PICKI - Restaurant Discovery for Every Dietary Need

Project Overview

Team: Brooke McNeil, Matthew Heyden, Leilani Olkeriil
Product Name: Picki
Duration: 3 months
Objective: To develop a mobile app that allows users with specific dietary limitations or preferences to easily find restaurants by filtering search results based on their needs.

My Role: Conceptual Designer and UX/UI Developer

Contributions: I worked closely with the team to conceptualize the app, focusing on user experience and user interface. My specific contributions included mapping out the user flow, developing the wire frame, designing interactive features, conducting research, producing short form video to explain the product, and assisting in development of pre and post user-testing prototypes of the app.

PROBLEM:

Many individuals struggle to find places to eat that cater to their dietary preferences, limitations, or food allergies, such as shellfish or peanut allergies, veganism, or vegetarianism. Our challenge was to conceptualize a platform that streamlines the search for restaurants and meals that align with these dietary restrictions while enhancing user convenience.

SOLUTION:

App Concept:
We designed Picki, a user-friendly mobile app designed to help users with specific dietary restrictions find restaurants that cater to their needs. Key features include GPS-based location tracking, customized search filters, detailed restaurant information, user reviews, and the ability build and customize default preferences by profile. Users can easily search for restaurants that meet their dietary preferences, bookmark favorite places, and share reviews with the app community.

How our Service Addresses the Problem:
Picki provides a seamless experience by allowing users to input dietary restrictions as default filters. The GPS map pins nearby restaurants that meet these criteria, significantly easing the search process for those with food limitations. The app’s enhanced search functionality allows users to filter by cuisine, price range, or style of dining (take-out, casual, or fine dining for example).

Final Strategy:
We employed a user-centric approach that prioritized simplicity, offering a clean interface and straightforward navigation. The default search filter saves time by displaying tailored restaurant options, and advanced search features allow for more targeted search ability; you might not just want vegan food, but vegan Pad Thai for example. Additionally, social features like reviews and saved favorites help users make informed choices.

RESEARCH:

We conducted a combination of competitive analysis and user research to guide Picki's development. Interviews with individuals having specific dietary restrictions revealed their challenges when choosing restaurants and meals. We also analyzed similar apps, such as Yelp and HappyCow, to identify strengths and weaknesses in the dietary preference app market.

Usability Testing:

Based upon our initial research, we developed a basic prototype in Adobe XD.

We conducted usability tests with a small group of seven users, ensuring diversity in perspectives. Participants watched an explanatory video and performed tasks representing all major features using the prototype.

Metrics Collected:

  • Task completion time

  • Number of errors

  • Number of clicks to complete tasks

  • User satisfaction ratings

  • First impression feedback

Key Finding:

  • Task Completion Success Rate: 100% success across all tasks, and very fast task completion rate.

  • Usability Insights: Users found the app easy to navigate and intuitive, though confusion arose from the initial landing page design. Users also suggested a simplified search criteria interface.

After testing:

We took the information that we gathered and refined the prototype for a cleaner, more user-friendly design.

CHALLENGES:

The biggest challenge we faced was the limitation of our testing capabilities due to the app's restricted functionality. In a real-world application, we would have had a substantial amount of data to construct and test, not just generalized testing of major features. Another design challenge was balancing the number of filters with usability.

LEARNINGS:

What Went Well:

  • We successfully developed a user-friendly app concept that directly addresses a clear market need.

  • Our user-centric research approach ensured that the app's features aligned with actual user preferences, leading to positive feedback during testing.

  • The usability tests indicated a 100% task completion success rate across all assigned tasks, showcasing the app's simplicity.

What I Would Have Done Differently:

  • The limited timeline constrained our ability to iterate on multiple refined prototypes based on user testing feedback. I believe that with many more iterations and continual user testing we could have a valuable service that serves an important niche.

Feedback Received:
User feedback was very positive, with many expressing interest in using a service like this. However, the most significant takeaway was that some found the scope of the app too limited. To address this, expanding the app to appeal not only to those with dietary restrictions but also to the general public, by offering location-based searches and refined filter options, could make it more broadly useful and profitable.