GrocerEase
- Timeline:
January - March 2024
- Role:
UX Designer & Researcher
- Tools:
Figma, Github, & Google Workspace
Overview
GrocerEase is an app designed to address the problem of food waste in households by providing tools to track expiration dates, manage grocery inventories, and receive personalized meal prep reminders and recipes. It aims to simplify food management and promote healthier eating habits.
The main team consisted of 5 members. While everyone contributed to all aspects of the project, tasks were divided based on individual skills and expertise. As a UX designer and UX researcher, I led the storyboarding and final launch stages, ensuring that the design met user needs and project goals.
Problem
In today’s fast-paced world, many households struggle to manage food effectively, leading to significant waste, especially with forgotten expiration dates, poor meal planning, and limited recipe diversity.
Solution
GrocerEase simplifies food management by tracking expiration dates, offering personalized meal suggestions, and providing efficient grocery planning tools, helping users reduce waste and optimize their food intake.
Impact
The GrocerEase app helps users save money, ease meal preparation, and promote sustainable living by reducing household food waste and encouraging healthier eating habits.
Research
The Method
To understand user needs, we conducted a survey through Google Forms, targeting grocery habits and planning. This allowed us to quickly gather insights from a broad and diverse group of 93 participants. The primary aim of this survey was to identify pain points around grocery shopping, food storage, and meal prep.
Key Findings
of participants reported overestimating the amount of food they need, leading to waste.
mentioned that produce was the most frequently discarded item.
rely on memory to track expiration dates.
We crafted intuitive user flows to guide users seamlessly through tasks like checking expiration dates, managing groceries, and receiving meal recommendations. Each flow was tested and refined based on user feedback.
Prototyping
UI Sketches
Initial sketches explored visual styles and layouts for the app, aiming for a clean, intuitive design that minimized cognitive load.
Wireframes
Wireframes were created in Figma to lay out the main app screens, focusing on functionality and navigation. These wireframes helped in user testing, where feedback guided further refinement.
Visual Design
The final visual design emphasized an approachable, easy-to-navigate interface, using colors and icons that aligned with the app’s mission of simplicity and sustainability.
Final Iteration
UI Sketches
Initial sketches explored visual styles and layouts for the app, aiming for a clean, intuitive design that minimized cognitive load.
Wireframes
Wireframes were created in Figma to lay out the main app screens, focusing on functionality and navigation. These wireframes helped in user testing, where feedback guided further refinement.
Visual Design
The final visual design emphasized an approachable, easy-to-navigate interface, using colors and icons that aligned with the app’s mission of simplicity and sustainability.
Reflection
Working on GrocerEase taught me the importance of translating user feedback into actionable design changes. By deeply understanding users’ daily challenges in managing food, I was able to guide the team toward creating a solution that is not only practical but also resonates with users’ values of sustainability and simplicity.