Asking "What should we eat?" is a common dilemma for many people, especially when it comes to deciding what to eat for lunch, dinner, or even for a party. To address this issue, I conducted research and gathered insights from people around me. The result of my efforts is the creation of an application called "Flavor" which helps people discover new and delicious dishes effortlessly.
Flavor is a user-friendly application that simplifies the food selection process by providing a range of options tailored to individual preferences. Users can input filters such as dietary requirements, ingredients, and cuisine type, or utilize the random feature for a surprise meal selection. With Flavor, deciding what to eat has never been easier.
User Research
Visuals
Interactions
Prototyping
Usability Testing
FigJam
Figma
Adobe Illustrator
3 Weeks
(Feb 2023)
To understand the problem, I conducted random interviews and observations with people in real-life situations. I asked common questions that led them to think about their needs, starting with "what should you eat?" to put them in a real situation. Then, I asked "why can't you make a decision?" to try to understand the reasons behind their indecisiveness. Finally, I asked "why did you choose this meal?" to gather insights that could lead to potential solutions.
I discovered there were three main reasons behind their decision.
Before I design the solution, it's important to understand what users need. That's why I take a closer look at how potential users think and behave. I use two tools to help me gain a better understanding of their needs and develop products that meet those needs.
Before finding a solution to the user's needs, I make sure that the solution I develop has the potential to solve their problems and does not already exist. This is important even after understanding user needs and getting insights from them.
So, I decided to use the Product-Market Fit tool to validate whether the product I'm developing meets the needs of the market I'm targeting.
After completing the Empathy Map process, I identified some key takeaways regarding user needs.
Based on research data and user needs, I found that many apps have already addressed food discounts, promotions, restaurant reviews, and recommendations. Therefore, I decided to focus on solving the problem of time consumption when users select their meals.
This user persona represents the collective characteristics of the users I surveyed, and can be used as a guide to better understand the needs and preferences of those who are interested in finding new and unique dining experiences, while also seeking to control their nutrition and accommodate any dietary restrictions or medical conditions they may have.
Before diving into the design process, I selected the platform to build the tool on. Considering that the majority of users tend to use mobile phones while searching for food, I decided to build a mobile application.
I generated three ideas, but ultimately decided on the food matching application because I prioritised a tool that helps users make informed decisions and saves them time during their food search.
Once I finalised the food matching application as the best solution idea, I began to create a flow to outline the necessary features, pages, and options needed before moving on to sketching the prototype.
During the ideation process, I carefully considered how to optimise the user's time when selecting food and how to allow for adjustments to dietary preferences. I ultimately decided to implement a swiping card model, where users can quickly make decisions one-by-one per card and select yes or no to reduce the number of choices presented to them. As I began creating the flow, I identified the necessary features, pages, and options before proceeding to sketch out the prototype.
While sketching the low-fidelity wireframe, I also considered the secondary pain points of the user, such as going out to hang out. Therefore, I included a hangout feature in the design. Then, I created the first prototype for usability test and received feedback from users.
Before I proceeded to create the clickable prototype, I conducted a paper testing to get feedback from users. The objective was to test the core feature idea and observe their reactions.Here are some feedback I received from user testing, which were helpful in developing the next prototype.
Solution : After conducting usability testing on the first prototype, I redesigned my solution to focus on the main features and separated the "Hangout" feature for future development when the application has a sufficient user base.
I created a medium-fidelity wireframe using Figma and added interactive elements for usability testing. The goal was to ensure users could navigate through the core features and complete the task.
The user tasks were as follows:
By conducting this testing, I was able to gather feedback and identify any issues or pain points users may have encountered during the process.
After user testing the clickable prototype, I identified several areas for improvement.
Users expressed a desire for a next step after swiping, such as the ability to order food online or navigate to the restaurant
As I decided not to create a food delivery application, I can address this issue by integrating my service with external or existing delivery services to provide a seamless user experience.
Users also expressed interest in a feature that would immediately suggest a random food option, rather than having to make a decision themselves.
I agree with this suggestion and have implemented the random feature by using the same algorithm as the swipe card feature to randomly select a final card from the entire card deck or filtered card.
Users found the text field difficult to use and suggested using a dropdown to avoid misspellings or the ability to input custom words.
Maintaining the current design, I will collaborate with the development team to implement a dropdown selection instead of a text field to prevent users from entering custom keywords.
I want the mood of my app to feel healthy, organic, clean, and natural, so I've decided to use a green tone mixed with white to create a bright appearance.
I have chosen green as the primary color for my app, which I will mix with a monochromatic tone to create a cohesive aesthetic. Additionally, I will use a sans-serif font to maintain a clean and simple look throughout the design.
I transformed my prototype into a high-fidelity wireframe using the style guide I had created.
Once I completed the high-fidelity wireframe, I conducted a series of tests with real users to get their feedback on the design. By observing users interact with the wireframe, I was able to identify any usability issues, inconsistencies, or other potential problems that needed to be addressed.
Users may want to retry the random process multiple times to see all available options and make an informed decision
To select multiple options, I suggest using the swipe feature. For random options, I may limit the number of attempts or implement a cooldown period. While I want to reduce decision-making time, I will not let users make the infinitely random.
Users may require some guidance during their first use of the app, particularly if they are not familiar with the swiping card interaction.
I created a tutorial that users can follow step-by-step, with the option to skip or replay at any time.
Due to this being my personal project, it won't have any development phase. However, in the case of a real project, I would plan the next feature launch like this
I want to enhance my user empathy skills by learning more about user research tools and conducting more research. In this project, I realized that I tend to jump to solutions without proper user research, so I recognize the need for more training in this area.
During the prototype stage, I can improve my process by focusing more on user research. As a graphic designer, I tend to get sidetracked with alignment and sizing while creating 'Medium-Fidelity-wireframes,' which is not always necessary at that step.
