Research
“Hard to find and experience small, local restaurants or hidden gems.”
Background
Gen Z and Millennials crave diverse culinary experiences, preferring to explore new restaurants. However, finding and trusting new eateries remains a challenge.
User Journey Map
I’ve observe the flow of people finding a new restaurant
Primary Research
People seek new experiences and actively search for them. During their journey, recommendations from friends and family inspire them to make final decisions.
Competitor Analysis
I researched Beli and Yelp, both designed to help users discover small businesses and hidden gems. Yelp relies heavily on community-based reviews and spans a broad range of business categories. In contrast, Beli focuses on discovering restaurants and sharing reviews among friends. However, both lack streamlined reviews and strong image support.
Define
I interviewed five people to understand what factors influence their final decisions and what inspires them to visit new restaurants. Most participants discovered new spots through friends' Instagram stories or reviews from food bloggers. I found that word of mouth plays a significant role in their decision-making.
Additionally, they highlighted the importance of filter functions that cater to their preferences, such as vegetarian menus or the availability of baby highchairs.
Pain Points
I interviewed five different friends and asked them about the challenges they face when finding a new restaurant. I also inquired about the pain points they experience with other competitors' products.
01
Out-dated reviews and inefficient browsing experience
Most case of reviews were written a month to two months ago. Too many words instead of images, leading to low accessibility in previews.
02
Sharing restaurant lists between friends
When dining with friends, sharing restaurant lists via individual links is cumbersome. Navigating between the chat app and Google Maps for each restaurant poses a usability challenge.
03
Meeting special preference
Finding a restaurant that meets special preferences, such as halal or vegetarian options, adds an extra task when searching for new restaurant.
Target Users
Helping small businesses gain exposure through foodies and influencers, while offering diverse cuisine options for Gen Z and Millennials.
Design
Information Architecture
Wireframe
Design Exploration
Iteration
Feeds
Place the profile button within the card for a cohesive look and clearer button actions.
V1
Benefit: Allows users to view only specific reviews posted by certain friends.
Downside: Two separate CTAs may be unnecessary and could lead to confusion about which
post belongs to whom. Additionally, the friend's profile might be overemphasized.
V2
Benefit: Clearly distinguishes the profile icon with highlighted and unhighlighted states.
Reviews displayed next to the profile are less likely to be ignored.
Downside: Overlapping elements might reduce readability.
Caption
Emphasize restaurant reviews and locations. Change the star color to match the brand's color for consistency.
V1
Benefit: Highlights the comments.
Downside: Text size has low hierarchy, making it less prominent.
V2
Benefit: The restaurant name is more visible.
Downside: The restaurant name might be overlooked if users are not interested in the visual content.
Interaction
Add a lively bounce effect and scale variation to create engaging interactions.
V1
Benefit: Provides stable interaction, keeping the focus on the content itself.
Downside: May feel less exciting.
V2
Benefit: Adds excitement through dynamic interaction.
Downside: Primarily serves a decorative function.