Project overview
The Foodview app allows users to review the dishes they ate and discover new restaurants where they can go.
It also allows every restaurant to know what to improve.
Duration: 1 month, 06/2021
My role: UX designer designing an app from conception to delivery.
Responsibilities: Interviews, paper and digital wireframing, low and high-fidelity prototyping, conducting usability studies, accounting for accessibility, and iterating on designs.
User Research
I conducted interviews and created empathy maps to understand the users I’m designing for and their needs. A primary user group identified through research was adults who want to share their opinion about the dishes they ate.
This user group confirmed initial assumptions about customers, but research also revealed other user problems including obligations, interests, or challenges that make it difficult to share their opinion about a dish.
Pain points
Opinion: not everybody is capable of sharing his opinion about a dish.
Accessibility: platforms for reviewing are not equipped with assistive technologies.
Shareability: peoples want to know what others think.
Wireframe
Taking the time to draft iterations of each screen of the app on paper ensured that the elements that made it to digital wireframes would be well-suited to address user pain points.
As the initial design phase continued, I made sure to base screen designs on feedback and findings from user research.
The easy review method was a key user need to address in the designs in addition to equipping the app to work with assistive technologies.
Low-fidelity prototype
Using the completed set of digital wireframes, I created a low-fidelity prototype. The primary user flow I connected was to select a dish and review it, so the prototype could be used in a usability study.
View the Foodview low-fidelity prototype.
Usability studies
I conduct two moderated usability studies with 5 participants (2 males, and 3 females) between the ages of 18 and 58. The study was remote and each session lasts 10 to 15 minutes.
The finding from the first study helped guide the designs from wireframes to mockups. The second used a high-fidelity prototype and revealed what aspects of the mockups needed refining.
Round 2
the review system should have an information tip or tutorial.
users want a menu.
Round 1
users want to know how to start.
users want a simple review method.
users want to read what others reviewed.
Mockups
Early designs allowed for some customization, but after the usability studies, I added a search bar and a button. I also revised the design so users had a better look when they first land on the screen.
The second usability study revealed frustration with the review method. I added a tutorial so users can understand it easily. The usability study showed that the users wanted to read what others wrote. I added the number of reviews next to the stars and a screen with all the reviews.
High-fidelity prototype
The final high-fidelity prototype presented cleaner user flows for reviewing a dish. It also allows users to read reviews from others.
View the Foodview high-fidelity prototype.
Accessibility considerations
Provided access to users who are visually impaired by adding alt text to images for screen readers.
Used icons to help make navigation easier.
Used detailed imagery from the dishes to help all users better understand the design.
The app makes users feel like the restaurants really care about what users think about their dishes.
One quote from peer feedback: “The app made it really easy to give an opinion about a dish. It’s fast, easy, and fun.”
While designing the Foodview app, I learned that the first ideas for the app are only the beginning of the process. Usability studies and peer feedback influenced each iteration of the app’s designs. I also learned how to empathize with users and build an inclusive design.