Mary A.
Gutierrez
The Next Big Thing Post-Pandemic
BRAND DEVELOPMENT | UX/UI DESIGN
An app allowing restaurant owners and diners to share real-time status updates on dining options, sanitization, and COVID-19 requirements. By providing timely information, the app aims to enhance the dining experience while prioritizing safety.
Real-Time, Real-Truth, Real-Reviews
NEWNORM APP
Balancing Cravings & Caution
As we strive for post-pandemic normalcy many people are looking to dine out at their favorite restaurants. However, due to the new normal we are experiencing they are cautious about what restaurants are doing to keep their customers safe.
Enter NewNormApp
The Problem
The Objective
Enhancing Post-Pandemic Dining
The objective of the NewNormApp project is to create a reliable and user-friendly platform that empowers individuals to confidently and conveniently navigate the post-pandemic world. By addressing the challenges users face in determining the operational status of establishments, understanding dining options, and staying informed about sanitization practices and COVID-19 requirements, the app aims to provide real-time information and support users looking to dine out during the COVID-19 re-opening stages. Through our evaluation, we seek to assess the effectiveness of the NewNormApp in meeting these user needs and enhancing the dining experience in the post-pandemic era.
Understanding User Experiences
The team meticulously researched and analyzed existing apps similar to NewNormApp, focusing particularly on the two major players in the market: Yelp and Google Reviews. Through comprehensive surveys, we sought feedback from testers, revealing a common issue that both Yelp and Google Reviews were perceived as cluttered, untrustworthy, and outdated.
EMPATHIZE
NOT JUST ANOTHER YELP APP
Defining User Needs: Reliable, Fast, Convenient
We discovered the target audience’s potential paint points were finding reliable up to date information about reopening of restaurants.
Users wanted an app that was simple, easy to navigate, and provides relevant information, fast. Convenience and information gather is key to users needs for such an app.
DEFINE
User-Driven Feature Development
By exploring the potential pain points and goals of the target audience, the team laid a solid foundation for developing use cases, screen flows, and determining the app's features, with a clear emphasis on the minimal viable product.
The team prioritized key features, including:
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Real-time user input for indicating whether a restaurant is currently open or closed
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User-contributed wait time information
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COVID requirements feature that allows user input
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Comprehensive search and review feature
IDEATE
Developing and building solutions
In keeping with the primary features and the screen flows, low-fi prototypes were created. Due to COVID-19 the team collaborated online and designed interactive wireframes using InVision. This was to be used for the first stages of testing, which was also performed remotely.
PROTOTYPE
Develop an Identity
We wanted to create an app that was positive and warm that also represented health and safety. We choose the color green to represent the cleanliness as well as evoke the feeling of health and safety of the brand. The pops of orange in the brand were chosen to enhance the positive energy, excitement, and enthusiasm we want the audience to feel when using the app.
BRANDING
Gather Feedback
Users were observed through testing. Providing insight into the following:
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Level of tech savviness
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How frequently they use similar apps
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Dining out habits pre and post COVID-19
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Level of caution regarding dining out
Testing played an integral role in development of the app. From the initial low-fi wireframes testing to transitioning to hi-fidelity testing the team continuously worked and redesigned areas of the app testers found difficult to navigate. The last day of testing found users with an an increased user satisfaction from the redesign.
TEST
Insights & solutions
Overall the NewNormApp was successful in its development and design. We believe the app hit the right mark in creating an app that was not a copy of yelp, but relevant to current situations.
The team successfully highlighted the feature which differentiated NewNormApp from its competitors as the app provided COVID-19 requirements and information, live wait times and up-to-date hours of operation that users could also provide input and share with other app users.
The future of the app can be developed further, while the COVID-19 cases may be declining, the world may not go back to what it was and this new normal may be here to stay.
The being said those who are cautious about health and safety could use an app such as the NewNormApp to alleviate any doubts on what to expect from their favorite restaurants or other areas such as parks and beaches in the future.