PlanWell
Meal prep made easy, from plan to plate
Research Goal
Research
Research Statistics
User Interviews
As I was starting from scratch, I wanted to begin by understanding the challenges and motivational factors that affect individuals' consistency in meal prepping.
Total Research Duration
The research phase spanned two weeks, involving 20 hours of interviews and a competitive analysis.
Participants
I conducted five interviews with people between the ages of 21 and 38. Each interview lasted 30-45 minutes.
During my research, I interviewed individuals who are health conscious and those who are meal prepping or have tried meal prepping in the last six months. Here’s what I learned:
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.”
Competitive Analysis
I analyzed three popular meal-planning apps to identify market gaps. I assessed the features offered by each app through research. Although most competitors had comparable functions, "Eat This Much" distinguished itself with its distinctive and advanced features.
Affinity Mapping
I had a lot of information to work with, so I found affinity mapping really helpful for organizing everything. By visually grouping related ideas, I was able to identify patterns and create 8 themes, with four of them having subcategories.
Personas
Two personas were created from patterns discovered in the affinity mapping: a weightlifter needing variety in his meals and a college student looking to manage her weight with quick and easy recipes.
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HMW Statement
How might we offer quick, varied, one-hour or less recipes for busy professionals that seamlessly fit into their schedules and aid consistent meal prepping despite time constraints?
Solution
Provide customized meal plans with quick and varied recipes to save time and offer convenient options.
Site Map
To visualize the app's structure, I created a sitemap. This aided me in developing user flows and ensured well-organized navigation and layout without overcomplicating things.
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User Flow
The user flow consists of three tasks:
Login & Onboarding Process
Generate a Week Meal Plan & Change the dinner option
View the calendar and see the Recipes for Prep Day