Uncovering Gig Worker-Centered Design Opportunities in Food Delivery Work

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The gig economy and digital labor platforms, such as food delivery, have become essential while also troubling the current socioeconomic landscape. Delivery platforms promise entry-level work, flexibility, and other benefits. However, researchers remain divided on if these platforms benefit workers and society at large. This study aims to shed light on the comprehensive challenges in food delivery work, uncovering gig worker-centered design opportunities to improve the lives of food couriers. Adopting an exploratory research process, we analyzed 19 ride-along food delivery videos and performed nine semi-structured interviews with food couriers in Portugal. Our findings illustrated the complexity and challenging nature of delivery work due to the entangled physical, digital, social, natural, and human factors. We captured and discussed gig worker-centered opportunities that surfaced from work challenges, echoing the needs of food couriers about supporting work, justice, inclusion, and work vision.