Collaborated with a cross-functional team consisting of 1 product manager, 3 marketers, 4 developers (2 iOS, 1 Android, 1 backend), 1 UI/UX designer (myself), and 1 data analyst.
Conducted user research with marketers to identify potential users.
Designed wireframes, mockups, and prototypes for usability testing.
Developed design guidelines for future development.
Led visual design for user interfaces, from concept to implementation.
Conducted in-depth user research, including journey mapping, user flows, and usability testing, to uncover key issues and improve the user experience.
During the six-month trial, The Meal Plan has already seen thousands of orders per month in the Taipei and New Taipei areas. The service has exceeded NT$100 million in revenue in 2023.
I conducted research on the target users who are likely to order food online, focusing on their preferences, habits, and needs to better understand their behaviours and how the app could meet their expectations.
Efficiency-Focused Housewife
Convenience and simplicity
“ When preparing a dish like seafood tofu stew, I have to buy tofu, various types of seafood, and sauces. The complexity of ingredients and the preparation process often make it difficult for busy moms to even consider making this dish.”
Trend-Seeker Housewife
Excitement about trying new things
"As the one who cooks, I hate spending time making a full meal only to hear, "Why are we having this again?" It’s so frustrating not knowing what to cook, a struggle I face all the time."
Trend Follower Housewife
Enjoys being part of popular trends
"In regular online shopping, I can only pick up packages from designated stores, but I can't specify a delivery time."
How might we offer meal options that simplify selection, streamline ingredient preparation, and provide customizable delivery dates, so users can enjoy cooking as a fun and stress-free activity?
After defining the "How Might We" statement, I conducted brainstorming sessions with cross-functional team members to generate solutions that would address users' pain points.
We mapped ideas to each phase of the user journey to ensure our solutions aligned with users' needs. I then created wireframes and user flows to share with cross-functional teams for feedback. After gathering input, I iteratively revised the design through several rounds of critiques, refining it to better address user pain points and improve usability.
Add to cart
Cart and checkout process
By creating wireframes informed by brainstorming sessions, I effectively communicated the app's content and primary focus areas to the marketing team. To optimise the ordering process, we prioritised designing an intuitive system that enabled users to browse effortlessly and make quick decisions.
Design solutions
To address the indecisiveness of choosing what to cook and alleviate the frustration of meal preparation, while offering flexibility in delivery dates to suit users' needs, The Meal Plan serves as a food ordering app that allows users to order and pick up their meals effortlessly. It provides meal options that simplify selection, streamline ingredient preparation, and offer customizable delivery schedules.
The aim is to make cooking enjoyable and stress-free, allowing users to fully appreciate the process. The meal plan creates an environment that not only enhances the cooking experience but also encourages purchases, helping users prepare a complete and delicious meal.
An Ordering System Inspired by Restaurant Menus
Users can focus on their preferences without managing ingredients, creating a seamless dining experience with a "complementary, substitutive, and additive" effect that enhances convenience and satisfaction.
Simplified Meal Selection with Visual Menus
Presenting a list of dishes with accompanying images allows consumers to quickly and easily visualise meal options, making the selection process more intuitive.
Fresh Ingredients, Delivered on Your Schedule
FamilyMart's system allows customers to select their delivery date, ensuring fresh ingredients arrive on time, perfectly matching their schedules for greater convenience and satisfaction.
Build a Social Community Through Cooking
The app features a social group where users can share meal-making experiences, exchange tips, and provide feedback, creating a sense of community and making cooking more interactive.
Weekly Meal Highlight
Feature the top meal of the week on the homepage to inspire users and promote seasonal dishes, reducing meal planning stress and food waste.
Clear Meal Details for Easy Cooking
Each meal's product page includes essential info like cooking time, calories, servings, and required tools. An online recipe guides users through the cooking process, ensuring a seamless experience.
Medal of Honour Game: Fun Cooking Rewards
The "Medal of Honour" game rewards users with culturally relevant medals for buying dishes and learning to cook. The surprise element adds excitement, encouraging more purchases and engagement.
Pre-cut, pre-washed, and portioned ingredients
Effortless cooking with step-by-step instructions provided in the app
A table of delicious dishes
I created interactive prototypes and conducted usability tests to assess if our ideas aligned with user expectations before development. The overall feedback was positive, but iterations were necessary. Here are some feedback from the usability test:
"Overall, the app is neat and easy to use, resembling a typical food ordering app"
"It’s an innovative feature that FamilyMart provides."
"I found the checkout process a bit complicated, particularly when selecting the delivery date."
After gathering feedback from usability testing, I prioritised the key takeaways with cross-functional teams. I then began creating a design system and detailed specifications in Figma, ensuring that the design could be consistently implemented. These designs were reviewed with developers to gather further feedback and make necessary revisions for a more refined and future-proof product.
The Meal Plan's sales volume in the Taipei and New Taipei areas reached 129 orders during the first-week trial, and after one month, it achieved a sales volume of ten million NTD within ten months, eventually reaching 100 million NTD in one year.
Before launching The Meal Plan, we conducted a six-month trial in fourteen FamilyMart stores across Taiwan. During this period, we focused on understanding how to promote the new service to FamilyMart members and users. We tested three key strategies to build a user base: sending messages through Line groups, emailing segmented customer groups, and sending app notifications to keep users informed about the new service.
Key Questions
Why did some users abandon their carts without completing a purchase?
What were the primary sources of traffic—did users click through Line messages or app icons?
What time did users most often interact with the meal plan icon?
Should there be a reminder to select the delivery date during checkout?
Findings
Items with active sales campaigns placed in the first position sold the most.
Displaying the remaining stock for nearly sold-out items boosted sales.
The click flow was highest between 9:00–10:00 AM, peaked at 12:00 PM (lunchtime), and reached its highest point at 4:00 PM, followed by stable fluctuations after 8:00 PM.
Despite browsing often occurring around lunchtime (12:00), users typically completed purchases in the evening or late at night.
