Timeline
10 weeks (June-August 2024)
Role
UI/UX Designer
Full-Stack Developer
Team
Me
Kathy C.
Sophie P.
Joyce Z.
Tools
Figma
React Native
Firebase
Skills
User Research
Prototyping
Frontend Development
Backend Integration
Project Overview
Over the summer of 2024, I had the opportunity to participate in Dandilyonn SEEDS, a 10-week program focused on mobile app design and development. Our team of four was tasked with creating a mobile app that solved problems regarding dining on college campuses. I was responsible for designing the UI of the app as well as any necessary graphics, and then implementing my designs using React Native alongside the rest of my team.
THE PROBLEM
College students are busy, making nutrition a low priority
As college students, eating outside of campus is often not financially viable, leading most students to eat meals at campus dining halls. However, many students feel dissatisfied with dining hall options and are concerned about food waste. At the same time, students are increasingly focused on eating healthy on campus, seeking nutritious options that support their academic and physical well-being.
How might we...
improve access to nutritional information within college campus dining halls in order to empower students to make healthier food choices?
USER RESEARCH
Understanding college students' dining habits
We interviewed 8 college students attending different universities across the U.S. to understand their individual dining habits and preferences. We found several common issues: most students experienced long waits in dining halls or struggled to choose nutritious options on campus that tasted good. We also learned that students often use review apps or group chats to hear about dining options, but there is no platform specifically meant for college dining halls.
After comprehensive industry research of existing food review apps and examining their user experience, we identified three main feature buckets of our project:
1. Detailed nutritional information of dining hall dishes
2. Filtered search system, including user-inputted food preferences
3. Ability to write reviews that include rankings of food taste and health
IDEATION
Visualizing the app flow
From here, I defined the user flow and began the first iteration of screens. The first aspect of the app that I focused on was creating a list of dining hall food options that would allow students to quickly glance at relevant nutritional information.