The insights from this survey helped shape my next research step—user interviews. Speaking directly with participants provided deeper insights into their struggles. Many shared that meal planning felt harder than it should be due to indecisiveness, a lack of meal ideas, and difficulty finding the motivation to plan ahead. Below are a few quotes from different individuals.
I then created user personas based on my research findings. These personas represented common behaviors, frustrations, and motivations related to meal planning. They helped me empathize with users and stay focused on their needs, ensuring that my design decisions addressed their biggest challenges—making meal planning simpler, more efficient, and less stressful.
To gain a broader understanding, I conducted a survey with 12 participants to identify how often people struggle with meal planning and what their biggest challenges are. Below are a few key insights from the survey.
Meal planning is a challenge for many people, so I decided to explore their experiences and frustrations with the process. I began with digital ethnography, watching YouTube videos and reels to observe how people approach meal planning and their emotions toward it. While many found it frustrating and time-consuming, they also acknowledged its benefits, agreeing that effective meal planning can significantly make life easier. A common theme that emerged was the desire for more flexibility in the process.
The challenges of meal planning
To better understand competitors in this market, I conducted a competitive analysis of three different meal planning apps. I examined their features, usability, and overall user experience to identify what worked well and where there were gaps. These insights helped inform my own design decisions, ensuring a more user-friendly and adaptable solution.
What do other meal planning apps offer?
To make sense of all the data I gathered, I created an affinity map to organize key insights from my research. By grouping similar thoughts, pain points, and user needs, I was able to identify clear patterns in how people approach meal planning. This process helped me refine my focus, ensuring that my design solutions directly addressed the biggest challenges users faced.
Analyzing my findings
“I did in the past when I wasn't married or had a kid. It would be nice to get back into it however that can feel like a daunting task and I don't think prepping consistently would last.”
“Way harder than it should be.”
“Why is it so hard to find stuff to eat?”
“Take out always works.”
83%
58%
of participants feel stressed when deciding what to make
are the most common challenges with meal planning
75%
of participants struggle daily with deciding what to make
TIME and INDECISIVENESS
of participants meal plan and find it difficult
Caters to different dietary needs
Uses fun colors and graphics
Shows nutritional information
Autogenerates a shopping list
Can import recipes from the web (though users say this doesn’t always work)
Mobile version feels a little cramped
Fun and engaging colors
No nutritional information
Has different options for dietary needs
Able to set dietary goals
Onboarding is a long process
Very limited recipe search
App generates recipes for users
The competitor apps had great features but were somewhat difficult to navigate at first. Each app offered something valuable, yet none combined all the best features into one seamless experience.
My findings led me to focus on two key areas: simplifying the meal planning process to reduce stress and save time, and providing inspiration to help users easily decide what to eat. By addressing these challenges, the goal was to make meal planning feel more manageable and less overwhelming.
Meal planning and preparation can often feel overwhelming. Finding recipes that suit everyone’s tastes is a challenge, and creating a grocery list can be time-consuming.
That’s why I created Daily Dish- to help ease the burden of meal planning. As a personal project, I built a prototype based on UX research to show a simple approach to the meal planning process.
Project Overview
ROLE: UX/UI Designer
TIME FRAME: 4 weeks
TOOLS: Figma, Whimsical, Google Survey
The insights from this survey helped shape my next research step—user interviews. Speaking directly with participants provided deeper insights into their struggles. Many shared that meal planning felt harder than it should be due to indecisiveness, a lack of meal ideas, and difficulty finding the motivation to plan ahead. Below are a few quotes from different individuals.
I then created user personas based on my research findings. These personas represented common behaviors, frustrations, and motivations related to meal planning. They helped me empathize with users and stay focused on their needs, ensuring that my design decisions addressed their biggest challenges—making meal planning simpler, more efficient, and less stressful.
Meal planning and preparation can often feel overwhelming. Finding recipes that suit everyone’s tastes is a challenge, and creating a grocery list can be time-consuming.
That’s why I created Daily Dish- to help ease the burden of meal planning. As a personal project, I built a prototype based on UX research to show a simple approach to the meal planning process.
ROLE: UX/UI Designer
TIME FRAME: 4 weeks
TOOLS: Figma, Whimsical, Google Survey
Project Overview
To gain a broader understanding, I conducted a survey with 12 participants to identify how often people struggle with meal planning and what their biggest challenges are. Below are a few key insights from the survey.
Meal planning is a challenge for many people, so I decided to explore their experiences and frustrations with the process. I began with digital ethnography, watching YouTube videos and reels to observe how people approach meal planning and their emotions toward it. While many found it frustrating and time-consuming, they also acknowledged its benefits, agreeing that effective meal planning can significantly make life easier. A common theme that emerged was the desire for more flexibility in the process.
The challenges of meal planning
To better understand competitors in this market, I conducted a competitive analysis of three different meal planning apps. I examined their features, usability, and overall user experience to identify what worked well and where there were gaps. These insights helped inform my own design decisions, ensuring a more user-friendly and adaptable solution.
What do other meal planning apps offer?
To make sense of all the data I gathered, I created an affinity map to organize key insights from my research. By grouping similar thoughts, pain points, and user needs, I was able to identify clear patterns in how people approach meal planning. This process helped me refine my focus, ensuring that my design solutions directly addressed the biggest challenges users faced.
Analyzing my findings
83%
58%
of participants feel stressed when deciding what to make
are the most common challenges with meal planning
75%
of participants struggle daily with deciding what to make
TIME and INDECISIVENESS
of participants meal plan and find it difficult
Caters to different dietary needs
Uses fun colors and graphics
Shows nutritional information
Autogenerates a shopping list
Can import recipes from the web (though users say this doesn’t always work)
Mobile version feels a little cramped
Fun and engaging colors
No nutritional information
Has different options for dietary needs
Able to set dietary goals
Onboarding is a long process
Very limited recipe search
App generates recipes for users
The competitor apps had great features but were somewhat difficult to navigate at first. Each app offered something valuable, yet none combined all the best features into one seamless experience.
View full Competitive Analysis here
View full Affinity Map here
My findings led me to focus on two key areas: simplifying the meal planning process to reduce stress and save time, and providing inspiration to help users easily decide what to eat. By addressing these challenges, the goal was to make meal planning feel more manageable and less overwhelming.
“Way harder than it should be.”
“Take out always works.”
“I did in the past when I wasn't married or had a kid. It would be nice to get back into it however that can feel like a daunting task and I don't think prepping consistently would last.”
“Why is it so hard to find stuff to eat?”
With the sitemap in place, I developed task flows to visualize how users would navigate through key actions within the app. These flows outline the step-by-step processes for tasks like creating a meal plan/ grocery list, and browsing meal inspiration.
With the task flows finalized, I moved on to creating mid-fidelity wireframes to bring the layout and functionality of the app to life. By testing these early designs, I was able to refine the navigation, placement of key features, and overall usability before moving on to high-fidelity designs.
To establish a clear and intuitive structure for the app, I created a sitemap outlining the main navigation and key user flows. This helped organize content in a way that made sense for users, ensuring they could easily access important features without unnecessary complexity.
How will it work?
I carefully selected colors, typography, and design elements to create a cohesive and inviting brand identity. I chose a palette featuring greens and blues, complemented by darker blues and white for readability. For typography, I selected the "Poppins" typeface, as it strikes the perfect balance between friendliness and professionalism.
Daily Dish Brand Identity
CLICK ON
“PLAN”
CHOOSE DAY
ADD MEAL
ADD ITEMS TO
GROCERY LIST
HOME PAGE
DONE
CLICK ON
“INSPIRATION”
SELECT
BREAKFAST,
LUNCH, OR
DINNER
MEAL PICTURE/
RECIPE
SWIPE UP
OR
SWIPE DOWN
HOME PAGE
NEW MEAL IDEA
Create a Meal Plan/Grocery List
Finding Meal Inspiration
PLAN
INSPIRATION
GROCERIES
PROFILE
NAME OF RECIPE
MEAL SEARCH
MEAL MATCH
RECIPE BOOK
INSPIRATION
PLAN
INSPIRATION
GROCERIES
PROFILE
NAME
PLAN
INSPIRATION
GROCERIES
PROFILE
Keto
Easy
Dairy-Free
Settings
Activity
Dietary Goals
Logout
LOGO
Welcome to ______, where we
make meal planning easy.
SIGN UP
LOGIN
MEAT
DAIRY
FRUIT
VEGETABLES
Chicken
Beef
Salmon
Apples
Grapes
Strawberries
Tomato
Spinach
Carrots
Asparagus
Milk
Cheese
GROCERY LIST
PLAN
INSPIRATION
GROCERIES
PROFILE
REMOVE
ADD NOTE
EDIT
RECIPE NAME
20 minutes
4 servings
12 reviews
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp oil
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
TAGS
In a large bowl, whisk the egg, sugar, vanilla,
and oil together.
PLAN
INSPIRATION
GROCERIES
PROFILE
Nut-free
Easy
Breakfast
Gluten-Free
PLAN
INSPIRATION
GROCERIES
PROFILE
MEAT
DAIRY
FRUIT
VEGETABLES
Chicken
Beef
Salmon
Apples
Grapes
Strawberries
Tomato
Spinach
Carrots
Asparagus
Milk
Cheese
GROCERY LIST
PLAN
INSPIRATION
GROCERIES
PROFILE
Core Values:
Friendly: The experience makes users feel good and want to return
Convenient: Giving users what they need all on one platform
Simple: The app is easy and intuitive
Flexible: Users are able to change things based on their needs
Logo
daily
dish
daily
dish
Color Palette
#EEF3EC
#C4DFAC
#8BC24A
#7BBDB3
#087E8B
#0A3E44
Navigation
Typography
H1 Headline
H2 Headline
H3 Headline
Body Text
Font: Poppins
These were the main concerns I identified from my mid-fidelity user testing:
Meal Planning Structure: Users felt it was unnecessary to have separate spots for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as they only wanted to plan meals they would actually be preparing.
Calendar View: In addition to a monthly/day calendar, users wanted a weekly view.
Grocery List: Users were confused about how to add additional items to the grocery list.
August 2024
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BREAKFAST
LUNCH
DINNER
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12th
Pancakes
Add item
Add item
Add item
Add item
PLAN
PLAN
INSPIRATION
GROCERIES
PROFILE
MEAT
DAIRY
FRUIT
VEGETABLES
Chicken
Beef
Salmon
Apples
Grapes
Strawberries
Tomato
Spinach
Carrots
Asparagus
Milk
Cheese
GROCERY LIST
PLAN
INSPIRATION
GROCERIES
PROFILE
I developed my high-fidelity wireframes and conducted usability testing to determine their effectiveness.
To the left shows the updated wireframes for a daily view and a weekly view.
August 2024
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Daily Plan
Weekly Plan
Created by Katarina Ilić
from the Noun Project
PLAN
INSPIRATION
GROCERIES
PROFILE
BREAKFAST
ADD MEAL
Pancakes
PLAN
Initially, I envisioned a system where all recipe items from a user's meal plan would automatically populate a "Recipe List". From there, users could select items to keep by checking them, and the checked items would then move to the "Grocery List". However, users found this approach confusing and suggested it would be simpler to have only one list to edit.
Taking this feedback into account, I modified the grocery list to a single list format. If users click on an item, they can see which recipes include it. If users want to edit the list, they can select the edit button on the bottom right.
Bonus Feature
Meal Match: Users swipe up or down on a recipe, much like they would on a dating app. By tapping on the recipe image, the card flips to reveal the full recipe. This feature adds a playful touch that enhances the user experience, keeping it both engaging and enjoyable.
Usability Testing Results & Iterations
Wrapping It Up: Key Problems & Solutions
I tested the user flows I created earlier by instructing participants to add a meal to their meal plan, generate a shopping list, and explore various ways to discover meal inspiration. Below are the successes and concerns identified from this testing.
Success
Concerns
Users found the app easy to navigate
Users were unsure how to add a recipe to their meal plan from a recipe page
Users understood how to add and remove a meal to their meal plan
Users loved the automatically generated grocery lists
Users were mildly confused with how the grocery lists worked
Users enjoyed the various ways to find recipes
Users experience difficulty in choosing what to make and eat.
Provide users with multiple ways to find and save recipes.
Give users an autogenerated shopping list based on their meal plan, with the flexibility to add/remove items as needed.
Users find creating shopping lists time-consuming and challenging, as they frequently forget items.
Users desire a simple and intuitive way to plan meals.
Users can easily add and remove meals from their meal plan. They also have the option to view their meals either daily or weekly.
Problem #1
Problem #2
Problem #3
Enhancing usability: The critique of users from usability testing is essential. Implementing the feedback I was given made the app more intuitive and enhanced the overall user experience. This process emphasized the importance of iterative design and user feedback in creating a seamless experience.
Design with purpose: This project taught me how essential it is to design with user needs in mind, ensuring that the solution is not only functional but simple and easy to navigate.
Final Thoughts
To add a recipe to a meal plan, users would select the plus icon in the top right corner. To save the recipe to their "Recipe Book," they could heart the recipe.
However, users often overlooked the plus icon and mistakenly thought hearting the recipe would add it to their meal plan.
To simplify this, I replaced the icons with an "Add" button, allowing users to choose whether to add the recipe to their meal plan or save it to a collection.
Test the Prototype