GastroGnome.
Brand Building / User Experience Design
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An app built to highlight and promote burgeoning small businesses in the restaurant industry.
There is a growing need within the restaurant industry to better support and spotlight small and starting businesses. Many hole-in-the-wall places with hidden gem items lack a platform to market themselves, embracing their roots while promoting their business. I wanted to create an opportunity to showcase small businesses and what items make them stand out in an otherwise competitive field.
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How can burgeoning small businesses gain visibility and prestige in a competitive and often overcrowded restaurant landscape?
In order to integrate human input from real humans, several user testing sessions were held with sketches and simple wireframes. Participants were led through a potential task flow, talking out loud to discern any confusing moments.
First round of edits based on user feedback and brand application
Above all, GastroGnome aimed to make the restaurant landscape seem more personal. Direction A follows this purpose, with the color palette maintaining a level of aesthetic intricacy, balanced with a header typeface with personality. I softened the edges of buttons and reduced the use of the monospace type to only appear in special cases.
After receiving feedback on the two visual directions,
Direction A was determined to be the more approachable identity to better fit the app’s purpose.
All-Star Item and Post!
Search the business menu for an item that you would consider “all-star”. Select the item, add a written description and photos of the All-Star Item. Confirm the details of your review and post.
Adding a Review
Search for local restaurants, select your desired business, and navigate to the review section where you can rate the business (1-5 stars), add a description, and add photos.
Business Page and Menu
From your review confirmation page, navigate to the business page and view pictures, all-star items, and other reviews.
Select “back” to go to the Gastronome listing view with all local businesses present with an optional filtering system.
Final user flow, starting from the Review page
