To begin my design thinking I first had to better understand the needs and paint points of the users. I conducted 5 user interviews to collect qualitative data to learn more about the process of what the user looks for in a food donating app.
When seeking individuals to interview, my primary focus was to secure interviews with restaurant owners or managers as they are the current target audience. Due to time constraints I was only able to interview 3 restaurant proprietors and 2 other people. Despite it, I still gained valuable insights about the target audience.
Some questions I took into consideration were:
Based on the information gathered from my research, I generated this persona to represent the specific user group for this project. In doing so I was then able was able to create a realistic representation of the ideal user to create a design that can meet the needs and goals of the users. This helps us build empathy.
The user flow I created helps outline the steps the user must take to complete a task and allows me to identify any potential areas of confusion or difficulty.
By creating a user flow, I can identify any areas that need improvement and ensure that the user experience is streamlined and intuitive. This is especially important for a food donation app, as the process of donating food can be complex and time-consuming which is something I plan on improving
To begin generating ideas for the layout of the app, I sketched out several low-fidelity wireframes of pages that were identified based on the flows. I then proceeded to add more context to these sketches through mid-fidelity wireframes. Once I had a better idea of how to incorporate my ideas I began high-fidelity wireframes
After analyzing my research, it was time to create meaningful wireframes to visualize the potential design of the app.
After successfully downloading and installing the application, the user will be guided through a streamlined onboarding process. They will be prompted to create an account and choose their user type, either as a charitable organization or a donor, while also providing relevant personal details. Once these two simple steps are completed, the user will seamlessly transition to a preview screen that presents concisely crafted descriptions of the application's distinct features.
The goal here is to ensure optimal user comprehension and familiarity with the interface.
Incorporating it in 4 easy steps for a streamlined donation process.
Firstly, the user is selects an organization of their choice to make a donation. Upon selection, they are directed to an information page outlining the organization's mission and comprehensive details regarding the specific types of food donations that align with health compliance standards. Then, to facilitate a seamless delivery and pick-up system, user is required to provide a succinct description and photo of the food items they intend to donate. This ensures accurate identification and efficient handling throughout the process. Finally before completing the donations, a box will appear for the user to confirm or cancel the order.
To evoke feelings of warmth and positivity, the use of the color turquoise with the white background as contrast will help create an inviting and well balanced atmosphere for users. Additionally, these colors can help to create a visual hierarchy and make it easier for users to navigate the app. The balanced proportions of these two fonts make it highly legible across various screen sizes and resolutions, ensuring optimal readability for user interfaces.
Onboarding for this app is a simple two step process: just sign up for an account and enter whether you are a donor or recipient. Once your account is set up, you can begin browsing through the app without having to spend time on a lengthy onboarding process.
Before donating for the first time, the user will have to complete a one time step where they have to input some basic information about their business to verify it's legitimacy.
This fast and easy flow for donating surplus food does not leave the user occupied on their phone trying to figure out all the options in the system.
To further validate my design flow for the app i conducted a usability test with 6 participants. The usability test will provide valuable insights into how users will interact with the app, allowing me to identify any areas of confusion or difficulty that can be improved upon
My usability test had a 100% success rate for each task, however certain pain points and areas of confusion did come. 4 out of the 6 users expect the history tab to be found in the top left menu. On area of confusion was the idea of leaderboards to suggest that that is where one would find other restaurant businesses to compete with. Users found it confusing the first time finding other restaurants.
To facilitate the understanding of the leaderboards and eliminate any confusion, additional screens were added to the preview section including one about the leaderboards.
The MVP serves as a starting point for continuous improvement and iteration. After completing and running a few usability tests I realized how much the product still needed to be refined. By analyzing user engagement patterns, and transactional data, I was able to identify areas of the platform that required optimization and enhancements.
Understanding the needs of the restaurant owner where a challenge. After conducting my user research analysis I realized how far off my initial insights about the user's was.
When looking forward, there are a few things I am considering.
