NutriGuide is a mobile application designed to make food shopping safer and more accessible for people with allergies, disabilities, and dietary restrictions. The app allows users to set their personal health preferences and instantly understand whether a product is safe by simply scanning it or searching manually. This project was created during my final year at university as part of my dissertation and was one of my earliest end-to-end UX/UI projects. I was the sole designer, responsible for the entire experience - from research and information architecture to interface design and accessibility considerations. NutriGuide reflects my passion for inclusive design and my belief that thoughtful technology can remove everyday barriers and genuinely improve people’s lives.
Services
UX Research
VISUAL DESIGN
Data visualization
Year
2022
Client
Concept Design
Food shopping can be stressful and potentially dangerous for people with allergies, dietary restrictions, and disabilities. Ingredient labels are often small, cluttered, and written in scientific language, making it difficult for users to quickly identify harmful ingredients, especially under time pressure or with visual impairments. Existing tools frequently lack personalization and accessibility, forcing users to manually interpret complex information and increasing the risk of mistakes. There is a clear need for an accessible, fast, and personalized solution that helps users understand food safety at a glance and make confident decisions while shopping.
The information architecture for NutriGuide was designed to minimize the number of steps between scanning a product and receiving a clear, personalized result. Because users often shop under time pressure or stress, the structure prioritizes speed, clarity, and accessibility while reducing cognitive load. Core Structure - User flows were mapped based on research insights and persona needs, resulting in a streamlined hierarchy: - Onboarding & Preferences - Product Scan (Primary Entry Point) - Instant Risk Assessment - Ingredient Details - Suggested Alternatives This structure ensures users can determine product safety in just a few taps. Persona-Driven Flows - Different personas influenced how information was prioritized: - Parents managing allergies required a direct Scan → Result pathway with minimal interruption. - Low-vision users benefited from reduced screen clutter, clear visual hierarchy, and logical focus order for assistive technologies. - Health-conscious professionals and students needed quick access to editable preferences without disrupting their shopping flow. Supporting Pages - Secondary pages were designed to support the core flow without adding complexity: - Product Search as an alternative to scanning - Saved Products to reduce repeat decision-making - Scan History for quick reference - Settings as a centralized, easily accessible control hub Outcome This information architecture supports fast decision-making, intuitive navigation, and inclusive usability. By keeping critical actions and information front and center, NutriGuide enables users to shop safely and confidently while maintaining a calm, accessible experience.
Testing focused on ensuring NutriGuide was fast, clear, and accessible in real shopping scenarios. I conducted iterative usability testing throughout the design process, using low- and mid-fidelity prototypes to validate core flows and interface decisions. Usability Testing I tested key tasks with users from the target audience, including: - Setting health and dietary preferences - Scanning a product and interpreting results - Identifying unsafe ingredients - Editing preferences in settings Participants were asked to think aloud while completing tasks, allowing me to identify friction points, confusion, and accessibility issues. Key Findings & Iterations Testing revealed several important insights: - Users needed immediate clarity in result screens, leading to stronger visual hierarchy and clearer “Safe / Caution / Unsafe” labels. - Some users hesitated when interpreting ingredient lists, which resulted in simplified language and highlighted risk ingredients. - Low-vision users benefited from increased spacing, larger text defaults, and reduced on-screen clutter. - Users wanted reassurance that results were personalized, prompting clearer messaging that outcomes were based on their saved preferences. Accessibility Validation Accessibility checks focused on: - Color contrast and readability - Tap target sizing - Consistent layout patterns to reduce cognitive load - Logical focus order for assistive technologies Testing confirmed that NutriGuide’s scan-first approach successfully reduced time to decision and improved user confidence. Iterative refinements based on user feedback strengthened clarity, accessibility, and trust, resulting in a calmer and more effective shopping experience.
