Tomato.
Help people eat healthy during lockdown.
Challenge:
Amid the Covid-19 lockdown, the challenge of accessing healthy food arose due to restaurant closures. This case study aimed to address this issue by empowering people to adopt healthier eating habits through information, cooking guidance, and motivation.
Process:
Following the IDEO Human-Centered Design process, our journey unfolded in the following phases:
The Human Centered Design Process. Image credit:
IDEO.ORGDiscover.
We conducted user focused research to better understand their needs and pain points
Research plan
To understand the problem we are facing deeply enough we've decided to interview both experts (in our case: nutritionists) as well as our target users.First, we brainstormed interview questions, then organized them into themes to assure the natural flow of the interviews.
Learnings from people:
To better analyze research findings, we've grouped them into different themes and patterns like pain points, needs, and goals...
● Identified the need for simple, cost-efficient recipes.
● Recognized the shift towards preparing meals at home during the pandemic.
● Discovered the strong influence of taste over healthiness in food choices.
● Explored the interplay of mood and schedule in meal decisions.
● Discovered misconceptions about healthy diets and limited variety.
● Acknowledged the significant role of price in influencing food choices.
Learning from experts
To better analyze research findings, we've grouped them into different themes and patterns like pain points, needs, and goals...
● Identified cost-effective, easy-to-cook ingredients like cereals, legumes, fruits, and vegetables.
● Explored the impact of time constraints on healthy eating habits.
● Unveiled the complexity of healthy image perception, discouraging adoption.
● Noted the abundance of confusing information and the lack of search for healthy options.
Immersing in context
Engaging with individuals from communities with limited food access revealed economic, seasonal, and routine-driven factors shaping dietary decisions.
Ideate.
Generating possible solutions based on defined user needs
Clustering Data Into Themes
HMW questions helped us generate many valuable ideas about resolving each pain point identified earlier.
Insight Statement
I've used this user journey map for the aggregated persona to understand better what issues our users face at every stage of their journey and generate prospect solutions for each of those issues.
● Due to quarantine, people lack motivation to put more care into healthy eating.
● Many people cannot leave their homes to buy proper groceries due to lockdown.
● People don't realize the nutritional value of local food even though it may be very healthy.
Brainstorming
HMW questions helped us generate many valuable ideas about resolving each pain point identified earlier.
Selecting best ideas
First, we clustered similar ideas together then voted on the most interesting ideas among them. After two rounds of voting we ended up with the following ideas:
● Create a sense of competition with friends associated with healthy eating.
● Make a customized recipe guide that depends on user goals.
● An app where you can filter recipes based on available ingredients.
Prototype.
Starting to make our solutions concrete and realistic
Sketches
We've used the Crazy Eight technique to turn the proposed solutions into sketches.
User flow diagram
A closer look at the user flows across the main journey compartments enabled me to refine the product architecture, which meant fewer steps for the users.
Takeaways
Key reflections and learnings at the end of the project
Learnings
This is what I've learned throughout the whole process of this project, and I intend to apply it in future ones:
● Design for Real-World Contexts: Integrating local culture and ingredients showed that designing for users' real-world contexts can greatly enhance the usability and relevance of the product.
● Community Enhances Engagement: Incorporating social features highlights the value of building a sense of community within the product. It fosters engagement, interaction, and user loyalty.
● Adaptability is Essential: Transitioning smoothly between different design phases and remaining open to adaptation is key in handling diverse project requirements.
Next Steps
Due to time constraints, there are some ideas I couldn't concretize, and I'd like to do so if I have the opportunity in the future. These are some of them:
01
User Testing
Complete the user testing phase of your app. Gather feedback from real users who interact with the prototype.
02
Refinement and Iteration
Based on the feedback received from user testing, refine and iterate on the high-fidelity designs.
03
User Onboarding
Develop an intuitive onboarding process that guides new users through the app's features.
