GIDDY
October 2022 Self-Designed Project
My Role Lead Designer
Overview
Couponing is part of our everyday lives in many different ways. One of them is physical means like adverts in your mail to modern day QR codes on posters or flyers. In other ways, in can come in forms of deals within apps we use. What this case study, Giddy, hopes to extend from this current experience, is to explore an elevated version with couponing, but putting its focus on grocery buying. And possibly showcase a way for this UX design to be used in other realms like hardware or technology.
Through this case study, I will showcase ways where: grocery couponing can be more efficient and accessible, examine the potential usage of geolocation in relation to finding deals, and consumers can have more transparency with what they are savings.
I was the main designer working on this initial project in Fall 2022 with guidance from my bootcamp mentors and friends from the UI/UX industry.
Problem Statement
Today’s couponing blends traditional and technological methods. Traditional ways like paper ads, mailers, and supermarket flyers require organization and time. Conversely, tech methods on apps are efficient but may overwhelm some and offer other goods than just groceries. Giddy aims to bridge these gaps by focusing solely on groceries, offering curated lists using AI, transparent saving breakdowns, and streamlining coupon scanning with one QR code.
Project Goals
To create an application that is focused on grocery coupons
Let users take agency on their savings
Create a deeper transparency for users and savings
Research
1
(Surveys, Interviews, & Secondary Research)
Twenty-five participants were surveyed to understand their grocery shopping habits, desired savings, and ideal shopping experiences. This process helped identify prevalent needs and issues within the population. Five individuals with comprehensive responses proceeded to 1-on-1 interviews, ensuring diversity across ages, backgrounds, and careers. (link to secondary research)
Interviews, lasting 20-30 minutes each, delved deeper into survey responses. Secondary research expanded insights by comparing global approaches to similar problems. This framework aided in refining Giddy’s design.
Key findings revealed three user preferences:
Limited financial transparency despite savings efforts.
Desire for coupons without the inconvenience of physical clippings or multiple apps.
Strong preference for simplicity and ease in the couponing experience.
Design Planning
For Giddy, one of the main concerns was accessibility and how to make it easy for anyone to use the app from the moment they login to checkout. During this process, I put most of the design focus on the bottom navigation bar. This bar is where most people will find familiarity when they want to look for certain information or outcome. I utilized a similar navigation that Doordash used to keep it simple. (Here is a link to the user flows)
User Flows
Ideation
How might we reduce the stress of couponing when people go grocery shopping?
How might we make couponing an efficient and optimal part of people’s grocery planning experience and for those who are busy?
How might we make grocery couponing accessible for those who are not tech-savvy?
How might we might we make couponing more engaging for those who want to save, but are forgetful of the process?
After the collection of interview answers, three personas were made: Jane, Sally, and Peter. Jane is a student, her main points of concern is needing a product that has organizational capacity. Sally is a young professional, she needs a product that can fulfill her need with immediacy. And Peter is a retiree, his needs are surrounding a product that can help with simplicity and trust.
For Giddy is particular, the personas led a huge importance for the app as it maintained the design focus. Whenever there was part of the design that became difficult or adrift, reviewing the personas helped bring back that attention to the problems needing to be solved.
Personas
Mood Board
Wireframes
3
Hi Fidelity Wireframes
2
Throughout the journey from research to app development, I gained invaluable insights. The paramount lesson was the pivotal role of usability testing in refining a product—identifying and addressing unexpected issues was both enlightening and gratifying.
Consistency across screens and maintaining a cohesive theme emerged as the second crucial lesson. This ensured a seamless user experience throughout the app.
Lastly, I embraced the iterative nature of UI/UX design—acknowledging that encountering problems is part of the process. Rather than hindrances, they present opportunities for improvement and innovation.