Shiba Inu

Crafting a distinctive product with a delightful user experience, Shiba Inu endeavors to compete with established market leaders. Centered on the needs of students and busy young adults, the app caters to those who crave exceptional Asian ethnic food but find themselves pressed for time to cook.

Problem

Countless international food enterprises have made their mark, providing an extensive range of options to suit diverse tastes. Personally, sifting through this abundance has occasionally felt like a challenge. Despite the vast culinary offerings, some fall short in recognizing and rewarding loyal patrons.

Design key drivers

The challenge at hand revolves around the scarcity of food delivery apps dedicated to a single cuisine. Compounding this issue is the presence of a plethora of well-established competitors. The imperative here lies in highlighting the distinctiveness of the approach, a task that demands the infusion of robust user design principles and human-centric design systems. This emphasis on uniqueness is not just a nicety; it's integral to the app's triumph. Consequently, my redesign strategy had to tackle pivotal aspects, ensuring Shiba Inu stands out amidst competition by focusing on convenience, reliability, and the exclusive delivery of a cherished cuisine.

Knowing the right demographic

Shiba Inu will be tailored for students and young adults, providing a specialized experience. The strategy has to emphasize user-friendly design principles that resonate with our demographic. It's not just about standing out; it's about delivering what users truly need.

Learning from the big players

The primary objective lies in distilling crucial insights on user engagement, service reliability, and app functionality, with the intent of assimilating effective design practices while preserving a distinctive identity. The integration of lessons drawn from industry leaders strategically situates Shiba Inu, enabling adept navigation through the competitive design landscape.

Designing for accessibility

Integrating design elements that emphasize user-friendly and inclusive features is the goal. Shiba Inu should be sculpted using an interface that is both intuitive and accommodating, ensuring accessibility for everyone. By embracing accessibility in design, we pitfalls and dark design patterns.

The target user

By considering the target user, my personal motivations for using the application, the project's scale, and the required research efforts before the deadline, I strategically assessed the project's scope. Through the process of documenting my thoughts, creating user personas, and empathy maps, I gained clarity on various aspects of the project.

Ethan Sullivan, 23 Years old, University Student

Ethan, a college student with a packed schedule, frequently studies from home, leaving him with limited opportunities to go out. During those times when his family is away, he finds solace in ordering authentic Korean or Japanese cuisine for delivery.

“Ordering food brings me a sense of convenience that aligns with my lifestyle. Moreover, I value the environmental advantages associated with food delivery.”

“I often experience anxiety about possible delays or errors in my orders. Simultaneously, there's a mix of hunger and anticipation as I eagerly await the arrival of the food.”

Ava Thompson, 33 Years old, Marketing Lead

Ava, a Marketing Lead at a design firm, faces challenges with her vision that make reading small text difficult. With a side gig as a freelancer, Ava prefers to avoid cooking on weekends to save time. Instead, she seeks convenience by ordering meals.

“Relying on food delivery services is a common practice for me due to their convenient and time-saving benefits. Efficiency holds a priority in my busy schedule, and I genuinely appreciate the convenience that comes with ordering food online.”

“Experiences a sense of anticipation and reliance on the delivery service for a satisfying meal experience. Feeling hungry and eager to enjoy a delicious meal without the time and effort required for cooking.”

Persona & Empathy maps

Defining the potential problems

In this crucial phase, I focused on understanding user challenges and creating tailored solutions using techniques like user journey maps and problem statements. Proactively identifying key pain points, I chose these methods for their effectiveness in providing a clear path to grasp user needs. Through continuous user feedback and thorough research, I maintained a user-centric approach, improving the overall experience and anticipating and addressing potential issues. The result was a project that successfully delivered a seamless and highly satisfying user experience.

Benjamin Hayes, 24 Years old, Computer Science Student

Benjamin, a busy college student, faces the challenge of finding a reliable and cost-effective food delivery solution that accommodates his limited cooking time. He seeks an app that not only offers convenient food delivery but also provides money-saving incentives based on his ordering frequency.

Olivia Parker, 26 Years old, Graphic Designer

Olivia, a seasoned graphic designer, encounters the need for a time-efficient and user-friendly food delivery platform that simplifies the process of choosing from a wide selection of restaurants. She aspires to find an app that not only saves her valuable time but also offers a curated experience tailored to her preferences.

Happy

Neutral

Unhappy

Experience

Imrpovement

Find

Create

Browse

Payment

Delivery

Discover the app through online search or recommendations.
Download the app from the appropriate platform (e.g., App Store, Google Play).

Explore sign-in options provided by the app (e.g., email, social media).
Choose and complete the account creation process, including verifying personal information.

Browse available restaurants.
Choose a specific restaurant and explore its menu.
Add desired items to the cart & checkout

Explore available payment options.
Select preferred payment method.
Review subscription options and associated perks.

Receive confirmation email.
Monitor tracking map and wait for order.
Receive the order.

More screenshots and visual elements that showcase the product.
Utilize user reviews and feedback as a selling point

Include the option for users to continue as a guest for a seamless experience.
Collaborate with sign-in partners to enhance accessibility and user convenience.

Implement category buttons at the top of the screen for easy navigation.
Enhance the visual appeal of food items by incorporating pictures and videos.

Provide a diverse range of payment options to cater to different user preferences.
Introduce a subscription and save system to offer discounts and incentives for frequent users.

Provide the option for users to enable push alerts, allowing them to receive notifications without it being mandatory.
Offer the ability for users to leave reviews.

Journey mapping & problem statements

The creative brainstorming phase

After my initial research, I delved deeper into understanding user problems and crafting solutions. I formulated "how might we" statements to frame challenges for effective problem-solving. I also prioritized developing the site's information architecture to align with user needs. These exercises offered valuable insights and paved the way for further project exploration and refinement.

Basic outline of the information architecture

How might we integrate a diverse range of Asian cuisine options into the Shiba INU app to cater to different tastes and preferences?

How might we optimize the delivery logistics of the Shiba INU app to ensure fast and reliable delivery of Asian cuisine to customers' locations?

How might we streamline the process of ordering Asian cuisine from various restaurants through the Shiba INU app?

How might we enhance the user experience of the Shiba INU app to make it intuitive and user-friendly for busy young adults?

How might we incorporate a personalized recommendation feature in the Shiba INU app to suggest Asian cuisine options based on users' preferences and previous orders?

How might we integrate secure and convenient payment options into the Shiba INU app to streamline the checkout process for customers?

How might we leverage technology to provide real-time order tracking and updates to users of the Shiba INU app, ensuring transparency and customer satisfaction?

Prototyping, testing and adapting

Having concluded the user research phase and finalized the wireframes, the next crucial step was to create a prototype to test the primary user journey. This enabled me to gather valuable feedback and identify any design or user flow errors early on. To accomplish this, I began by developing wire flow prototypes, followed by thorough preparation for user studies and interviews. For further details, please refer to the comprehensive document available here.

Please note that the numbers on the card signify both priority and urgency, with 0 indicating the highest urgency level.

Pain points

The account creation process lacks necessary information fields that are currently missing.

Pain points

The overall app lacks several accessibility options that should be included.

Pain points

The welcome screen following account creation seems unnecessary and could be removed.

Pain Points

Instead of using a username, it would make more sense to have users provide their first and last names during account creation, with email used for login.

Could be improved

Prioritize accessibility by exploring options to add a text size slider or enable accessibility features through the app's settings.

Could be improved

Enhance the address book functionality by incorporating a dropdown menu for easy access to different locations.

Could be improved

Implement a "View All" button for sections such as "This Week's Deals" to direct users to a separate page featuring additional deals.

Positive Feedback

The interface is thoughtfully designed with a clean layout and effective utilization of whitespace.

Positive Feedback

The app incorporates visually appealing photo elements to enhance user engagement and prevent monotony.

Positive Feedback

The typography selection is well-executed, contributing to readability and overall aesthetics.

Positive Feedback

The navigation system is intuitive and easy to understand, allowing users to seamlessly explore different sections of the app.

Creating priorities

I had to analyze the collected data on pain points, improvements, and successes, converting it into themes to identify consistencies and patterns. This process allowed me to establish key priorities and address numerous design flaws well before the final phase.

Priority 0

Based on the theme that 4 out of 5 participants encountered difficulty in locating the featured section promptly, an insight emerges: we should enhance the visibility and differentiation of sections to facilitate easier navigation and improve the discoverability of the featured content.

Priority 1

Based on the theme that 3 out of 5 participants desired greater customization options for their food orders, an insight arises: we should incorporate additional option fields under food items to enable users to personalize their orders according to their preferences.

Priority 2

Based on the theme that 2 out of 5 participants expressed a desire for a "quick add" function for food items listed under various restaurants, an insight emerges: we should implement different shortcuts or features to streamline the ordering process and improve overall efficiency for users.

Closing notes:

The Shiba INU project aimed to revolutionize food delivery for Asian cuisine enthusiasts, focusing on college students and young adults. Emphasizing a unique brand identity, a user-friendly interface, and real-time decision-making solutions, the goal was to provide a stress-free and rewarding experience. Throughout the project, I empathized with target users, conducted thorough research, and addressed potential issues through user journey mapping and problem statements, developing user-centric solutions to align with expectations.

The project spanned approximately five weeks, presenting a substantial challenge as it marked one of my initial extended design ventures that extended beyond mere design into comprehensive research. Despite the complexity, it was an enjoyable experience, and I gleaned valuable lessons from the mistakes made. Although the project didn't progress to development, I'm pleased to have crafted such an engaging brand. Feel free to explore the brief preview below!