PlanWell

Meal prep made easy, from plan to plate

Overview

I designed a minimum viable product (MVP) for a new app called PlanWell. This meal planning app automatically generates personalized meal plans based on users' dietary preferences, goals, and lifestyles. It also helps manage nutritional intake and organize meal preparation schedules.

Background

Meal prepping has many benefits, but it can be challenging due to time investment, lack of variety, and the need for guidance and support, as well as managing grocery budgets and finding motivation.

Role
User Research
UX/UI Design
Visual Design
Prototyping
User Testing

Timeline
6 Weeks

Year
2024

Research

Research was conducted to create data-driven insights. The following techniques were used:

  • User Interviews

  • Competitive Analysis

  • Personas

  • User Flow

To see the full research methods, click here.

Problem

  • Participants find it challenging to prepare meals because of their busy schedules.

  • Participants' meals lack variety due to their preference for quick recipes.

Participants find it challenging to prepare meals because of their busy schedules.

“After my three 12-hour night shifts (as a nurse), I sleep all day, making it difficult to find time and energy to meal prep once I wake up.”

Participants' meals lack variety due to their preference for quick recipes.

“Although my meal prep isn't the most varied, I don't want to spend much time on it, so I choose simple, quick recipes.”

Solution

Provide customized meal plans with quick and varied recipes to save time and offer convenient options.

Visual Design and UI Kit

For the color scheme, I chose calming colors like Aqua Green, Eucalyptus, and Turquoise for their refreshing qualities in meal preparation. I included Flame, Xanthous, and Coral to add warmth to signify excitement and creativity. I chose Proxima Nova as the font for its readability on various devices and screen sizes.

Iterations

Combine “Edit” & “Change” into one button

Having two buttons "Edit" and "Change" close in meaning confused users. Combining the buttons into one directs the user's attention to a clear action.

The “Edit Meal” Page

  • Adding a checkbox: A checkbox will be added to let users select multiple meals for simultaneous changes.

  • Remove button: I removed the "Choose This Meal" button to reduce confusion and streamline user actions.

  • Adding tags: The button was replaced with tags that indicate meal types, helping users find meals that match their preferences more easily.

Redesign details page & Comparison Chart

  • Redesign details page: I moved the comparison chart to the bottom and placed the selected meal's calories and macros at the top for quick reference.

  • Comparison chart: I added arrows to the comparison chart to help users quickly identify changes in calories and macros, allowing for faster, more informed choices.

Final Designs

Here are the final designs for PlanWell. After a month and a half of hard work and dedication, I'm excited to present the culmination of my efforts: the minimum viable product.

Results

All participants expressed satisfaction with the app, noting its potential to help them stay motivated and consistent in their healthy eating journey. One person mentioned that having a schedule for preparing meals would help her stick to a routine.

"The meal scheduling feature would keep me organized during the week, and I would finally stick to my nutrition plan without last-minute stress."