budgeat

1. Prototype link (Please submit a link to a playable prototype, not a link to your design file) Link

2. Describe your project (max 150 words) Budgeat is a convenient app that helps undergraduate students find meals according to a concrete budget. A majority of university students prioritize a low price when buying food. We found that some students struggled to find the time to plan out home-cooked meals, often resorting to overspending towards eating out. Budgeat is designed to be applicable to both students who prefer eating out as well as students who enjoy cooking. Budgeat asks you about your daily, weekly, and monthly budgeting goals and allows customization for various dietary lifestyles. Budgeat also helps provide at home meal recipes with price estimates per serving and possible selections from restaurants nearby - all while keeping track of the set budget.

3. Describe your research process and findings. If you conducted any surveys or interviews, please include the survey form and/or interview questions here. If you conducted secondary research by pulling from online sources, please include a link to your sources. (Max 500 words) https://forms.gle/iyVRtKTDBuuwT4VE8 First, we brainstormed on FigJam various topics where undergraduates may find stress. This included terms such as academics, relationships, cheap food, health, time management, and more. We narrowed down to the topics we had the most to talk about, which was "cheap food". As part of the process, we sent out a survey asking users questions about their spending habits regarding meals, their weekly budgets, and their tendencies related to buying out/cooking. This user research was helpful in understanding common priorities, such as convenience. The main reason people ate out was a lack of time and the convenience of having meals on the go. However, a majority of people prefer to cook, as it was considered the more of cost-efficient and healthy option. The immediate needs of convenience do not align with the desire for healthy and cheap meals, which is where the main struggle comes from.

4. Describe your most important design decisions. What research findings and/or user testing results led you to make these decisions? (Max 500 words) When we started to design, we decided on color palettes that had contrast so the user can easily find what they are looking for. We also made sure that the navigation of the application was straightforward and easy for the user, as college students do not really care or spend the time to learn how to use an app if it is too complicated to use. The food items we chose to incorporate were foods that were cheaper than a lot of restaurant items seen around campuses, and that we found many college students frequently eat. Allowing this app to be as customizable and personable as possible, we thought would appeal to undergrad students as they can cater it to their own budget, timings, and food preferences. The slightly unbalanced font we chose for the logo, creates a fun and youthful atmosphere, which we hoped would appeal to undergraduates, who are often surrounded by dull and academic settings. We focused on a brighter color theme, specifically tones of greens, for a design that exudes comfort and familiarity. Since price is our most important feature, the first thing the user sees in the home screen is the budget in large font. This is to remind the user of the budget they set for themselves and help them make an effort to meet those goals.

Built With

• figma