UX Case Study.
I’m passionate about using user-centered approach to enrich people interaction with technology, making their lives easier and more enjoyable.
I love the challenge of redefining problems and crafting solutions that improve user engagement with products or services.
MealSaver is the ultimate meal planning companion app that offers personalised meal plans, a wide variety of recipes, and access to budget-friendly grocery lists from UK stores. Our goal is to enhance people's lives by providing convenient features that help them discover delicious, healthy, and affordable meals, making meal planning easier and more enjoyable than ever before.
My role
User research
Interviews
User flows
UI Design
Lo-fi and Hi-fi wireframing
Usability studies
Prototyping
Tools
Figma
Photoshop
Illustrator
Microsoft Power Point
THE PROBLEM
Families and professionals face significant obstacles in balancing their busy schedules with the need to prepare meals
The rising cost of living further adds to the stress, making it difficult to plan and afford healthy food choices. Consequently, many people resort to quick, convenient but often unhealthy alternatives such as fast food and frozen meals, leading to negative impacts on their health and well-being.
THE GOAL
To revolutionise the meal planning and nutrition by providing a comprehensive platform
MealSaver recognises the need for a solution to the challenges faced by families and individuals. The platform simplifies the process of customising affordable, nutritious meals based on users’ unique preferences. By helping users make healthier food choices and develop sustainable eating habits.
The design process
Research stage
DATA SOURCE
According to “The Food and You Survey" conducted by UK government research in 2018:
Responsibility for Cooking: 90% of respondents reported responsibility for cooking or preparing food at least once a day.
Trying New Foods: 75% of individuals aged 16-64 agreed with the statement, "I like trying new things to eat."
Additional research from Vypr in 2023 shows that above 40% of people make everything from scratch, while 25% use a pre-prepared element when preparing food at home.
PRIMARY RESEARCH
To kick off the research phase, I started with primary research by immersing myself in online forums, datas, and market trends. This helped me understand the current landscape and business constraints. I also conducted observations of local eating patterns and contexts, noting that residents often opt for meal deals, have a quick lunch, or skip lunch, often eating in their cars or while walking. Additionally, I observed that most restaurants open after 5 PM, except fast foods or located in city centres. Based on these insights, I refined the research goals and outlined the objectives for the next stage.
SECONDARY RESEARCH
Who am I designing for? What are their challenges? I identified two key user groups that represent most participants in the UK: families and young professionals. I conducted an in-depth study of their eating patterns and habits. To gather first-hand insights, I carried out real-life interviews with participants. During these interviews, I took detailed notes, captured body language, and recorded conversations to ensure comprehensive data collection. This approach was essential for capturing all relevant information and allowed for thorough review.
Research goals
I want to know where they typically discover their food ideas.
I want to know what inspires them to engage in cooking at home.
I want to understand what’s their challenges when prepare food.
I want to know how long do they spend time on cooking.
I want to explore users' attitudes towards technology and willingness to adopt new apps for meal planning and recipe discovery.
Target audience
Demographic: Families, busy professionals, students, and individuals seeking convenient and budget-friendly meal solutions
Age: Primarily targeting individuals aged 18-45
Inclusivity: Ensure representation of participants across different genders and abilities.
Location: United Kingdom
Sample interview questions
Could you share your primary motivation for cooking?
Could you outline the difficulties you encounter while planning and preparing your meals?
How do you feel about the time you invest in cooking on a typical day?
If you could enhance a meal planning app, what new features or advantages would you introduce?
Can you paint a picture of your perfect meal plan?
Personas
I was creating personas to gain insights into users' needs and experiences. The two primary user groups representing most participants in the UK: families and young professionals.
PERSONA 1
* Please note that the portrait is a substitute for the real interviewer.
Empathy map
Drawing from an interview with Arthur, I constructed an empathy map to gain deeper insights into his needs, emotions, and experiences. This facilitated a more user-centered approach to design and development that better aligns with Arthur’s views and requirements.
User journey map
A customer journey map for Arthur is an illustration that details all of his touchpoints with the product or service, highlighting the emotions he experiences during each stage of the journey.
PERSONA 2
* Please note that the portrait is a substitute for the real interviewer.
Empathy map
Using the insights gathered from Sophia, I created an empathy map encompassing her says, thinks, does, and feels. This approach allowed for a more user-centered design and development process, better aligning with Sophia’s needs and perspectives.
Define stage
USER STORIES
The personas helps me in discovering the right stories that contributed to the development of app features and functionalities.
As a busy professional, I want quick and easy meal suggestions so that I can save time and enjoy more leisure activities.
As someone who struggles with what to cook, I want recipes based on the ingredients I already have at home so that I can reduce food waste and avoid last-minute grocery runs.
As a person who values health and nutrition, I want nutritional information displayed for each recipe so that I can make informed choices and track my dietary intake effectively.
As a working mother, I want to access delicious and nutritious food options for my family so that I can easily plan meals and ensure their well-being.
As a cooking enthusiast, I want to discover new dish ideas so that I can prepare ahead for gatherings and enjoy the cooking process.
As a university student, I want my shopping lists saved on my phone so that I can efficiently plan my trips to the store and avoid forgetting any items.
USER’S PAIN POINTS
I categorised them into several key areas: time constraints, lack of inspiration, shopping difficulties, dietary restrictions and allergies, health and nutrition concerns, cooking skills, budget constraints, and food waste.
By grouping these pain points allowing me gained a clear pictures of users challenges and tailor solutions that address their specific needs.
Ideation stage
SOLUTIONS
In response to user pain points, I conducted an analysis of competitors’ strengths and weaknesses.
In addition to considering business requirements, I brainstormed "How might we" solutions to translate problems into design opportunities. Here are some of the solutions that address user challenges.
INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
Mapping out the hierarchical structure
of the sitemap.
I refer back to user research to inform design considerations for the home screen, authentication, navigation menu, and content sections. By iteratively refining these components based on insights gleaned from user research, analysis, and market trends, I ensure that the information architecture is both user-friendly and aligned with current needs and preferences.
USER TASK
User tasks are crucial for me to develop the user journey within the app for the next stage.
By breaking each task into smaller steps and considering the interactions, decisions, and potential pain points the user may face. This detailed analysis helps to identify and address any challenges.
SKETCHES
Sketch out possible ideas and create layout that outlines the hierarchy of the interface
Focus on key components such as the navigation bar, tabs, content sections, images, and buttons. This approach is effective in visually representing the flow of user navigation across pages, allowing me a clear understanding of the overall structure and user journey.
Low-fidelity wireframe and prototype
Transforming sketches into digital wireframes
I established initial layouts and defined best practices for visual hierarchy and gestalt principles, creating an early prototype to provide stakeholders with a visual representation of the app's layout and functionality.
Usability studies
Findings and iterations
An unmoderated usability study with participants to gather valuable feedback and organised the data to synthesise and draw conclusions.
Prototype
High-fidelity and prototype
I developed components, a mood board, and a style guide for the interface design, encompassing typography, colours, images, icons, and call-to-action (CTA) buttons. Furthermore, I translated these design elements into a prototype for testing using Figma, allowing for interactive exploration and validation of the design concepts.
