Indie Platforms

This project investigates the overlooked world of independent (“indie”) food delivery platforms beyond giants like Uber Eats and DoorDash. By analyzing data from 495 platforms and surveys from 29, we uncovered their focus on personalized service, fair rates, and community responsibility. However, technical limitations, like reliance on off-the-shelf software, hinder their growth. Our findings map the indie platform landscape, highlight their challenges, and propose opportunities for HCI research to support sustainable, locally-driven alternatives.

Our research highlights the resilience of these platforms as viable alternatives to mainstream delivery services, emphasizing their unique values and challenges. Despite plans to expand, indie platforms struggle with operational issues like a lack of couriers and low order volumes. We propose that HCI researchers focus on developing public-interest technologies tailored to the needs of indie platforms, enabling them to better align with their community-oriented goals and overcome technical and operational barriers. This work underscores the importance of designing sustainable, locally-driven solutions for a more equitable food delivery market.

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