Healthy Hearty Meals
HHM
Overview
Project Information
In January 2021, Healthy Hearty Meals started with a vision :
to make tasty, healthy food accessible. It's a home-based cloud kitchen serving busy people who want both convenience and great taste. They offer meal services and catering for everyday meals and special events. Healthy Hearty Meals is now on a journey to use technology(Mobile App) to serve customers even better
My Role
Product Designer
Skills
UX Research
UI/UX Design
Usability Testing
Tools
Client
Figma
Healthy Hearty Meals
Miro
UX Army
Prototyping
Challenge
The Traditional Approach:
Initially, Healthy Hearty Meals relied on word-of-mouth and messaging platforms like Whatsapp for orders. While the personal touch was cherished, managing orders and expanding the customer base became complex.
Solution
The Need for Transformation:
The absence of a dedicated online platform limited their reach and market presence. To keep pace with evolving customer preferences and improve operational efficiency, a standalone Mobile app was essential.
Back to Square One
I worked with Healthy Hearty Meals("HHM from here on") as a Product Designer to create an engaging Mobile App for their meal and catering services, enhancing user experience and digital presence.
Design Process
The app that I designed is user-friendly, and effectively addresses the target audience's needs and preferences.The below is the design process I followed for this project
Empathise
I first conducted a competitive analysis of the food ordering & delivery platforms in the market. Then, I surveyed and interviewed potential customers interested in using services for ordering meals or catering for various occasions, to gain insight into their motivation and pain points.
Competitive Analysis
I looked at both direct & indirect competitors which are top cloud-based home kitchen mobile apps that provide meals and catering services. They all have similar features like meal delivery and recipe customisation, but there are some differences.
For instance only two of the competitors offer catering services. I, planned to offer catering services for events of all sizes.
The app that I’m designing for HHM will have more food choices for people with different diets, like vegan and vegetarian. Some catering services don't have these options, so my app will be better for people with specific dietary needs.
User Survey & Analysis
I conducted a survey for Healthy Hearty Meals to learn about what users prefer, how they behave, and what they think about meals and catering services. I sent the survey to 20 people, and 15 of them responded.
User Survey Statistics
Ordering Frequency : A majority of respondents order meals or opt catering services 2-3 times a month, indicating moderate engagement with food ordering apps
Influence Factors Insight : Quality of food and convenience of delivery are the most influential factors for users choosing food ordering & delivery platforms, highlighting the importance of food quality and ease of ordering.
Comfort with Online Payments Insight : Users generally feel comfortable with online payments, with a majority being very comfortable or somewhat comfortable, indicating trust in the platform.
Scheduling Catering Insight : A significant number of users prefer the option to schedule catering services for specific events in advance, highlighting the need for event planning and catering services.
From the Survey results I found that :
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The users preferred clear menus and the acceptance of online payments.
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The survey analysis provide a clear understanding of user ordering frequency and the key factors influencing their decisions
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This survey information was valuable in shaping the design and offerings to HHM
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User Interviews -Voices Heard
During user interviews, I explored various aspects of user preferences and expectations, covering topics such as ordering habits, pain points, customisation, online experiences, payment preferences, delivery, loyalty, and future expectations.
Below are the questions asked :-
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1. General Background:
Can you tell me a bit about yourself and your daily routine?
How often do you order meals or catering services?
Have you ever used online platforms for ordering food or catering services before?
2. Ordering Preferences:
What factors influence your decision to order from a cloud kitchen or catering service?
Do you usually order meal kits, catering services, or both?
What do you find most convenient about your current ordering process (WhatsApp/phone calls)?
3. Pain Points and Challenges:
Can you share any challenges you've encountered when placing orders through WhatsApp or phone calls?
What aspects of the current ordering process could be improved to make it more user-friendly?
4. Customisation and Preferences:
Do you prefer having the option to customize your meal kits or catering orders?
How important is it for you to have dietary preferences and special requests accommodated?
5. Online Experience:
Have you ever used websites or apps to order food, groceries, or other services?
What features do you appreciate the most when using an online platform for ordering?
6. User Interface and Experience:
What kind of information would you like to see on a cloud kitchen's website or app?
Are there any specific features or sections you think are essential for an enjoyable experience?
7. Payment and Checkout:
How comfortable are you with online payments for meal kits or catering services?
Are there any concerns you have when it comes to providing payment information?
8. Delivery and Scheduling:
How important is the flexibility of choosing delivery or pickup times for you?
Would you like the option to schedule catering services for specific events in advance?
9. Feedback and Loyalty:
How likely are you to provide feedback on your ordering experience?
Are there any loyalty programs or rewards that would encourage you to order more frequently?
10. Future Expectations:
What improvements or features would make you more likely to use a cloud kitchen's website or app?
How do you envision an ideal online ordering experience for meal kits and catering services
Analysis
I then came up with affinity map which offered me a visual summary of user insights, helping identify patterns and commonalities in the qualitative data
Affinity Map
Key Data driven insights shaping my next moves
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I need meals delivered to be convenient because of my busy schedule.
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I want to order without disruptions during work meetings.
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I appreciate having options that I can customize to my preferences
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I expect quick responses when I have inquiries
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I prefer when menus have clear images .
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I need clear pricing and customization options for catering
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I require flexible delivery times to match my schedule
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I want a user-friendly and efficient journey from selection to feedback
Define
In the second step of the design process, I will be creating personas, a customer journey map, and finally coming up with a problem statement.
Personas
Creating personas is a way to imagine who I would be designing for. I listed the goals & needs, motivation, and pain points .
Needs:
Convenience: Sarah values convenience above all else due to her hectic work schedule. She needs a solution that saves her time on meal preparation.
Customization: She is health-conscious and prefers meal kits that cater to her dietary preferences, including vegetarian options.
About
Background: Sarah is a successful marketing manager with a demanding job. She lives in a busy city and often finds herself working late hours and attending meetings.
Pain Points
Work Challenges: Sarah faces challenges when placing orders during work meetings. She can't make phone calls or browse detailed menus easily.
Lack of Customization: Existing meal kit options don't always align with her dietary needs.
Goals:
Easy Meal Solutions: Sarah's primary goal is to find a platform that provides quick, customizable meal kits that can be ordered effortlessly.
Needs:
Catering for Professional Events: Emily frequently arranges catering services for various corporate events with diverse catering needs.
Customization: She needs catering services that can adapt menus to match the specific themes and dietary preferences of each event
About
Emily is a dedicated event planner specializing in organizing corporate meetings, seminars, and workshops for businesses.
Pain Points
Communication Challenges: Emily often struggles to convey precise event requirements to catering services, leading to misunderstandings.
Budgeting: Clear cost breakdowns are essential for her to stay within budget.
Goals:
Streamlined Catering: Emily's primary goal is to find a catering service that offers seamless customization, clear cost information, and efficient communication.
Customer Journey Map
A customer journey map is a visual storyline of how the customer engages with our product, service, or brand. If Sarah & Emily were to come across HHM, what would that look like and how would it help fulfil their goals while removing their pains?
In their journey, Sarah and Emily embarked on a quest for a user-friendly platform to order customizable, high-quality meal kits tailored to their dietary requirements. The solution they found, Healthy Hearty Meals, paved the path to help them attain their goals.
Problem Statement
After the research phase I can deduce that the Customers want easy and convenient meal services because they have busy schedules, and those ordering catering services need clear menu details to simplify the process and save time
How can we make ordering meals easier and faster for busy customers?
​How can we provide clear menu details for catering to save customers time when planning events?
How can we improve the experience for meal services and catering customers to make them happier and more loyal?
Ideate
In the most creative step of the design process, I came up with solutions, created sketches, and mid fidelity wireframes.
Solution
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Effortless Ordering with Mobile App - Came up with a comprehensive mobile app designed specifically for this startup to streamline meal ordering, making it quicker and more convenient for busy customers.
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Streamlining Catering Menu Interface - Simplifying the process with a user-friendly menu interface for catering, ensuring customers can quickly access and understand all the necessary details when planning their events.
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Loyalty Rewards - Offering exclusive discounts and promotions for weekly orders to encourage repeat business and loyalty.
Sketches
I created the above sketches, considering the users pain points and motivations
Mid-Fidelity Wireframes
Shift to Mobile App Focus: Initially, we planned to develop both a website and a mobile app for Healthy Hearty Meals. However, as market insights revealed a strong preference for mobile apps in India, we refocused our efforts on an end-to-end mobile app. This decision was driven by user preferences, business efficiency, and time constraints.
Website Wireframes
Mobile Wireframes
Prototype
At the fourth stage of the design thinking process, I put together a UI Kit, designed high fidelity wireframes and created a prototype for a MVP (minimum viable product).
UI Kit
While crafting the Healthy Hearty Meals (HHM) experience, I aimed to evoke a sense of freshness and reliability. Used Work Sans as the font type which ensures legibility, creating a user-friendly environment. The colour scheme, predominantly Cultured White with 30% Black and a subtle 10% accent in Cherry Red, promotes a clean and inviting atmosphere, aligning with HHM's commitment to quality and convenience.
Prototype
Here is the preview of my prototype of Healthy Hearty Meals divided by the two journeys. Onboarding to Checkout Flow and Catering Services flow
Test
The design process for Healthy Hearty Meals is dynamic and iterative, allowing for continuous adjustments to meet user needs and address challenges. Usability testing and feedback integration occurred after prototyping ensuring alignment with user expectations.
Usability Testing
I conducted 30-minute usability tests with five participants via Zoom.
The objective of the test :
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Assess task completion and error recovery in the user testing for HHM mobile app.
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To identify and address usability issues through participant feedback, ensuring an improved and user-friendly experience for the Healthy Hearty Meals (HHM)
Using the feedback received, I made revisions to bridge the gap between my perception of user needs and their actual experiences
Before
After
Is there a method to review my past orders and use them for placing a repeat order?
Created a favourites Icon so users can preview their previous orders and use them to repeat order
How can I customise the menu ? Is there an option ?
Came up with a customisation button in the catering services page using which users customise menu by calling customer care of HHM
Lessons learned
While working with Healthy Hearty Meals (HHM), I learned that putting users first was key. Ensuring a smooth ordering process and optimizing the app's performance greatly improved user satisfaction. Communication and customization options played a significant role, and offering diverse choices was vital for keeping users happy and engaged. These insights guided my efforts to make HHM a platform users loved.
Thank you for your time, appreciated
