We've all experienced it – the endless loop of discussions when attempting to plan a meal with someone. It's a familiar cycle of uncertainty, circling back to the same conversations about "where" or "what." Despite its apparent simplicity, I've personally found that I can lose hours scrolling through Google, dining apps, and social media, immersing myself in countless reviews. And yet, the frustration remains, as I struggle to pin down a single dining destination.

The abundance of dining options often transforms the simple act of choosing a restaurant into a stressful endeavour. For those who grapple with indecision, this can become a genuine headache.

Studies have revealed that even couples are not immune to disagreements stemming from food choices, with the dreaded question "What do you want for dinner?" being a common source of friction. The impact of food-related indecisiveness goes beyond just the meal—it can lead to heightened stress and frustration, potentially sowing seeds of tension in relationships.

As a response to this challenge, I set out to develop a solution that could alleviate the stress of food decisions and transform them into a more enjoyable experience.

I conducted user interviews involving 10 participants to delve into the challenges they encountered and to gain insights into the key considerations they prioritise when selecting a dining venue.

Demographics

Survey Findings

Taking a more in-depth approach, I delved into research articles to comprehend the underlying reasons behind the struggle of decision-making when it comes to choosing a dining spot. Drawing from my background in psychology, I rekindled my knowledge of two theories that significantly impact the decision-making process.

From the data I collected, I tried to imagine what my desired user experience would entail, and created an experience map which captured the user’s journey and emotional results at each touchpoint they perform within the app.

Using these insights, I could then determine the specific actions and features to prioritise. I crafted a sitemap based on these conclusions, aiming to cultivate a playful and exploratory journey for my target users who often grapple with indecisiveness in their dining choices.

Table of Features

The architecture and interaction design played a pivotal role in establishing a seamless and stress-free user experience. The sitemap served as a blueprint, outlining the app's structure and categorisation of content, while pinpointing key primary and secondary pages. To ensure a fluid journey, I developed user flows that depicted the users' navigation throughout the app, optimising pathways for efficiency.

Sitemap

These deliverables served as the blueprints for low fidelity wireframes. I used these wireframes to further refine my designs through usability testing.

Wireframes