Appetito - the ultimate swipe-to-find dining app.
Who am I?
UX Researcher
Product Designer
When is it?
04/2023 - 06/2023
what tools?
Figma, Digital Sketching, FigJam, and Zoom
Who’s in the team?
Anastasia Ngo, Karen Nguyen, Koby Pham, and Patrina Yang
what is it?
I teamed up with three more amazing people to design a revolutionary dining app called Appetito that's here to change the way you discover new restaurants and satisfy your cravings! The name comes from the idea to help valuable diners to escalate their dining experience and improve their appetite even when they don’t know what to eat. With our cutting-edge algorithm, Appetito delivers personalized recommendations that cater to your unique tastes and preferences. No more endless scrolling through review sites or hearing complaints from your partner because she does not know where or what to eat - with Appetito, you can simply swipe left or right on restaurant suggestions, and let our algorithm do the rest. So whether you're in the mood for a cozy brunch spot or an adventurous new cuisine, Appetito has got you covered.
methodology:
Competitive Analysis, User Survey, Usability Testing, Personas, Prototyping
The Process:
We evaluate the most famous food review apps which are Yelp, Google Reviews, and Opentable. We conducted that each app has its strength and weakness. Learning from the analysis, we are idealizing an app that is free, searchable for special local dishes and restaurants, filters for special dietary restrictions and more.
Survey result
The Process:
Our team had a list of 15 questions for participants who can tell us their opinion about their most used review system. We used Google Form to create the survey and sent it to everyone we know, from social media to our friends and family. Our goal is to understand what app features would be helpful and accessible depending on factors such as gender, race, ethnicity, and age. By conducting this survey, we had a better understanding of how people feel about similar apps so we can improve our product better.
Result:
We found out that one (0%) of respondents answered “Rarely” or “Never” find it difficult to decide where to eat. This reflects the need for an app l.
User testing
I ran a user testing to see the reactions’ of users to uncover any usability issues with the navigation and core features of the app, and to test any assumptions we have about the product.
The Process:
I recruited 4 participants who are Nam T., Adrian P., Tien N., and Tam N. to use the interactive prototype and return feedback. Unfortunately, I didn’t record the process of the test, but I wrote important notes down to improve the product during the design process.
Results:
Nam T.'s feedback is that the app needs to have a “Make reservation” button that is enabled or disabled so he can quickly make a reservation.
Adrian P. said the app needs to be more intuitive by having a navigation tool on top of the restaurant search page so he easily can return to the general search page. Moreover, when the list of restaurants popped up, he wants to click on the restaurant to see the reviews, not only on the “Read more” button.
Tien N. said that Appetito can be better if including accessibility options for disabled individuals.
Tam N. responded that she likes the setting and color theme, but she wants the front a bit easier to read - bigger and clearer.
Prototype
Appetito’s Main Dashboard
I intended to design the app to have red/pink/white tones because research shows that individuals tend to feel hungrier and more intrigued with warm colors which can activate their appetite.
The main dashboard has quick access to many types of trendy food. It will direct users to the search page which lists restaurants that have those popular dishes on their menu.
The Process:
Swiping Interface
To make the most accessible app, I simplified the process of choosing a restaurant with intelligent AI algorithms.
The recommendation is based on the user’s search history, preference, and location. Users can add the recommended restaurant to their collection and read customers’ reviews by tapping the “Read reviews” button. In addition, they also can tap on the underlined address to quickly get directions to the restaurant.
The Process:
Collection
The Process:
Restaurant Interface
On the collection page, users can easier create a new collection and get new recommendations every week based on their preferences.
Profile Page
The Process:
According to previous user testing, it is necessary to have a “Reserve” button so app users can easily make reservations directly on the app.
Moreover, app users can filter reviews about the restaurant itself (interior, customer services, ambiance) or the food. To make the review reading process easier, I also made a space for the best and the worst review, however, it is recommended to read more than one review on both of the spectrum for a better understanding of the restaurant.
The Process:
The profile page is where you can be yourself, users can add/edit your preferences and dietary restrictions whenever they want.
Overall
Appetito users can find dishes that they like more efficiently and the AI algorithm will suggest restaurant recommendations every week depending on users’ preferences. It will gather reviews from its users and apply them to the suggestions to make sure to recommend the best places for the users.
Our team highlights the key takeaways from the research and development process, emphasizing the importance of user-centric design, continuous improvement, and collaboration with data providers.
Conduct further research on the desirability of Appetito:
Swipe-to-date service: Soulmates who connect through food preferences can also swipe to date on Appetito as well.
Create an implementation plan for Appetito and outline platform compatibility, scalability, and future enhancements (social integration, go international). Show real-world deployment + potential investors.