Empowering healthy meal planning without calorie counting
MindFull ✴ GitHub Repository ✴ UX/Designer and Developer ✴ Summer 2022 ✴ Figma, HTML/CSS/JavaScript, React
Problem
Traditional meal-planning methods often revolve around calorie counting, which can be tedious and overwhelming for many users.
When trying to eat better, the requirement to meticulously count calories becomes a source of frustration and confusion. This difficulty highlights the necessity for more user-friendly and straightforward meal-planning methods that don't rely solely on calorie tracking.
Solution
Enter the MindFull web app, a game-changer in healthy meal planning without the hassle of calorie counting.
MindFull streamlines the process with an easy-to-use meal calendar, a recipe-rich Discover section, and a map of nearby nutritious dining spots. By prioritizing a comprehensive and instinctive approach, MindFull aims to foster improved eating habits while catering to diverse user needs.
White Paper Research
A different approach is needed in order to promote healthy eating.
After researching the harms of calorie counting, I found a statement written by Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, an obesity specialist and assistant professor of medicine and pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. She states:
"This idea of calorie counting when it comes to weight loss is not only antiquated, it's just wrong. It's time to take a different approach by putting the emphasis on improving diet quality and making sustainable lifestyle improvements to achieve a healthy weight.”
Competitive Analysis and The Gap
The competition does not empower individuals to plan meals intuitively and accommodate diverse dietary needs.
During the competitive analysis, we assessed several meal-planning apps, including MyFitnessPal, Yummly, and PlateJoy. MyFitnessPal focuses on calorie counting, while Yummly offers recipe discovery. PlateJoy provides personalized meal plans. The competitive analysis revealed a gap in the market for a user-friendly meal-planning app that encourages intuitive eating that also accommodates diverse dietary needs.
User Interviews and The Main Insight
Users seek simplicity, customization, and flexibility in a meal-planning app, favoring personalized dietary plans over calorie counting.
I conducted interviews with 10 University of Washington students. All of them stated a strong preference for an easy-to-use meal planner that doesn't require personal info like weight or height. Over half agreed that a comprehensive database of healthy meal options was crucial. We then emphasized the importance of simplicity and inclusivity, paving the way for a more intuitive and effective solution.
Design
Designing and developing a complete, responsive web application.
The design of the Mindful web application incorporated the main insight by prioritizing simplicity, flexibility, and inclusivity. The user interface was crafted to be visually appealing, with intuitive navigation and interactive elements. Color and typography were carefully chosen to ensure readability and accessibility for all users. The application was developed using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and React, adhering to responsive design principles to deliver a seamless experience across various devices.
Key Features
Upload meals onto your personal meal planner
Look through our meal inspiration guide for nutritious meals
Browse an interactive map for regional restaurants and markets
View the complete responsive website here.
Conclusions and Lessons Learned
What I’d do differently next time.
Creating MindFull, my first web app, was both tough and fulfilling. Though I struggled with coding and design, it was a chance to mix my design skills with coding to make a user-friendly meal planner. I learned how teamwork and time management matter, plus how research shapes the final product.
Next time, I'd break tasks into smaller steps for coding and design. I might also seek help from mentors or training to overcome coding challenges (there were a lot). Still, this experience inspires me to keep improving and contribute to MindFull's success in the future.