The Bakery
Project overview
The problem
Conscious customers that lack time to learn all about the product while shopping at the bakery.
The goal
Design a mobile app that features available products along with their ingredients and allergens as well as their price.
The product
The Bakery is a regional yet busy bakery located beside the main road leading to the city center. The Bakery offers wide range of local products based on natural ingredients. It targets customers like commuters as well as local inhabitants who would like to be fully aware what they buy but lack time to get all the details while shopping.
My role
UX designer - designing the app for The Bakery from the conception to the delivery.
Responsibilities
Conducting interviews, paper and digital wireframing, low and high-fidelity prototyping, conducting usability studies, accounting for accessibility, and iterating on designs.
Project duration
August 2021 – September 2021
Understanding the user
I conducted interviews and created empathy maps to better understand the users I’m designing for and their needs. A primary user group identified through research was working adults who lack time to stay longer at the bakery and ask about all relevant detailed. This user group confirmed initial assumptions about The Bakery’s customers. Research also revealed that time was not the only factor. Other user problems included difficulty with reading menu available (heavy in text) at the bakery while waiting in the line.
User pain points
Time
Working adults are too busy to spend more time at the bakery.
Information
Lack of holistic information about the product available at hand.
Accessibility
Traditional menus are often text-heavy and difficult to read.
Persona & problem statement
Persona
Problem statement
Matt is an entrepreneur who needs an easy mobile app with bakery’s menu listing ingredients and allergens because checking that at the bakery directly takes to much of his precious time.
User journey map
I created a user journey map of Matt's experience shopping at the bakery to help identify further possible pain points and improvement opportunities.
Starting the design
Paper wireframes
While drafting each screen of the app on paper I ensured that the elements that would be taken to digital wireframes would be well-suited to address user pain points. For the home screen, I prioritized a quick and easy access to the recommended product as well as the access to the full menu.
Digital wireframes
Moving to the next iteration I focused on presenting the list of available products as well as their ingredients and allergens in a structured, simple and eye pleasing way. Filtering, adding to favorites and sharing were further key features.
Usability study findings
I conducted two usability studies to find out if users can find in the app what they came for as well as to check if it improves shopping experience in overall. Findings from the first study helped push the designs from wireframes to mockups. The second study used a high-fidelity prototype and revealed what aspects of the mockups needed refining.
Round 1 findings
Users need distinctive names of the sections.
Users need a short tutorial when first accessing the app.
Round 2 findings
Users need to know the price of the product .
Users need to be able to go back from every screen using dedicated button.
Refining the design
Mockups
Accessibility considerations
Icons
Icons were used to make navigation easier.
Images
Detailed imagery for bakery’s products was used to help all users visualize them.
Color contrast
Color contrast of the text was adjusted in a way to meet highest color contrast standards.
The final product
Takeaways
Impact
Users are satisfied with the app. It meets their needs and makes shopping at the bakery enjoyable.
„The app presents the menu in a beautiful and logical way. It is very usable and intuitive. I would definitely use it to prepare for the shopping next time.”
App user
What I learned
During the process of designing the The Bakery’s app, I learned that the feedback is crucial. First ideas for the app are only the beginning of the process. Usability studies and peer feedback unveiled more angles where app could be improved.
Next steps
More user research to check if there are any new areas of need.
