PROCESS
The goal is to develop a practical and affordable app that connects international students and busy professionals with local chefs who can either cook in the user's homes or deliver homemade meals. There is a LOT that happened to reach the goal, but my overall process can be broken down into these sections:
Understanding the Project
Research
Designs and Feedback
Understanding the Project
Identified a common problem among students needing convenient, customised homemade meals.
Designed an all-in-one meal platform connecting users with local cooks for personalised dining experiences.
Conducted competitive research to understand existing patterns and enhance the app's usability and appeal.
Research
In order to understand the users needs and pain points, I conducted interviews and surveys using Google Forms with two groups of people. One represents cooks and the other represents the users. The app should be
Affordable
Customization
Diverse Cuisines
Student Discounts
Gamification
Homely Feel
Easy Scheduling
Host-Friendly
Empathy maps, personas and user journey maps were created from affinity diagrams
I brainstormed features, sketched ideas, refined them, and tested with users to enhance the app's experience.
Mood Board & Branding
Logo
The house symbolizes comfort and warmth, the plate represents delicious cuisine, and the fork and spoon signify culinary artistry and sharing food within the app.
Sarah, International student
John, Busy professional
Jaime, retired chef
Affordability: Needs budget-friendly meal options.
Convenience: Requires easy access to order and receive meals.
Variety: Desires a range of meal choices, especially traditional and homemade.
Efficiency: Wants quick and hassle-free meal ordering and delivery.
Healthy Options: Prefers nutritious meals to maintain a balanced diet.
Customisation: Needs to customise meals
Opportunity: Seeks a platform to reach new clients and grow their business.
Flexibility: Desires the option to choose when and where to cook or deliver.
Feedback: Wants to receive reviews and improve their service.
Feature list
Smart Pick-up
Student Discounts
Earn coins with every order
Dine in with the cooks
Seasonal Menu
Nutritional Info
Meal planning tips
Photos of Fresh ingredients
Designs & Feedback
Dine in with cooks
Your favourite cooks
Stories by cooks
Daily and weekly meal plans
Cook's page
Food customisation
Hosting a party? Worried about cooking?
You can invite our cooks home. They will cook your delicious homemade meals for you!
I also collaborated with my fellow students in the process of user testing and getting their feedback. The feedback was very useful and positive. These feedbacks were an important part of getting my designs to a place where they were worked visually and functionally.
LESSONS LEARNED
Set research standards: Established transparent methodologies as a model for future projects.
Avoid assumptions: Challenge conclusions with a thorough understanding of user motivations.
Embrace iteration: Iterative design driven by continuous feedback loop.
Document meticulously: Detailed notes and KPI tracking for informed decision-making.
Learn from experience: Prioritise prototyping and blend analytics with qualitative insights.
Conclusions
I'm satisfied with our progress given the timeline. It's a promising start for the app, hinting at its untapped potential. Moving forward, I aim to expand its capabilities into a comprehensive ecosystem meeting diverse platform needs.