Foodini

Launching a food discovery mobile app to help you try new cultural foods

ROLE

Product Designer

SKILLS

UI/UX Design

Rapid Prototyping

Strategy

Usability Testing

TEAM

Product Manager

3 Software Developers

BACKGROUND

A database of foods to help people venture out of their comfort zone when trying new cultural dishes. As the designer, I was in charge of defining research goals, conducting usability tests, interviewing, and designing solutions. I also took part in quality assurance testing to streamline post-design handoff development.

PROBLEM

How might we make the process of finding restaurants to try the dishes in our database easier?

SOLUTION

A seamless in-app experience with map and list view of restaurants

Sometimes it can be confusing learning about new cultural dishes and finding restaurants to try them at. Foodini minimizes these pain points so you can make confident decisions utilizing its dishes and restaurants database. This case study highlights the Restaurant Maps Epic.

Through beta testing and the release of the first version of the app, many users wanted to find restaurants to try the dishes from our database. Working cross-functionally with the PM and developers, we evaluated the existing design system and feasibility of new design ideations.

Mobile phone screen displaying a restaurant search app with options for Chinese and Peruvian cuisines, including restaurant ratings and distance from Elmhurst, NY.

To retain users interested in exploring the restaurant tab, I designed the Restaurant Maps Experience. This feature minimizes efforts by recommending restaurants right on the app. You can view detailed information of restaurants in list view and map view based on your location. We utilized Google Maps API to increase development speed. 

A mobile app screen showing a map of Elmhurst, New York, with green circles indicating the number of restaurants in various areas, and options to list or view the map, plus navigation tabs for Dishes, Restaurants, Post, Feed, and Profile.

Venture out your comfort zone with detailed dish information

A plate of Peruvian seafood skewers served with a side of cheese and herbs, along with a small bowl of dipping sauce and a serving of corn on the cob, on a wooden tray.

Many users wanted to easily try new dishes but didn’t know where to start. We created individual restaurant and menu items so users can understand and visualize the dishes at restaurants. Each dish includes detailed information such as pronunciation, description, similar dishes, dietary restrictions and allergies. Foodini also builds trust by including user generated posts of the dish as a social aspect.

Peruvian seafood dish with grilled skewered seafood, a side of white beans, and a small bowl of dipping sauce, served on a wooden platter with a green banana leaf.

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