ROLE
TEAM
Team of 5
TIMELINE
Aug - Dec 2022
UX Design
Led the Hooked framework approach. Brainstormed ideas and features with the team. Collaborated with engineers to check the feasibility of the features. Wireframing and Prototyping.
UX Research
Conducted 3 structured and two unstructured interviews with the team. Worked on the research analysis. Created moderator script with the team. Moderated two testing sessions.
Visual Design
Led the mood board creation. Collaborated with team members to create a color palette for this app. Created a mini-design system by creating essential components with variants. Documented color, typography and component guidelines.
Add meals easily with the shortcut on the home screen.
Users do not have to put every information manually they can just use the scanning option.
Users can create their own recipes and save it as a shortcut for the future use.
The simplified dashboard allows users to easily track their progress and access previous data.
The most important information, such as calories and macros, is presented in an easy-to-understand manner.
Users can quickly review and modify each meal on both the home screen and dashboard screen with just one tap. Chips are used to showcase different types of meals such as breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner.
Users can easily find recipes by using the search bar and applying filters to refine their search.
The recipes page offers tailored recipe suggestions, and users can refresh the page to see more options.
The app can help users avoid food waste by tracking items in their pantry and notifying them of recipes that use ingredients that are close to expiration.
The pantry section helps users manage their perishable food items with ease.
Users can add their food items to the pantry by using their default grocery app or by scanning the items directly.
The pantry section features a simple UI that allows users to track the condition of their perishable items using chips and sections.
The app is designed for Young Adults, and after conducting research, we found out that users enjoy sharing their progress with friends.
The social sharing feature allows users to share their goals with their friends easily.
The app's chat feature allows users to motivate or remind their friends to stay on track with their goals or receive motivation from their friends.
Survey
To understand how users perceive nutrition tracking and understand their goals surrounding it we conducted a survey to find patterns. We got 41 responses consisting of multiple choice and written answers.
Semi-structured Interviews
We conducted 8 interviews to understand specific user challenges and reasons surrounding their food consumption
Comparative Analysis
To compare and analyze effective solutions existing in the market, we looked into the primary features of 4 prevalent applications in the market from three major perspectives - motivation, support, and data input process. We then summarized the strengths and weaknesses of each product to get insights into what we can do.
After analyzing the information gathered, we have divided the pain points identified into 4 categories using affinity mapping. Here are the key findings.
Time and Effort
Users prefer convenience over health and often resort to frozen food, ordering out, or snacking on junk due to lack of time.
Busy schedules often lead to skipping meals or changing meal plans.
Users give up tracking their diet as it is mundane and requires effort.
Recipe Suggestion
Users are looking for new and healthy recipes to achieve their goals but find it hard to decide from the many choices available.
Lack of awareness on alternatives leads to repetitive dishes.
Difficulty estimating quantity and preferring different instruction formats based on experience level.
Support
Difficulty in keeping track of groceries leads to food wastage.
Nutrition facts are hard to read and understand.
Unaware of the healthiness of food in restaurants.
Awareness
Users are unsure if maintaining a balanced and nutritious diet is worth the effort.
Based on our insights and observations from the research methods, we created three personas that captured the essence of our users and their characteristics.
Triggers
The first part of the Hooked framework is Triggers. To create external triggers, we utilized notifications to remind users to take action towards their goals. By making notifications actionable, users are encouraged to return to the app and engage with it. We also addressed internal triggers such as lack of motivation or confusion about meal ideas through features like social sharing and recipe suggestions. These features help to keep users engaged with the app and provide them with the support they need to achieve their goals.
Actions
Nutrigenie's app effectively addresses users' psychological discomfort in the action phase by providing very specific instructions that can be accessed with a single tap. Simple onboarding process can give users perfect fitness goals. Users can easily log their meals through a shortcut and divide them into categories. The Pantry and Recipes sections work together to offer users customized recipes, helping them to avoid food wastage. Additionally, users can log food items or recipes easily with clear calls-to-action (CTAs), making the process more streamlined and efficient.
Rewards
The next phase in the Hooked framework is variable rewards. Nutrigenie's app incorporates circular micro-interactions that provide users with a sense of accomplishment, making them feel rewarded for their efforts. The app's intuitive user interface also motivates users to complete their goals. Instead of using corny badges like other apps, we explored the idea of partnering with grocery stores like HEB and Target. After users achieve certain milestones, they could receive discounts on healthy products, which would incentivize them to continue using the app. This partnership would also allow the app to access nutritional data from these stores, making it easier to scan barcodes and provide users with more accurate information.
Investment
As users continue to log their meals in Nutrigenie's app, it will become smarter and more personalized. This is known as the investment phase in the Hooked framework. By consistently entering data, users are storing value in the app, which will lead to better health notifications and more accurate recipe suggestions. Users can easily track their progress through simple data visualizations. Additionally, the social sharing feature helps users feel connected and supported throughout their journey, reducing the feeling of isolation and promoting long-term engagement with the app.
Based on the four major user flows we decide to do usability testing at three different stages so that we incorporate user feedbacks to our final solution.
User Testing 3
Insights from Tests
During our user testing process, we moderated tests and gave participants three different tasks to perform, followed by a Q&A session. For the final test, we used usertesting.com and tested with 10 participants.
The results were promising, with 8 out of 10 participants successfully completing the tasks and only 2 participants needing some assistance. After all the three testings, 81.3% of participants found the app extremely useful, and 89.5% believed it would help them achieve and maintain their fitness goals. These positive outcomes demonstrated the effectiveness of our design and the potential for its success in the market.
A successful product requires the convergence of Desirability, Feasibility, and Viability. Our team ensured that all three aspects were considered for this app by conducting surveys, interviews, and research for Desirability, and collaborating with developers and engineers for Feasibility.
To ensure the Viability of the app, we discussed various ideas such as integrating Google Ads or offering premium models with additional features, but we realized that these are common practices adopted by other apps. Instead, we plan to explore partnerships with stores like HEB or Target to promote their healthy products on the app, generating revenue while providing users with healthier options.
Our focus on Desirability, Feasibility, and Viability has enabled us to create an innovative and sustainable product that will not only help users achieve their health goals but also generate revenue for the business.
Balancing functionalities and simplicity
Throughout the project, we encountered challenges in providing multiple functionalities without cluttering the UI. Our user testing sessions helped us identify confusing aspects and the necessary changes. We realized the importance of multiple iterations to refine our design and provide the best possible user experience.
Iterate, Iterate and Iterate
As we progressed through the project, we realized that our initial designs did not fully meet the user's needs. We conducted several rounds of iterations based on user feedback, and each iteration brought us closer to a more user-friendly and effective solution. The iterative process allowed us to refine and improve our designs, resulting in a final product that better met the user's needs and exceeded our original expectations.
UI Kit or Design System goes a long way
One of the key learnings from our collaboration was the importance of having a UI kit or design system in place. We found that our designs lacked a common product language, which led to misunderstandings and inefficiencies. By creating a small design system with usage guidelines, we were able to establish consistency across our designs and improve overall productivity.
Mayur Salunke, 2023