hidden
-
Success
You have reached my
Portfolio
Please take your pick, or just scroll down freely
Please take your pick, or just scroll down freely
I am a UX enthusiast, a research fanatic, a communicator and a collaborator.
After over a decade of working in the graphic design industry, I now focus most of my free time on user experience and user research. Design thinking and a recent degree in Psychology – which sparked my passion and love for research – led me to UX and inspired me to pursue a more profound understanding of this area. I genuinely believe that with empathy, we can not only create a usable, equitable and enjoyable product but also make a change in the world.
I won't bore you with my resume here, you can find all the additional info on LinkedIn by either clicking on my name in the top left corner or, for a more convenient option: by clicking here.
Also, if you like what you see on this page, let’s connect on LinkedIn, or if you feel the urge to contact me right away, please don’t hesitate!
Continue
Nutrition calculators are currently less prevalent in the market, therefore, a product that provides nutritional information on restaurant dishes offers a possibility for any restaurant to stand out from the crowd. The app is designed for a modern restaurant, and by following the latest trends and targeting health-conscious users, the product aims to enhance customer satisfaction and affect brand image positively.
Due to dietary requirements, restaurant goers require more information on restaurant dishes that is easy to access and comprehend.
Design a nutrition calculator app that allows users to see the nutrition values of each dish and perform cumulative calculations on selected items.
Conducting interviews, preparing surveys, paper and digital wireframing, low and high-fidelity prototyping, conducting usability studies, accounting for accessibility and iterating on designs.
After I conducted interviews that allowed me to create empathy maps to understand restaurant goers and their needs, I identified the primary user group through research. This user group involves customers who are either health-conscious by choice and follow a diet or users whose intention is not voluntary as their dietary requirements are due to illness or allergy/intolerance. The user group characteristics confirmed initial assumptions, but research also revealed that the inability to know the nutritional values of restaurant dishes was only one of the factors limiting access for restaurant goers with dietary requirements. Other user problems included challenges finding a place where nutritional information is provided and the frustration stemming from needing help finding particular dishes that align with dietary requirements during a restaurant visit.
Using empathy maps to know what the user thinks, says, does and feels, the following pain points were identified:
Limited Availability
Adult restaurant goers in Dublin have a hard time finding nutritional information provided through the apps of modern restaurants.
Information Architecture
Text-heavy nutritional information is often difficult to read and/or understand. Limitations of the architecture can pose a threat to comprehension.
Limited Functions
The lack of cumulative calculation availability and also the complicated search functions frustrate the user and create a negative experience.
Accessibility
Nutritional calculators are not equipped with assistive technologies, which can create disadvantages for several app users.
User journeys built on personas and stories helped me to think and feel like the user.
For example, mapping Charles’ user journey revealed how helpful it would be for users to access an easily comprehensible nutrition calculator with options for easy search, filters and suggestions.
Charles is a health-conscious adult who needs to quickly build his course with the right amount of nutrition because he wants to lose weight and keep up with his diet.
Prisha is a diabetic who needs an easy way to decide on the type of meals because she wants to manage her diabetes effortlessly.
The app will provide an easy understanding of nutritional information for single or several dishes and allow filtering and suggestions to satisfy specific requirements.
After I had conducted a Competitive Audit (click here to view) and summarised its findings into the Competitive Audit Report (click here to view), I identified the gaps and the opportunities. Ideation then took off, using the "How Might We" exercise – based on the problem statements, followed by Crazy Eights. I then created the goal statement to help focus on the scope of the design. The statement outlined: the Nutrition Calculator app will let users know the nutrition values of the food they consume, which will affect health-conscious and diet-restricted individuals, by providing cumulative nutrition information about restaurant dishes, while the effectiveness will be measured by analysing the frequency of app usage.
To anticipate user needs when interacting with the product, I developed the user flow to make sure the product understands the users and satisfies their needs.
Then I created the storyboards to explore the user’s experience with a product. The example of the big picture storyboard here focuses on Charles’ needs, the context and why the product would be useful for him. The close-up storyboard example below was developed later in the design process, focusing on the product itself and how it works.
The next step was to create paper wireframes. Drafting iterations of each app screen on paper was essential to ensure that the digital wireframes elements were built to address user pain points. I emphasised quick access to the menu, filters and search options for the home screen.
As the initial design phase continued, and the Information Architecture was defined, I created more paper wireframes and then digital wireframes, keeping Gestalt principles in mind and ensuring that screen designs were based on feedback and user research findings.
Easy access to nutrition information while browsing the menu was a key user need to address.
The low-fidelity prototype connected the primary user flow of viewing nutrition information, filtering, searching, and obtaining more information on dishes and nutrition values at any point in the user flow.
Introduction
● Title: Creating a nutrition calculator app for a restaurant
● Author: Tímea Ősz, Aspiring UX researcher
● Stakeholders: Restaurant customers, restaurant owner and Tímea Ősz (as design lead and researcher)
● Date: 20th of August, 2022
● Project Background: We are creating a nutrition calculator app for a modern restaurant to provide customers with nutritional information and calculation on restaurant dishes. While not many restaurants offer this extra service, the ones that do have been very successful and gained attention. We wish to create a competitive product that will enhance customer satisfaction and positively affect brand image resulting in improved sales and increased bookings.
● Research Goals: The present study aims to investigate how easy or difficult to use the restaurant’s nutrition calculator app and determine possible users’ pain points through navigation and completion of core tasks within the prototype of the nutrition calculator app.
Research Questions
● How long does it take to find out the nutritional information of a particular dish?
● What can we learn from the user flow?
● Can design changes improve user experience?
● Do participants get stuck at any point?
● What do users think about how easy or difficult to use the app?
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
● Time on task: how long it takes to find out the nutrition information of a particular dish
● User error rates: how often users get stuck
● System usability scale: questionnaire to evaluate customer feedback
Methodology
● Unmoderated usability study
● Location: Ireland, remote (the study will require each participant to complete it in their own home)
● Date: Sessions will take place on the 1st of October
● Sample: 5 participants will take part in the study (convenience sample)
● Length: Each session will last approximately 15-20 minutes (based on prompts and the length of the system usability scale survey)
Participants
● Participants dine out at least once a month
● Age range of participants should be between 18 and 65
● Participants need to reside in an urban or suburban area
● Participants’ genders should be evenly distributed
● Participants should include people with different abilities, including 1 user with dyslexia and 1 user with an auditory impairment
● Incentive: €50 restaurant gift card for completion
Script
● Before the unmoderated usability study
The participants will receive an information sheet outlining the research study, their right to withdraw, and how their data will be used and stored. Contact details will also be provided if participants wish to raise concerns or inquire about the study. A non-disclosure agreement and a consent form will follow.
● During the unmoderated usability study
The prompts below will appear on the device screen:
● Prompt 1: From the home screen, try to search for a particular dish.
○ Prompt 1 follow-up: How easy or difficult was this task? Would you change anything about the process?
● Prompt 2: Enlarge the image of a dish.
○ Prompt 2 follow-up: How easy or difficult was it? Would you change anything?
● Prompt 3: Close the image and go through all sections of the menu (starters, mains, desserts, drinks) and view the detailed nutrition information of a dish you are about to order.
○ Prompt 3 follow-up: How easy or difficult was navigating the menu? Would you change anything?
● Prompt 4: Go back to the menu and view and interact with the TOTAL nutrition section and find out more info about a pre-selected dish.
○ Prompt 4 follow-up: How easy or difficult was it to understand that the nutritional information was for multiple items? How difficult or easy was it to view those selected dishes? Is there anything you would change?
● Prompt 5: Let the app know you can only consume 600kcal.
○ Prompt 5 follow-up: How easy or difficult was this task? Would you change anything?
● Prompt 6: Edit your profile.
○ Prompt 6 follow-up: How easy or difficult was this task? Would you change anything?
● Prompt 7: What are your thoughts about this nutrition calculator app? What did you like and dislike about it?
After the unmoderated usability study
Participants will complete the System Usability Scale.
The statements below appear in a randomised order. Participants score these statements by choosing one response out of five possible answers: “Strongly agree”, “Slightly agree”, “Neutral”, “Slightly disagree”, or “Strongly disagree”:
○ The main user flow was clear.
○ I found the app unnecessarily complex.
○ I think the app was easy to use.
○ I would probably need the help of a technical person to be able to use this app.
○ I found the app easy to navigate.
○ There was inconsistency within the app.
○ I felt confident using the app.
○ I needed to learn many things before I could start using this app.
○ The nutrition information was clear to understand.
○ It was hard to follow what the nutrition calculator showed exactly
After completing the research plan, I tested the low-fidelity prototype for the Restaurant Nutrition Calculation App, using an unmoderated usability testing method, where participants received the link to prototype testing, during which their screen and narration were recorded. While going through the recordings, I took notes using a note-taking spreadsheet. I assigned a sheet to each participant separately, where click path, observations, participant quotes, and task completion ratings were noted for each task. (click here to view) Participants were anonymised, and later the recordings were destroyed.
Based on the notes above, I made an affinity diagram to organise and synthesise the data into clusters and then into groups based on themes or relationships. The method of finding patterns in the data and identifying themes aided my understanding and interpretation.
The following themes were identified:
Most of the users were unable to see detailed information
Supporting evidence from the usability study:
● 4 out of 5 participants could either not access detailed information or took a long time to determine how to reach it.
● Participants mostly clicked on the text.
Participant 2:
I should be able to just click on the dish.
Difficulties with enlarging the dish image
Supporting evidence from the usability study:
● 5 out of 5 participants could not complete the task for the first time.
● Clickable area was not intuitive for the users.
Participant 3:
Would have expected clicking on the image would show the large image.
The filtering option is not prominent
Supporting evidence from the usability study:
● 3 out of 5 participants had difficulty applying a calorie limit to the dishes.
● Some participants went through different paths to find it.
Participant 4:
This is a great thing, it will help me with my diet, but only if I find it easily.
To create strong insights that are grounded in real data, answer the research questions, inspire direct action, increase empathy user experience, and, last but not least, easy to understand, I focused on P0 and P1 rankings and identified the following insights:
Recommendations:
Make the whole area of the preview image clickable
Consider additional locations to access filtering
After the first usability study, I reviewed the filtering option and considered additional paths to reach it. I ensured the images and descriptions allowed a larger area to click on. I also created the sticker sheet that helped me define the main feel for the design.
To test the high-fidelity prototype, the second usability study involved moderated usability testing with a methodology similar to the first, unmoderated study.
It was observed that 4 out of 5 participants needed help getting back to the Total Nutrition section after viewing the full-screen menu. This means that navigating back to Total Nutrition is difficult for almost all users.
It was observed that 3 out of 5 participants found the Total Nutrition section too big when they started browsing the menu. This means that for most users, the Total Nutrition section was in the way when getting familiar with the menu.
It was observed that 3 out of 5 participants expected to see a filtered menu after using filtering options. This means that filtering only satisfies the needs of some users.
It was observed that 3 out of 5 participants tried to edit their profiles by clicking on certain profile items. This means that the ‘edit profile’ button seemed irrelevant to most users.
It was observed that 3 out of 5 participants found the top buttons on the menu helpful. This means that those buttons are useful for most people, but not an overwhelming majority.
It was observed that 3 out of 5 participants were wondering if the add button meant adding dishes to the calculator. This means that the purpose of the ‘Add’ button needs to be explained.
Based on the theme that: users have trouble navigating back to the Total Nutrition section after viewing the menu on full screen, an insight is: add a visible reference of the Total Nutrition section to the bottom of the screen brings up that section when clicked on.
Based on the theme that: users were confused about the function of the ‘Add’ button, an insight is: adding items to the calculator needs to be explained clearly.
Based on the theme that: users found the Total Nutrition section taking up too much space on the screen when browsing the menu, an insight is: to scale down the size of the Total Nutrition in the bottom half so the details are only visible when users want to see it.
Based on the theme that: users expected to see a filtered menu option as well, an insight is: add an option of ‘view filtered menu’ beside ‘suggestions’.
Based on the theme that: users intuitively tried to click on profile items to edit them, an insight is: make profile items editable when clicked on instead of the call-to-action button at the bottom.
After the second usability study, I scaled down the Total Nutrition section so users could browse the menu comfortably and only bring up the calculator in half-page and/or full-page view when needed. This revision also made navigation easier. I also made sure that the 'Add' button was clarified and well-explained. Filtering was further revised, and I added the option of viewing the filtered menu. I discarded the edit button on the Profile page to allow intuitive editing.
Swipe on the phone's screen repeatedly to browse through key mockup designs.
The final high-fidelity prototype addressed user pain points and allowed for a better and more straightforward user flow based on user needs.
Watch the video or click here to interact with the high-fidelity prototype in Figma.
Icons were used to make navigation easier.
The minimum text size is 12px, and all colour combinations were checked and amended to follow WCAG 2.0 guidelines for contrast accessibility. I also added alt text to images for screen readers to provide access to users with vision impairment.
The design provides easy comprehension and navigation to help users interact with the app requiring minimum effort.
Impact:
The app makes users feel looked after and enforces positive perceptions towards the restaurant, highlighting honesty and transparency.
What I learned:
Designing an app from the beginning involves many complex steps, and understanding the user is crucial in the process. Usability studies and peer feedbacks are critical to maximising the app’s potential. I also realised that I must improve my interview skills further with more practice.
Further user research would help identify additional user needs.
Further usability studies will be ideal to see if the pain points have been addressed successfully.
The sign-up process for a cryptocurrency exchange is the first step where users start forming opinions about the marketplace. While there are many options to exchange cryptocurrency, the current product is for a centralised exchange platform aiming for user loyalty.
The sign-up process at current platforms is often painstaking and time-consuming, which new users find extremely difficult due to the lack of experience.
Because the sign-up process impacts the users’ opinions about the platform, it is imperative to target both novice and experienced users and provide them with a pleasant experience through a pain-free and effortless user flow.
I will be conducting interviews, preparing surveys, paper and digital wireframing, low and high-fidelity prototyping, conducting usability studies, accounting for accessibility and iterating on designs.
After I conducted interviews to be able to understand user habits, thoughts and needs, I developed the following empathy maps:
Li Mei's user story:
As an experienced and busy professional with family commitments, I want to sign up quickly and without obligation, so that I don’t waste my time on something that might not be worth it.
Peter's user story:
As a novice and inexperienced user, I want to receive tips and explanations in a less distractive environment, so that I can fully understand and focus on what I’m doing.
Li Mei is a Busy individual who needs a quick and easy sign-up process because they don’t want to waste their time.
Peter is a new trader who needs a well-explained sign-up process because they are unfamiliar with crypto trading.
I have spent over a decade in the graphic design industry, creating artworks and also managing projects. These examples below are just a tiny fragment of my portfolio to showcase creativity and the skills I have developed during those years.
Thank you for visiting my page!
I appreciate your time reviewing my work! More projects will hopefully follow soon.
