Challenge
Challenge
Design a nutrition coaching tool for people who are new to technology
Embedded Files
The product:
NutriNinja is a mobile app and website designed to provide nutrition coaching and support for users who are new to technology and seeking guidance on healthy eating habits. The app and website aim to provide personalized nutrition plans, tracking tools, and educational resources to help users achieve their health goals.
Project duration:
March 2023 - April 2023
Study type:
Unmoderated usability study
Location:
United States, remote
Participants:
4 participants
Length:
30-45 minutes
The problem:
As people become more health-conscious, there is a growing need for an intuitive and accessible nutrition coaching tool that can support users in adopting healthy eating habits. However, many people who are new to technology struggle to find an app or website that is easy to navigate and understand, leading to frustration and disengagement.
The goal:
Design a user-friendly web and mobile app that simplifies the nutrition coaching experience. The app should provide personalized nutrition recommendations and educational resources to help users make healthier food choices and achieve their wellness goals. By doing so, we aim to empower users to take control of their health and improve their overall well-being.
My role:
UX designer leading the app and responsive website design from conception to delivery
Responsibilities:
Conducting interviews, paper and digital wireframing, low and high-fidelity prototyping, conducting usability studies, accounting for accessibility, iterating on designs, determining information architecture, and responsive design.
User research: summary
For NutriNinja, we conducted extensive user research through in-depth interviews and usability testing with our target users. We had initially assumed that our users would have minimal experience with technology and may struggle to navigate our app and website. However, our research revealed that while our users were indeed new to technology, they were highly motivated to improve their nutrition and were willing to learn. Additionally, we found that our users valued personalized and easy-to-understand nutrition information, as well as a supportive community. These insights helped us shape the design and features of our app and website to better meet the needs and goals of our target users.
Persona 1: Grandma Grace
Problem statement:
As a retired person who wants to maintain a healthy lifestyle, Grace wants to learn about proper nutrition and healthy eating habits through an easy-to-use nutrition coaching tool so that she can make informed choices about what she eats and feel confident in her ability to take care of herself and her loved ones.
Persona 2: Working Will
Problem statement:
As a busy sales manager who values fitness and healthy eating, Will wants to have access to a mobile-based nutrition coaching tool that provides personalized meal plans and helps to track his food intake so that I can make healthy choices when I'm on-the-go and feel in control of my nutrition goals.
Competitive audit
An audit of a few competitor's products provided direction on gaps and opportunities to address with the NutriNinja app.
Ideation
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 health conscious food choices and methods for tracking metrics.
Digital wireframes
After ideating and drafting some paper wireframes, I created the initial designs for the NutriNinja app. These designs focused on delivering personalized guidance to users to help with health food choices and knowledge.
Low-fidelity prototype
To prepare for usability testing, I created a low-fidelity prototype that connected the user flow of viewing a recipe and chatting with a nutritional coach professional for additional advice.
Affinity Diagram
Usability study: findings
Motivation
Users struggle with tracking and recording their food intake and found it time-consuming and tedious.
Personalization
Users want personalized and tailored recommendations and guidance that take into account their specific goals, dietary restrictions, and preferences.
Simplification
Users prioritize convenience and ease of use. They also appreciated features that simplified meal planning and grocery shopping, and allowed them to quickly track their progress towards their goals.
Mockups
Based on the insights from usability studies, I applied design changes like providing a clear section from the home screen to browse recommended recipes and meal plans based on selected dietary choices.
Before usability study
After usability study
Before usability study
After usability study
Additional Design changes included adding an option to “View” or select a specific nutrition coach that is currently available to “Chat Now” first, rather than taking any random chat that appears.
High-fidelity prototype
The high-fidelity prototype followed the same user flow as the low-fidelity prototype, including design changes made after the usability study.
View the NutriNinja high-fidelity prototype.
Accessibility considerations
Clear labels for interactive elements that can be read by screen readers.
Larger font sizes and high-contrast color schemes were used for users who may have visual impairments
Initial focus of the home screen on personalized recommendations help define the primary task or action for the user.
Sitemap
With the app designs completed, I started work on designing the responsive website. I used the NutriNinja sitemap to guide the organizational structure of each screen's design to ensure a cohesive, enhanced, and consistent experience across devices.
Responsive designs
The designs for screen size variation included mobile and desktop. I optimized the designs to fit specific user needs of each device and screen size.
Desktop
Tablet
Mobile
Thank You!
Thank you for your time reviewing my work on the NutriNinja’s App and Responsive Website Design concept! If you’d like to see more or get in touch, my contact information is provided below.
Email: kristen.townsel@gmail.com
Website: kristentownsel.com
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