bowlsome smoothie
creating a seamless self-service ordering experience
Bowlsome Smoothie is a popular and growing smoothie brand that focuses on offering healthy and customizable smoothie bowls. With several physical locations already established, they are now looking to enhance their customer experience by introducing a self-service smoothie bowl ordering kiosk. By leveraging this technology, they aim to provide customers with a convenient and efficient way to order and customize their smoothie bowls without waiting in line for counter service.
1. the problem
users struggled to find recipes
navigation was confusing
user journey lacked efficiency
2. research
user personas
Name: Sarah
Age: 29
Occupation: Marketing Manager
Sarah is a 29-year-old marketing manager who leads a busy lifestyle. She strives to maintain a healthy diet despite her demanding work schedule. She often grabs a quick meal during her lunch break and looks for nutritious options that provide sustained energy throughout the day.
Name: Kia
Age: 25
Occupation: Personal Trainer
Kia is a 25-year-old personal trainer who leads an active and fitness-oriented lifestyle. He pays close attention to his nutrition and aims to consume meals that support muscle recovery and overall health.
Name: Hayden
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Hayden is a 19-year-old college student juggling classes, assignments, and part-time work. She often finds herself on the go and seeks quick and affordable meal options that can be enjoyed between classes.
competitive analysis
competitive analysis results
I conducted a competitive analysis to understand what similar recipe platforms do well and where they fall short. By evaluating sites like All Recipes, Tasty, and Food Network, I identified opportunities for UpSkillet to create a cleaner experience, simplify navigation, and make recipes easier to find.
3. key insights
users wanted faster access to recipes
mobile navigation needed simplification
search was difficult to locate
4. information architecture
card sorting
card sorting results
The card sorting exercise produced slightly different results across users. While most content was grouped similarly, there were differences in how users organized the About, Contact, and More sections. Based on these findings, I felt it was more intuitive to keep About and Contact as standalone navigation items, while grouping secondary content such as the blog, careers, and social media under a More category. This helped keep the navigation organized and focused on the platform’s primary content.
sitemap
design rationale
I organized the sitemap to make it easy for users to find recipes and cooking resources without digging through multiple pages. Since recipe discovery is the main reason users visit UpSkillet, it was given priority in the navigation, while supporting content was grouped into sections that keep the experience simple and easy to navigate.
5. user journey
6. wireframes
design desicions
simplified navigation
reduced clicks
improved hierarchy
design rationale
The primary goal of the initial wireframe was to help Aya, the user persona, find 30-minute meal recipes as quickly and efficiently as possible. Research showed that convenience and time-saving were big priorities, so the navigation was structured to minimize the number of steps required. Upon landing on the homepage, users can access the Recipes section from the main navigation and quickly filter to the 30-Minute Meals category, creating a clear path to their desired content.
7. visual design
color palette
typography
icon set
design desicions
modern, clean aesthetic with intentional use of negative space
high contrast color palette to ensure accessibility and visual clarity
extended color palette built upon existing brand colors to maintain consistency while enhancing versatility
design rationale
The visual design strategy was guided by adherence to the client's established style guide, with an emphasis on contemporary typography and a clean, structured layout. User research indicated that the primary audience skews millennial, a demographic that consistently favors streamlined, intuitive interfaces with minimal visual noise. In response, design decisions prioritized clarity and simplicity, avoiding unnecessary visual content while maintaining a polished and professional presentation.
8. prototype
9. final solution
10. results
clearer navigation
better user flow
improved discoverability