Rootine Culture
About
A mobile food app providing a taste of home for international students, fostering a home away from home.
Role
Product designer
Purpose
Academic
Deliverables
Mobile app prototype
Prototype
Overview
This UX case study documents my solo journey as a product designer, tackling a real-world problem using the Design Thinking methodology.
This involved defining the problem through user interviews and competitor analysis, crafting user personas, and mapping their experiences.
Following this, I translated user needs into user stories and task flows. Finally, the solution was brought to life through low-fidelity prototypes, user testing sessions, establishing the app's visual identity, and iterating the design into high-fidelity prototypes.
Problem Definition
Relocating to a foreign country for a bigger opportunity can be an exciting but also challenging experience. One of the problems international students face while studying in Canada is figuring out what to eat.
With the number of international students from Africa in Canada rapidly rising—60% more in just one year (2021-2022), there's a real need for a solution to help these students adjust better and enjoy their time in Canada.
01
Research
Understanding the experiences of these students is crucial to creating a meaningful solution. To draw initial insights and identify trends, a detailed survey was provided to 116 participants who self-identified as African individuals pursuing their studies in Canada. For a deeper understanding of the problem, 10 additional participants were interviewed.
Persona development
The "How Might We" question served as a guide in the design process, but to truly understand the challenges and desires behind this question, I needed to delve deeper. This led to the development of a user persona, Aisha. By crafting Aisha's story, background, and motivations, I was able to build empathy with the target audience.
User persona
Lack of knowledge
Most of the users interviewed expressed the difficulties they have experienced searching for websites or applications that have a good range of African restaurants they can order from.
Interestingly, despite their online ordering habits, several participants highlighted a desire to reduce their ordering frequency to save money. They also expressed a preference for bulk ordering options, allowing them to focus on studies and other priorities while ensuring they have familiar, culturally relevant meals readily available.
Word of mouth
I noticed users generally tend to rely more on their friends and family when looking for food recommendations. This insight showed the importance of trust building and community building.
Users' tendency to seek recommendations from friends and family presents an opportunity to establish trust and enhance the user experience when finding food options.
Cooking meals
Survey results were clear: cooking is a favourite activity for a vast majority (94%) of participants. They're particularly interested in learning new ethnic dishes, especially those that remind them of home. This strong connection between food and cultural identity is undeniable. Additionally, several participants mentioned that cooking allows them to save money, highlighting the importance of a budget-friendly solution.
Task flows
To map out the user experience, I created task flows that detail the steps users take to achieve their goals within the app.
The first flow focuses on finding African food businesses offering bulk options, making it easy for students to order large quantities. The second flow showcases how users can discover recipes for familiar African dishes, empowering them to cook delicious meals at home.
Grocery frequency
Grocery shopping habits show a strong preference for frequent purchasing. With only 2% indicating they hardly ever buy groceries, and a combined 72% (43% bi-weekly + 29% weekly) shopping at least bi-weekly, it's evident that most participants prioritize maintaining a fresh food supply.
This suggests a potential need for the proposed solution to cater to frequent grocery shoppers, possibly by offering features that streamline the shopping experience or promote meal planning.
Grocery spending
The analysis of monthly grocery spending reveals a range of budgets, with a significant portion (around 71%, 37% + 34%) spending moderately between $100 and $200. This suggests a need for the proposed solution to be budget-conscious, potentially offering features that help users track spending or find cost-effective solutions.
Competitive analysis
User research identified several popular food and grocery delivery platforms operating in the target market, including UberEats, DoorDash, SkipTheDishes, and Instacart.
While these existing solutions offer convenience, user research revealed a gap in the market specifically for African international students. There is a limited focus on African cuisine, with current platforms focused on catering to a broad user base.
User interviews highlighted the desire for a sense of community and support when making food choices. Existing platforms currently lack features that connect students with similar cultural backgrounds.
02
Ideate
Now that I had a clear understanding of the problem space, I asked possibly the most important question:
"How might we empower African students in Canada to enjoy familiar food and build community, enriching their student experience?"
Experience mapping
Building empathy with Aisha through her persona wasn't enough. To truly understand the "how" behind the "How Might We" question, I needed to map her current experience.
Mapping Aisha's experience (actions, touchpoints, pain points) revealed key opportunities. Her biggest hurdle seems to be the frustrating and overwhelming of searching for familiar food online. This is a prime spot for a digital solution to simplify her journey.
Experience map
User stories
Understanding the difficulties faced by African international students in Canada, we prioritized features that address their core needs. First feature is finding familiar food in bulk, addressing a key challenge with minimal development effort (High Impact, Low Effort). Following this is the ability to cook at home with recipe suggestions, promoting budget-friendliness and cultural connection (High Impact, Moderate Effort).
Building a social network for fostering community is also important, but requires more effort (High Effort, Moderate Impact). Features like reviews and dietary filtering offer some value, but may not be a top priority due to lower impact and ease of development (Low Effort, Low/Moderate Impact).
User stories
03
Visual Identity
With ideation complete, I crafted a visual identity that seamlessly aligns with the brand's essence. These foundational steps ensured that the visual language not only reflects the brand's personality but also effectively communicates its value proposition to the target audience.
04
Prototype
Iterative user testing and refinement were crucial in shaping the final high-fidelity prototype. By placing the user's needs and pain points at the forefront of the design process, I ensured that the solution effectively addressed their challenges. Incorporating user feedback throughout the process led to a polished and intuitive user experience.
05
Conclusion
The Rootine Culture app was created to seamlessly integrate into the lives of African international students in Canada. The project merged user-centric design principles with a strong brand identity, resulting in a product that fosters a cultural connection through fo.
Looking ahead, continuous user feedback and data analysis will be essential to further enhance the app's features and functionality. Exploring opportunities for partnerships with African restaurants and grocery stores can expand the platform's offerings. Additionally, incorporating gamification elements or rewards programs could encourage increased user engagement and loyalty. By staying attuned to user needs and market trends, Rootine Culture aims to become the go-to platform for African international students seeking a taste of home and a sense of belonging in their new environment.