The Process

Researching the Problem Space

Secondary Research

Based on my in-depth secondary research, several key insights emerged:

In summary, this preliminary research validates the significance of the problem and provides a clear foundational understanding of its causes and implications. I will build on this further with primary research.

User Interviews + Affinity Mapping

I conducted five user interviews to unveil the root causes and challenges of managing food waste at home. Throughout these interviews, I recorded notes. Post-interviews, I categorized these insights and crafted an affinity map to better understand users' behaviors and pain points. These insights guided the development of targeted solutions to improve the ease of household waste management.

Key Takeaways from the All Research

Based on extensive user research within the domain of household food waste, it became clear that prevalent challenges included the need for effective food item tracking, streamlined grocery shopping, and making the most of leftover ingredients.

Defining the Users & Problem

Persona

I developed a user persona named Gabriela, ensuring a user-centric approach by synthesizing research data to shape her profile.

Beginning the Ideation Process

Heuristic Evaluation

Before ideating ways to address user-derived pain points, I conducted a heuristic evaluation of three similar market apps addressing similar issues. I evaluated each app based on four key heuristics and utilized this analysis to inform my solution.

Initial Ideas

To initiate the design process, I generated various potential solutions to address the user's core goals of minimizing food waste by enhancing home item tracking and optimizing grocery trip planning. I conceptualized features and approaches aimed at alleviating user pain points. Below is a selection of my initial ideas:

Crafting a User Story

Considering my initial brainstormed ideas for the solution and the insights gathered from extensive research, I  developed a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). The MVP prioritized vital features, including a food inventory system, a grocery list creator, and an intelligent recipe suggestion module. These components aimed to reduce food waste and enhance the user experience. I introduced key enhancements like a barcode scanner for effortless inventory management and personalized grocery suggestions based on user habits to further refine the app. Due to time and scope constraints, I focused on designing the MVP.

Looking ahead, I envisioned the potential for additional granular features like creating recurring grocery lists and meal planning using items from the food inventory for subsequent releases.

User Flow Mapping

I prioritized the most crucial app functionalities that align with users' primary objectives. In the MVP, I considered only essential features to the user flow.

Sketches to Wireframes Progression

Drawing & Testing the Paper Prototype

I engaged in rapid sketching, translated them into a digital iPhone prototype using Marvel, and recruited five participants for a guerrilla usability test at a local grocery store to obtain initial feedback.

I guided participants through essential tasks while providing project context, seeking insights into intuitive navigation personal usability, identifying design pain points, and gathering user recommendations. I anticipated issues with the scanner feature and adding grocery items. Main findings included:

• All participants grasped and resonated with the app's primary purpose.
• Some participants struggled to find the food inventory
• Many participants were unsure how to proceed after scanning the barcode
• A participants raised a concern about the lack of organization of the grocery list

I refined the app design, implementing key adjustments informed by feedback obtained during the guerrilla usability testing session:

Digital Lo-Fi Wireframes

I continued building out the low-fidelity digital wireframes for essential screens, targeting the main user pain points in the problem space (MVP).

Refining the Design

Style Guide

Before crafting a high-fidelity prototype for ShelfLife, I established a brand embodying empowerment, sustainability, approachability, and impact. ShelfLife goes beyond mere functionality, inspiring individuals to reduce food waste, live sustainably, and positively impact the environment and people's lives.

Usability Tests

My goal for the first round of usability testing was to assess the app's initial user impressions, identify usability issues, and refine the design. It took place at a local library and coffee shop, with five representative users participating. The focus was on critical tasks like adding items to the inventory and updating it after consumption, aiming to ensure an intuitive and user-friendly experience.

*After consulting with my mentor, one significant design change involved simplifying the app by removing a feature. Initially, I planned to allow users to track individual quantities for items. However, considering the user flow and the potentially time-consuming nature of this feature, I decided to remove it. It also required extensive micro design testing, which wasn't feasible within the project's scope and timeframe. Consequently, I revisited the MVP, removed this feature, and streamlined the 'food inventory' screen and related red-route flows.

After implementing changes based on the first round of usability tests, I conducted a subsequent round of testing with five new participants who were also within the target demographic. They interacted with the high-fidelity prototype on an iPhone during in-person sessions, working through key user tasks.