Avocado set out to reshape the food ordering experience by offering users unparalleled personalization and convenience. Designed for busy, health-conscious individuals, the app enables users to save time, enjoy tailored meals, and make healthier choices effortlessly. By prioritizing dietary preferences and streamlining the ordering process, Avocado simplifies the way users interact with food delivery services.

As the sole UX designer for Avocado, I led the project end-to-end, from conducting user research and defining personas to designing user flows, wireframes, and high-fidelity prototypes. I conducted usability tests, iterated on feedback, and optimized the design for seamless customization.

I conducted a combination of surveys and user interviews to understand the needs and expectations for a healthy food ordering app. Initially, I assumed users prioritized meal affordability and variety over other factors. However, the research revealed that quick order customization, reordering favorite meals, and access to clear nutritional information were far more critical to their experience. Additionally, users with dietary restrictions emphasized the need for robust filtering options to make decisions easier. These insights reshaped the app's focus, prioritizing personalization and user-friendly navigation to align with user expectations.

1. Lack of Order Customization
   Users often find it difficult to customize their meals to fit dietary preferences or ingredient preferences, leading to frustration.
2. Time-Consuming Ordering Process
   Busy users expressed that the ordering process in many apps feels lengthy and inconvenient, particularly when reordering meals.
3. Difficulty Navigating Dietary Options
   Users with dietary restrictions struggle to filter menus effectively, making it harder to find suitable and appealing options.
4. Limited Nutritional Information
   Users value transparency but find nutritional details either hard to access or incomplete, hindering their ability to make informed choices.

A review of existing food ordering apps revealed significant gaps in catering to health-focused users:

• Most apps offered limited customization options with ingredient swaps but lacked flexibility for advanced dietary adjustments.
• Few apps allowed users to save past orders with specific preferences, forcing them to re-enter details each time.

Based on research, I developed two personas:

1. Busy Professional: Needs a fast way to reorder healthy meals tailored to their dietary preferences.
2. Health Enthusiast: Requires detailed nutritional information and flexible customization to meet their dietary goals.

I mapped user journeys focusing on:

• Reducing friction in customizing meals.
• Making dietary filters and nutritional information easily accessible.
• Streamlining the path from menu browsing to order completion.

This user flow describes the typical journey a user would take within the Avocado app:

When creating paper wireframes, I focused on mapping a streamlined user flow from browsing to checkout, ensuring smooth transitions and minimal friction. By sketching multiple layouts for key screens like the menu and customization page, I explored different arrangements to highlight essential features while maintaining a clean, intuitive design.

I prioritized translating the core features into a clear, interactive design, focusing on accessibility, simplicity, and visual hierarchy. Iterative testing guided adjustments to optimize the user journey, emphasizing efficient navigation and key functionalities.

I conducted usability studies to evaluate the effectiveness of the app’s design and identify areas for improvement. Participants were asked to complete key tasks, such as customizing a meal, applying dietary filters, and reordering a favorite dish.

The studies revealed that users valued quick order customization and easy reordering but they would like to save customized meals and reorder them with no need to customize it every time.

Also, I found out that users would like to have meal recommendations based on their diet and needs so I added a quick setup of dietary preferences during onboarding, allowing users to select options like vegan, keto, or gluten-free right from the start. This ensures that meal recommendations and filters are automatically personalized, saving users time when browsing the menu.

I focused on maintaining a clean, modern interface with clear visual hierarchy, ensuring that key features like customization, reordering, and dietary filters were easy to access. Based on usability feedback, I emphasized prominent call-to-action buttons, simplified navigation, and improved meal card layouts with visible nutritional information. Every design choice aimed to make ordering faster, more personalized, and visually appealing while maintaining a seamless user flow.

1. High Contrast and Readable Typography
   I used a high-contrast color scheme and clear, legible fonts to ensure text readability for users with visual impairments, including those with low vision or color blindness.
2. Keyboard and Voice Navigation Support
   The design integrates with voice commands to assist users with motor impairments, making the ordering process more accessible.
3. Alternative Text for Images and Icons
   All images and icons include descriptive alt text to support screen readers, ensuring that visually impaired users can navigate and understand meal details without barriers.