URBN Steamlab started 12 years ago as a trans-disciplinary research collaboration between, a plant biologist and microbiologist, and an architect and design thinker, both then faculty in Philadelphia, PA. The two women researchers share a vision for healthy urban living and use principles of design thinking to lead this group based on a STEM to STEAM (STEM + Arts) philosophy and focus. In their research and development (R&D) they focused on translational strategies and devices for healthy urban living. This project is where STEM and Arts (STEAM) come together, and our device, Garden Fresh Home (GFH, patent pending), is a product of this STEAM collaboration and innovation. GFH acts as a testbed for Insightful design thinking (Nicholas 2023), a design thinking process that brings both community and entrepreneurship to bear in innovative thinking and workforce development for early career students and alumni. The device itself allows urban and suburban householders to grow their own produce within their home to supplement their diets. GFH also allows for year-round “gardening” despite cold climates and is ideal for families with food sensitivities and allergies who can control what is added to the growing plants. GFH can be used to educate people of all ages on how to grow their own plant-based food and on healthy eating. It is easy to use, cost effective, and provides accessible “gardening” for seniors and those with limited mobility. In this paper, we describe and discuss the R&D and commercialization process needed to bring our GFH product to market, while working with and mentoring an incredibly talented team of students, faculty, and alumni.
Through the development of this device this team has been able to assess and understand the needs of residents for healthy food options. This knowledge has directly driven the customer discovery for the prototype development. This paper will cover the development of the device through customer discovery and a pilot program with our community. Also described here will be observational and participatory research with students, alumni, and several residents of a North Philadelphia neighborhood with aging rowhomes in need of outdoor space, healthy food access, and support to age in place. The GFH current customer discovery model and prototype features are directly tied to both the observational research and participatory research and Job training for a wide variety of students and alumni described here.

Keywords: Healthy Eating, STEAM, Collaborative Innovation, Customer discovery, Community Health, Design Thinking.