NIBBLES
Reducing the need for endless tabs and lists when researching, reviewing and saving restaurants.
Timeline
14 Days (2 Weeks)
My Role
Team
Solo Project
Prototype designer
PROBLEM IDENTIFIED
The process of planning where to eat (for special occasions or trips) can be unnecessarily time-consuming.
Between work colleagues, family members and university friends - a common frustration was the search for new restaurants. Discovering new places to eat not only involves thinking of the cuisine, but also researching its menu, the reviews, location and planning the travel time. As a result, the problem that arises is the inefficiency of switching between platforms and having to sort through one’s open tabs and notes.
THE SOLUTION
Browse, Save and Review.
The user can receive restaurant suggestions based on their location, as well as have the option to browse all categories
The Map feature shows the user their current location and nearby restaurants, for faster ideas
Having the option to manually select categories promotes freedom of choices and also a larger range
Locational restaurant suggestions
The user can make folders for different restaurant categories, making browsing through saved restaurants easier
A separation of categories neatly organises the user’s data, making it a stress-free process to sort through their favourite places
Seeing saved categories can encourage the user to try different cuisines, assisting them to explore new options when researching
Organised folders for saving
Users can review the restaurants they visited, for personal reference in the future
The user can include a rating and also some comments that they can update at any time
This feature allows users to remember their thoughts about specific aspects of the restaurant, allowing them to share their thoughts with others
Remembering with reviews
USER RESEARCH
People want to eat somewhere new and quickly
I interviewed 10 participants of mixed gender (ages 18 - 73) and conducted Cognitive Walkthrough Interviews where participants were given 3 task scenarios to perform with a low-fidelity Nibbles prototype, and encouraged to think aloud along with open-ended questioning. They were then given a post-testing questionnaire to summarise their sentiments and suggestions about the lo-fi prototype.
When do people want to eat out?
GOAL: Find places nearby which are quick and efficient, yet still within their budget. Also to discover places for regular visits and when bored of the same routine
University students and workers who receive extended periods of breaks during their day
#1: During their work break
“I would rather spend money on lunch than wake up early and pack it”
#2: To see family & friends
This trend spanned across all participant ages, where participants want to eat out to catch up casually with their peers or for special occasions
GOAL: Discover new restaurants to share with their friends and family, yet also their concern for having to cater to specific dietary requirements
“Normally we like to try different cuisines every time we meet up, or just go to one that we liked in the past”
#3: Overseas or on a trip
Many expressed their preference to eat out when on a trip (both short i.e. road trip or long) or when overseas, as cooking or packing food can be inconvenient
GOAL: Participants expressed their priority of balancing value and food quality. There was also an interest to plan restaurants ahead of time to mitigate this stress
“I go on holidays to relax, so why would I cook? Trying local foods is the best when you’re somewhere new”
USER PERSONA - THE NEW TUTOR
Two main users
By working with a range of participants, I categorised their characteristics, goals and technology proficiencies. These two personas are representative of the majority participant responses.
1. The Organised Planner
2. The Spontaneous Diner
IDEATION STAGE - ITERATIONS
Key concerns and solutions
User Concern: “I hope I can search for international locations too. Why isn’t that an option?”
Solution: Expand locational searching for any postcode or landmark
Locational Searching Barrier
Inability to filter saved restaurants
User Concern: “How do I know which restaurants I’ve been to? It doesn’t really say which is annoying.”
Solution: Filter restaurants by visit status: E.g. “Haven’t Been/Planned/Visited.”
User Concern: “If I’m in a rush, I’d have to press everything to know if it’s vegan or not. Why isn’t there a filter?”
Solution: Provide a filter at the top of the search results page to accommodate to different dietary requirements.
Catering for dietary requirements
DEVELOPMENT - KEY HI-FIDELITY SCREENS
The final prototype and design decisions.
Locational suggestions and categorised browsing options enhance flexibility for quick finds or in-depth research
Content is structured into a hierarchy of time - fast finds, locational searches, or manual browsing for users with more time
Allows for flexibility depending on user’s schedule, addressing concerns from workers and students
Creation of folders for saved restaurants organises data and simplifies dining decisions
Folders are clearly labelled with appropriate cuisine backgrounds, promoting an aesthetic and minimalist design
Allows for simplified browsing when planning for future events, targeting trend #2 - to see family and friends.
Browsing saved restaurants and reviewing past visits facilitates planning for future
“Visit” status tags are colour coded for quick recognition
Reviews enable sharing with other individuals and promote collaborative discussion and discovery
PROTOTYPE WALKTHROUGH
SUMMARY
My reflections... what would I change or implement?
Clarify the star ratings - As seen in the restaurant listings page, each restaurant features a star rating. However, it is ambiguous as to where these ratings come from - whether it’s from another online source or from users within the application. In the future, I would probably add to this feature so that ratings originate from Nibble users to avoid making users have to research on other platforms for reviews.
Improve trip planning - From the key insights, participants expressed their interest in Nibbles for future trip planning. So, I would implement a feature where users can also create trip categories, rather than just restaurant categories as it would mean that they would have to switch between folders to search for restaurants that they saved specifically for that trip. Allowing them to make travel-specific folders would also enable them to plan restaurants on different days, facilitating their travels even further.
Include a social feature - To increase and encourage engagement, I would also consider implementing a social aspect to Nibbles. For example, allowing users to share their reviews or to follow other users whose opinions they agree with. This way, it would boost the number of users using the app and also introduce a feature that is always generating new content.
