Summary
Local Chow is a local DoorDash alternative that allows users to purchase food from local chefs. My task was to make a mobile app into a web-based app to run on a desktop. I reimagined many aspects of the layout to take advantage of the larger screen size and enhanced several features that made organization within the app much easier. A unique challenge was designing both "Buyer" and "Seller" views to cater to the needs of both parties. While I was not able to see the project fully developed before leaving, I know that the company used many of my designs in their final product.
Highlight
Converting the Seller scheduling page was the biggest challenge, but turned out to be the project I learned the most from. It was a difficult thing to improve a functional flow like this, and after many iterations I finally stumbled onto this calendar with a side panel idea. This streamlined the process of adding a sale window and made the user flow much easier on desktop.
My role
Product Designer (contractor)
Tools
Timeline
4 months
Goal
Scope
Wireframes, prototypes, mockups, and documentation
Discovery
Most buyers on a platform like DoorDash want the convenience of ordering from a mobile app. However, chefs and local produce suppliers almost never used their cell phones for business (other than calls) and wanted a desktop app. I set about making the web app into a user-friendly and streamlined version of the mobile app.
Research & Experimentation
Since beta users were only using the mobile app, I relied heavily on best practices for web app design. I read every article I could find from Nielsen Norman Group and attempted to put their suggestions into practice. For example, this checkout flow was designed according to their guidelines and examples.
Team feedback
Working totally remote meant communication was slower than it would have been in person. In our weekly sync meetings with the CTO and CEO, I presented my ideas for the web version of the Markets tab. Both the CEO and CTO didn't like the way it looked, and I was asked to redesign the page. While that stung at first, after a hard look I realized they were right. This image is the result of many hours of hard work to make the page more usable and visually appealing.
Iterations
This project required me to repeatedly rework my designs and iterate to find a solution that solved the problems of the user, fit within the established design system, and could be developed by the engineers. As the sole designer, I had to be self-motivated and responsible for every aspect of the web app design. I iterated often to say the least.
Final Designs
Due to funding shortages, I was let go from the company before my work could be implemented. However, the designs were being developed and beta testing would have began 2 months later. I wish I could have seen it through to the end, but was grateful for the opportunity to take on such a unique challenge and see success.