Product
A dedicated mobile app and responsive website for a
community grocery resource called
go…go…groceries
Duration
May 2022 - June 2022
Resources
Adobe XD, Photoshop, Google Jamboard & Sheets, paper and pen
Project overview
The problem
Community food security is an ongoing concern in Washington state and needs to incorporate a diverse and broad range of resources. Participation of local resources and businesses of all sizes is needed to develop an innovative approach for feeding all families in our community creating an equitable ecosystem. We need to support the entire local food system, including agriculture and large and small businesses and represent a proactive approach to fighting hunger, economic and social justice, and environmental stewardship.
The goal
The goal of this project is to provide a community resource that could be used to get information about grocery resources of all kinds for users in the state of Washington. We will provide a responsive website and a dedicated mobile app for users on the go.
Role & responsibilities
UX visual designer and researcher designing from conception to delivery. Mobile first approach to design conducting interviews, including user research, paper and digital wireframing, low and high-fidelity prototyping, conducting usability studies, accounting for accessibility, mockups, and iterating on designs.
User research summary
My research consisted of competitor research, user interviews, and usability studies both in-person and virtual.
To begin the process I reflected on my experiences as a new resident in a new area and the challenges of finding groceries nearby and within a tight budget as a student and single parent. I research food insecurity and food deserts.
While conducting user interviews, I discovered that some users were very specific in their grocery needs and some were primarily budget minded when looking for groceries. I was also reminded that many users had issues of accessibility either through disability or lack of flexibility in shopping hours and needed delivery or other accommodations. The feedback received during user research clarified that a significant number of users would utilize an app and website to find groceries if available and easy to use.
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Andryi
Problem statement:
Andryi is a recent immigrant with a wheelchair and two jobs who needs resources for groceries and available delivery within his budget nearby because he is very busy and doesn’t want to spend all day grocery shopping.
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Miral
Problem statement:
Miral is a busy wife and mother of five children who needs to provide healthy meals for her family because some of her family is very picky about food.
Competitive Audit
Results summary
The goal of this audit was to understand the varied approaches food resource sites utilize to direct users to available groceries. I found indirect competitors who’s sites were similar to our products end goals but provided information for other states. Only one of these resources had a dedicated app which would be most valuable for users who may not have access to a desktop computer.
Many of these indirect competitors were missing comprehensive grocery access based on location with complete list of stores providing groceries, farmers markets, CSA providers, and free grocery options. Direction and resources for budgeting meals, inexpensive meal planning assistance, resources for nutrition information, and unit pricing information were not available.
Ideation - Crazy 8’s
I did a quick ideation exercise to come up with ideas for how to address gaps identified in the competitive audit. My focus was specifically on providing grocery resources of all kinds as well as resources for meal planning, budgeting and nutrition.
Paper wireframes
Digital wireframes
After ideating and drafting some paper wireframes, I created the initial designs for the go…go…groceries app. These designs focused on delivering personalized guidance to users to help find groceries and resources to provide information.
Low-fi prototype for go...go...groceries.
The user flow begins with the loading screen and moves into the “find groceries” screen where users can enter an address and select a distance they are willing to travel. This sends them to a “results page” based on their selections they can scroll to get additional information about resources selected. The final detail page provides more information about the resource.
Peer feedback suggested the clear style and direct information was helpful. Users wanted a rating system for cost and value as well as more detail about the resources unique offerings.
Paper wireframes above digital wireframes
Dedicated mobile app home screen
Lo-fi prototype
Usability Study
Moderated usability study in Seattle, Washington of five participants with a duration of 10 - 20 minutes. The goal of the usability study was to find if the main user flow was easy to complete and if users found the app useful to find groceries near them.
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Over half our users navigate by using buttons and icons so providing larger buttons and icons would be helpful for user navigation
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Users want information about ordering groceries through online providers so communicating online ordering options in the results page is important
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Users wanted to know about special food categories so adding icons and information about availability of specialty food (ie. Kosher, Halal foods etc.) is helpful
Affinity diagram
Based on insights from the usability study I implemented changes which included enlarging icons, buttons and text for accessibility and improved navigation.
I included high contrast color and icons as well as clearer hierarchical text size. Using repeating icons in addition to text provides a visual element for accessibility.
Information about store ratings for cost and quality service, hours, specific dietary availability are included in the detail page for each resource in addition to other information.
Lo-fi digital wireframes for mobile, tablet and desktop find groceries screen
Lo-fi digital wireframes for mobile, tablet and desktop results screen
Lo-fi digital wireframes for mobile, tablet and desktop detail screen
Hi-fi mock-ups responsive website loading screen
Hi-fi mock-ups responsive website home screen
Hi-fi mock-ups responsive website find groceries screen
Going forward
Impact
“This app was very easy to use - I love it”
“I’d use it any day especially to find farmers markets because I love supporting local growers”
“Thank you for creating this resource for our small family farm to advertise our produce”
Learning
Food insecurity is a huge issue in Washington State.
go…go…groceries provides users varied options within a selected distance and helps connect users to those resources.
The users of the go…go…groceries app are often people on a tight budget needing discounted and/or free groceries and often they have accessibility issues ranging from limited hours for shopping, access to transportation, or disabilities that restrict access.
Next steps
Further user testing with additional diverse users including users with language barriers and disabilities and additional website/mobile development to integrate assistive technologies.
Add additional resources for users
meal planning
smart shopping
nutrition information
about go…go…groceries, mission, history Washington hunger data, add a resource, update information, and contact pages
Conduct additional user testing and development for areas throughout Washington state
