Curtis, a 1973 graduate of the University of Washington, and has offices located in the University District. The NFMA supports small farms and farming families by providing direct sales sites to small farmers. It also educates consumers about local farm products and the benefits of buying direct from local farmers. No arts and crafts can be found at any of the NFMA’s seven farmers markets, as vendors are only allowed in who sell local farm ingredients. This is referred to as a “producer-only” event, where farmers sell direct to their shoppers and earn the full dollar value of their products.

FreshFinder is a natural partner for the NFMA because of the organization’s countywide success, reach and influence. It is a community organization that was developed in response to the growing popularity and public support of the neighborhood farmers markets in Seattle. It does compete with other farmers markets, but the all-for-one, one-for-all mentality of the local farming community is what makes this movement so strong. The NFMA can bring some much-needed publicity to itself and its farmers markets by sponsoring FreshFinder for the greater good of farming families across Washington. In 2009, the NFMA collectively donated more than 47,000 pounds of fresh food to local food banks and in 2004 received the Mayor’s End Hunger Award in recognition of the work it does on behalf of the hungry in our communities.

Clearly, this is an organization that cares about the greater good. Partnering with FreshFinder would only help the NFMA’s marketing strategies while benefitting farmers markets across the city and small farms across the state. Farmers markets play an important and valued role in their communities, and their missions are similar despite their differences: support local farmers, bring fresh, healthy food to the community, provide an opportunity for small business to sell their goods, and create a lively, family-friendly community activity (FMR, 2010). It’s this last reason that makes FreshFinder’s case for an NFMA partnership strong. Curtis, who has been called the mother of Seattle’s farmers markets, said in a 2008 Columns magazine story: “Markets add value to the community on so many levels. They’re such a great way to support local farmers, a place to go see your neighbors. To slow down a little bit.”

By partnering with FreshFinder, the NFMA can bring the very best farmers market information to a wide audience. The application enhances the farmers market experience for existing and new customers in our region, and allows each market organizer to implement a targeted marketing strategy that increases awareness for their market and vendors.

References

Feagan, R. B. & Morris, D. (2009). Consumer quest for embeddedness: a case study of the Brantford Farmers’ Market. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 33, 235-243. doi:10.1111/j.1470-6431.2009.00745.x

Govindasamy, R., Zurbriggen, M., Italia, J., Adelaja, A., Nitzsche, P. & VanVranken, R. (1998). Farmers Markets: Consumer Trends, Preferences, and Characteristics. #36722, P Series. Rutgers University: Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics. Retrieved from http://econpapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:rutdps:36722

Hinrichs C.C., Gillespie G.W., & Feenstra G.W. (2004). Social Learning and Innovation at Retail Farmers Markets. Rural Sociology, 69, 31-58. doi:10.1526/003601104322919892

Jarosz, L. (2008). The city in the country: Growing alternative food networks in Metropolitan areas. Journal of Rural Studies, 24(3), 231-244. doi: 10.1016/j.jrurstud.2007.10.002

King County Agriculture Program. (2010). Farmers Market Report. Retrieved from http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/waterandland/agriculture/documents/farmers-market-report.aspx

Logozar, B. & Schmit, T.M. (2009). Assessing the Success of Farmers’ Markets in Northern New York: A Survey of Vendors, Customers, and Market Managers. #55941, EB Series. Cornell University: Department of Applied Economics and Management, http://econpapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:cudaeb:55941

Smithers, J., Lamarche, J., & Joseph, A. E. (2008). Unpacking the terms of engagement with local food at the Farmers’ Market: Insights from Ontario. Journal of Rural Studies, 24(3), 337-350. doi: 10.1016/j.jrurstud.2007.12.009

USDA (Aug. 4, 2010). USDA Announces that National Farmers Market Directory Totals 6,132 Farmers Markets In 2010. Retrieved from USDA website

Wakeman, I., Light, A., Robinson, J., Chalmers, D., & Basu, A. (2010). Bringing the Virtual to the Farmers’ Market: Designing for Trust in Pervasive Computing Systems. In Trust management. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-13446-3_17

Wooldridge, D. (2010). The business of iPhone app development: making and marketing apps that succeed. New York: Apress.

Zepeda, L. (2009). Which little piggy goes to market? Characteristics of US farmers’ market shoppers. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 33(3), 250-257. doi:10.1111/j.1470-6431.2009.00771.x