Major Project 1

on

5th February 2025 - 25th March 2025 (Week 1 - Week 8)

Sin Jun Ming 0364638

Major Project 1 / Bachelor of Design in Creative Media / Taylor's University

Task 1 - Proposal Development / Task 2 - Design Proposition / Task 3 - Concept Presentation

Instructions


At the beginning of the semester, we were introduced to Major Project I, the first phase of our Final Year Project (FYP). During the briefing, we gained an understanding of the module's structure and expectations. We were then required to form teams of four and explore different ideas before finalizing a concept that aligns with our UI/UX specialization. Our group members consist of:
  • Sin Jun Ming 0364638 - Group Leader
  • Natalie Chu Jing Xuan 0354589
  • Chan Xiang Lam 0358400
  • Jie Xuan 0356515

Task 1 - Proposal Development

Instructions
  • You are to work as groups in presenting an innovative concept that introduces unique social, cultural and/or economic value to the intended target audience within your chosen field of specialization.
  • You are to conduct research on current technology and design trends that influences and benchmarks your area of specialization.
  • Case studies with analysis reports on product/service functionality and effectiveness, technical innovations and challenges, aesthetics and design appreciation are required to support your new project proposal.
Fig 1.1 Task 1 Instructions

1. Ideation
The ideation stage is where we apply the design thinking process to generate and refine potential app ideas. This phase includes brainstorming, evaluating feasibility, and iterating based on feedback.
  • Initial Brainstorming Ideas: After forming our group, we started brainstorming ideas for our app. We had an online meeting on Google Meet and came up with 3 main ideas.
Fig 1.2 Initial Ideas

Initially, we planned to develop an interactive language learning app for kindergarten students. However, after consulting with our supervisor - Mr. Razif, we found that the idea lacked strong unique selling points. To refine our concept, we held another online meeting and brainstormed a new idea. Eventually, we decided on a Healthy Eating App - Zestoria, which was later approved by Mr. Razif. 

We collaborated to explore the idea of creating an app that simplifies healthy eating. Initially, we identified that many people struggle with maintaining a healthy diet due to the inconvenience of using multiple platforms for meal planning, nutrition tracking, and ordering food. This initial concept led us to define the key problems that our app could solve. 

  • Problem Statement: Maintaining a healthy diet can be challenging, especially for individuals with busy lifestyles. Many people need to use multiple platforms—checking social media for meal inspiration, searching Google for calorie information, and using food delivery apps to order meals. This fragmented experience makes healthy eating time-consuming and inconvenient.
  • Solution: Zestoria solves this problem by offering a one-stop solution that integrates healthy restaurant recommendations, food ordering, customized meal plans, nutrition tracking, and health influencer content into a single platform.

Fig 1.3 Design Thinking Process

Fig 1.4 Research Analysis
  • Theme: The overarching theme of “Healthy Eating, All in One Place” was established, aligning with SDG Goal 3: Good Health & Well-Being to emphasize the importance of health-conscious food choices.
  • Key Objectives: To ensure our solution aligned with real user needs, we established four main objectives:
    • Providing a One-Stop Healthy Eating Platform – Combining restaurant discovery, food ordering, meal planning, and nutrition tracking in a single app.
    • Making Healthy Eating More Convenient – Streamlining meal ideas, calorie tracking, and restaurant searches to reduce the time spent on multiple platforms.
    • Creating an Engaging Health & Wellness Community – Offering content from experts, influencers, and like-minded users to motivate and educate users.
    • Offering Customizable Meal Plans – Letting users create meal plans tailored to their dietary needs and fitness goals.
  • Targeted Users: Based on our initial discussions, we identified four key user groups who would benefit from Zestoria:
    • Busy Professionals – People with tight schedules who want quick, healthy meal options.
    • Health-Conscious Individuals – Those looking for nutritious recipes, meal plans, and dietary insights.
    • Students – Individuals who want to eat healthier but lack the time or skills to cook.
    • Parents – Caregivers who need family-friendly, nutritious meal options.
  • How Might We: How might we create a convenient and personalized app that helps users find, plan, and order healthy meals while tracking their nutrition effectively?

Once we had a structured concept and target audience, we conducted user interviews and surveys to validate our assumptions. 

Fig 1.5 Interview Questions
Fig 1.6 Google Form Questions

Fig 1.7 Summary of Google Form Results 

Our findings revealed:
  • Most users order food multiple times a week but struggle with cost, time, and limited healthy options.
  • Many users attempt to cook at home but face barriers like lack of variety and meal planning challenges.
  • There is a strong demand for integrated calorie tracking and personalized meal plans.

After gathering user insights, we mapped out the key features that would define Zestoria:
  • Healthy Restaurant Recommendations & Ordering – Users can discover nutritious meal options nearby and order food directly.
  • Personalized Meal Plans & Nutrition Tracking – Customizable weekly meal plans and built-in calorie tracking eliminate the need for external searches.
  • Community & Expert Content – Users can follow health influencers, watch expert videos, and engage in a wellness-focused community.
By addressing these challenges, Zestoria positions itself as a holistic solution that simplifies healthy eating, making it accessible, enjoyable, and sustainable for different user groups.

Fig 1.8 Key Features
  • Affinity Diagram: 
Fig 1.9 Affinity Diagram

Final Submission: 
Fig 1.10 Figjam Board
Fig 1.11 Proposal Slides


Task 2: Design Proposition

Instructions
  • Continue on developing user insights and data from user interview 
  • Develop User Personas based on user research data 
  • Develop User Journey Map
Fig 2.1 Task 2 Instructions

With a strong foundation in research, we moved to defining the user experience. This phase involved structuring Zestoria’s user flow, designing key features, and ensuring a seamless experience. Our approach focused on convenience, customization, and community engagement. 
  • User Persona: Based on our research, we developed four user personas representing our target audience: students, busy professionals, parents, and fitness trainers. These personas helped us define how different types of users would interact with the app, what features they would prioritize, and their overall goals.
Fig 2.2 User Persona
  • Empathy Map: To better understand our users, we created empathy maps for each persona. This helped us analyze their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors when it comes to healthy eating. By mapping out pain points and motivations, we gained a clearer idea of how to tailor Zestoria to meet their needs.
  • User Journey Map: We then mapped out each persona’s journey in using Zestoria. This included:
    • Discovery Phase – How users find Zestoria and what attracts them to try it.
    • Engagement Phase – Their interactions with the app, including meal planning, tracking nutrition, and ordering food.
    • Retention & Growth – How the app maintains user engagement through features like expert-led content and community engagement.
By analyzing these user journeys, we refined Zestoria’s flow to ensure a seamless and intuitive experience.

Fig 2.4 User Journey Map
  • Card Sorting: To organize information effectively, we conducted a card sorting exercise. This helped us determine how users expect content and features to be structured within the app. The process allowed us to refine the navigation, making it more intuitive and user-friendly.
Fig 2.5 Card Sorting
Fig 2.6 UX Tweak Result

Final Submission: 
Fig 2.7 Task 2 Slides


Task 3: Concept Presentation

Instructions
  • Group Work
    • Brainstorm ideations using storyboarding, sketches etc.
    • Design inspiration from other design resources/websites for ideations 
    • Develop Information Architecture (i.e. Card Sorting Method) for your proposed solution
    • Develop User Flow/Work Flow diagram 
    • Create Design Guideline (colour scheme, typography, UI component etc) that is related to the project topic and targeted user personas
  • Individual Work
    • Initial Lo-fi prototype (sketches or wireframe)
Fig 3.1 Task 3 Instructions

  • User Flow Chart: To visualize how users would navigate through Zestoria, we created a user flow chart. This step helped us identify the most intuitive pathways for discovering meals, customizing meal plans, ordering food, and engaging with the community. Refining this flow was crucial in ensuring a seamless experience for users.
Fig 3.2 User Flow Chart
https://www.figma.com/board/GSsHLUduVdLAxhLDQLcrUC/Major-Project-Group-16?node-id=0-1&t=FKADX7CfHGzQso8L-1
  • Design Inspiration: Some good examples of UI design were found on Pinterest as visual references.
Fig 3.3 Design Inspiration
  • Design Guidelines: We focused on developing a strong visual identity to ensure Zestoria’s interface was both aesthetically pleasing and functionally effective. The key components included:
    • Color Palette – A fresh, vibrant selection of colors representing energy, health, and well-being.
Fig 3.4 Color Palette
    • Font Selection – Clean and modern typography that enhances readability and user experience.
Fig 3.5 Typography
    • Icons – Custom icons and graphics to create a visually engaging and intuitive navigation system.
Fig 3.6 Icons
  • Monetization Strategies: Zestoria monetizes through subscriptions, commissions, and advertisements.
    • 1. Subscription Model (Zestoria+ Membership)
      • Monthly/Annual Subscription: Unlock benefits like free deliveries, exclusive discounts, and priority access to healthy meal deals.
      • Personalized Nutrition Support: 1-on-1 consultations with nutritionists, unlimited text chats, and custom meal plans.
      • Loyalty Rewards Boost: Earn 2x loyalty points on every order, redeemable for discounts and perks.
    • 2. Commission-Based Revenue
      • Restaurant Partnerships: Charge restaurants a commission for every order placed through Zestoria.
    • 3. In-App Advertisements
      • Sponsored Listings: Restaurants and health brands pay to appear at the top of search results for higher visibility.
      • Video Ad Promotions: Content creators, health influencers, and wellness brands can pay for promoted video ads to increase reach.
      • Native Ads: Seamlessly integrated ads related to food, wellness, and fitness that match user interests.
  • Low-Fidelity Prototype: Once the user flow was finalized, we began sketching wireframes for the app's core pages. The lo-fi prototype served as a foundation for testing layout structures, navigation, and content organization before adding high-fidelity visual elements.
Fig 3.7 Lo-fi design progress

Fig 3.8 Overview of Zestoria's app design

Fig 3.9 Figma Lo-fi design

Fig 3.11 Final Presentation Slides

Feedback

Week 1

Our initial idea - Kid's Learning App, was not recommended because the app is lack of special features and interesting actions to increase user engagement. We need to do research and brainstorm on more possible ways to enhance user experience of the app.

Week 2

After showing more progress and app features to Mr. Razif, the app is still lacking an innovative way to conduct the lessons. However, the other idea - healthy meal app, was approved by Mr. Razif.

Week 3

In this week, we conducted consultation with Mr. Razif on our physical interview and Google Form survey progress. 

Week 4

The user persona needs to be created based on the target audience of our app, combine the physical interview and Google Form survey results to develop a complete user journey map.

Week 5

Task 2 completed. Good.

Week 6

Proceed to develop low-fidelity prototype, each group member needs to design his own prototype since there might be differences in UI design preference.

Week 7

In this week, we conducted physical presentation in class. The meal planner feature is interesting. However, we need to do some additions on our app:

  • Goals feature - for user to set goals of using the healthy meal app. it could be losing weight, gaining muscle, etc. 
  • Nutritionist Consultation - let the users have one-to-one live chat with licensed nutritionists for advanced recommendations on meal planning.


Reflection

The journey of developing Zestoria has been both challenging and rewarding. From identifying the problem to refining our final concept, every stage required deep collaboration, creativity, and adaptability. We learned the importance of research-driven design, ensuring that user needs and pain points were at the center of our development process. Creating empathy maps, user personas, and journey maps helped us understand the diverse needs of our target audience, while iterative prototyping allowed us to refine our app’s functionality and usability.

This project taught me the importance of user-centered design, collaboration, and adaptability. I realized that thorough research and real user feedback are crucial for shaping a product that meets actual needs. Iterative design allowed us to refine Zestoria into a more intuitive and engaging platform, while teamwork helped us develop well-rounded solutions. Balancing functionality with simplicity was key in ensuring a seamless user experience. Lastly, I learned that being adaptable to new insights and continuously refining our approach is essential in building a successful digital product.

Other than that, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to my teammates, Natalie, Xiang Lam, and Jie Xuan, for their dedication, creativity, and hard work throughout this project. The collaboration and shared efforts made this journey both productive and enjoyable.

Last but not least, a special thank you to our lecturers and supervisor, Mr. Razif, for their invaluable guidance, constructive feedback, and continuous support. Their insights helped us refine our ideas and push our design thinking further.


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