Identifying The Problem
So one day I had this date, we agreed to go finally meet up but it was always that question of where. Being an international student you don’t really have that many friends coming in so you don’t really know what the best spots in the city are. However, as time went along and I started building friendships and relationships I noticed something. Even among those who lived in the city for years the question still is a persistent hurdle to get over. It seemed almost inescapable.
Overview
Food Bae is the secret to the universe, a solution to the problem every human being has endured at least faced once in their life. A problem faced by many relationships, stoners, picky eaters and celebrities alike. Answering the oh-so ominous question of what to eat.
Task: Propose a solution that uses data from user eating habits to provide options
Where do we go from here?
After identifying the common problem after hours of research and memes I decided to be the madman that takes the challenge on. My first step after identifying the problem was brainstorming questions. Yes before I could even think of my sketch or even open an Illustrator file I had to sit down and think.
Streamlining Objectives
After brainstorming I wanted to see what goals can I used to flesh out the app’s features. What was my Vision, Mission and Product Goals? What features did I feel were necessary to accomplish this?
Stick to The Script or Maybe not?
After coming up with the idea to address a validated common problem. Then thinking of essential questions that would be needed to ask for instance if you have a peanut allergy; I decide to do some Field Research to see what features would average person be expecting and comfortable with. Thus a Script was born
Takeaways for Scripted Interviews
Emailing someone questions is not as effective as sitting down and having an actual discussion.
A participant is more inclined to converse if you offer some Starbucks.
If you are doing a video call in the morning don’t expect the participants to have their camera on.
30mins was considered a bit long
When it comes to eating in a group setting majority rules
At a new restaurant so people would search online for the menu but if all fails the cheapest option is default
Most participants rather do research on the restaurant for themselves when it comes to the first date
Everyone thinks of the secondary function of a home recipe generator is interesting but don’t seem very keen in their tone.
Based on a True Story?
Sure everyone needs to eat but who exactly are my target audience? Only way to find out is to ask!
Amelia Miller
Primary use case: Wants to learn new recipes to cook meals for her self and the family.
Needs: Tools to help log ingredients and suggest recipes based on what she has in the home.
Samuel Freeman
Primary use case: Wants to help his girlfriend decide what to eat because she never knows when she is hungry.
Needs: Ability to easily track eating habit and suggest food based on the food you like.
Jim and Kylie
Primary use case: Matched on dating site, but Jim is vegan
Needs: Ability to quickly look for a good place for the first date that has vegan and non-vegan options available.
Sketch First Wireframe Later
Sketching although not getting the exact design from mind to paper is a great way to prevent forgetting great ideas. Sometimes you get super focused on the padding of a rectangle that you get distracted from more important things like your design solutions.
Nothing Is Worst Than Good Idea Not Expressed
As you probably can tell from the personas I am still pursuing the dating app feature. Why if talking to a few participants showed they weren’t too thrilled about it. Well, the answer is simple... during this time I was using dating apps and matching with my fair share of people. The common thread of knowing where to eat is prevalent in that community. You realise that the answer is there but you have to look in the right place. Rather than make it an independent feature it is a utility within Tinder like how Spotify allows you to share a playlist.
Prototypes and Critiques a Designer’s Fix
I made some improvements to the Low-Fi screens and made them Mid-Fi and began prototyping. From this, I began the initial testing and real-world exposure of my prototype. I got my hands dirty with I learnt that many people don’t have an allergy or dietary information within their Medical ID so this solution was seen as a possible iteration but less practical at the current time of the case study.
A New Frontier A/B Testing Find Out C Is The Best Option
Findings:
From further testing of the prototype. I was able to test 2 different iterations of the onboarding/ profile creation process. Through this, I was able to find out a way to combine the best aspects of the A & B.The infinite scroll form was easier for participants when they wanted to change or check over their answers without going through multiple screens. The progress page helped participants feel motivated when completing the form because they saw their gradual progression. I also learnt everything does not have to live in a dropdown
Solutions:
Implementation of markers within the infinite scroll to gradually tell a participant that they are at a question numbered out of the amount left.
Info was organised based on a rule of 3’s. Options with any responses that have 3 or less became a button; any option with 3 or more responses became a dropdown. This little structure in the design was me getting my foot wet in constructing a design for the system.
Prototype V2 Architecture
I made some improvements to the Low-Fi screens and made them Mid-Fi and began prototyping. From this, I began the initial testing and real-world exposure of my prototype. I got my hands dirty with I learnt that many people don’t have an allergy or dietary information within their Medical ID so this solution was seen as a possible iteration but less practical at the current time of the case study.
