Munchies Mood
Munchies Mood is a personalized food experience to help you become more aware of your inner emotions and body.
Timeline
Jan. 2022 - May. 2022
(5 Months)
Company
VICE Media Group
My role
Lead UI UX designer
Team
2 UI UX Designer,
1 Product Manager,
1 Design Researcher
Context
Vice Media is looking to update
their Munchies page (food channel). Why?
Our team is collaborating with Munchies, Vice Media’s food channel, to help bring innovative digital solutions for expanding web traffic and engagement rate.
It’s experiencing
relatively lower traffic
💨
Adverse effects on revenue
and overall performance
💸
Youths are Munchies's targeted users
So first, let us define who are the youths.
And what does youths cares about nowaday?
Gen Z, born 1997-2012, is digital, curious, dynamic, and impact-driven. These generations are exposed to major social issues such as human rights, politics, and health, which directly affect their well-being.
Understanding users through talking with them directly
We conducted 60 interviews and a focus group discussion to dive deeper into understanding our users and see how Munchies could serve as a medium to bring happiness or relieve stress.
Research Finding 1
80% of respondents often associate food choices with their emotions
Comfort foods like desserts and snacks are preferred when feeling stressed or sad.
Research Finding 2
75% of respondent finds personalized content is very important
Users prefer personalized recipes based on mood and dietary preferences.
Researh Finding 3
80% says interactive content is highly enjoyed, especially quizzes and polls.
Users want more interactive features like mood quizzes and cooking challenges.
Research Finding 4
65% of respondents frequently share food-related content on social media
Motivations for sharing include showcasing cooking skills and connecting with friends.
Web Crituqe
Following the interviews, we conducted design critique, leveraging comprehensive feedback collected regarding the current webpage.
Brainstorming
So...where'd be our opportunity space?
After all the research and insight defining, we connected the dots and did a sensemaking workshop within the team. We came up with the core functionality for the web redesign.
Based on our discussions and analysis, we confirmed our design goals,
which are insights into the direction we're heading.
A medium to look inward
🧘
While we are living in a fast-paced society, the awareness of your current situation would serve as a catalyst for taking action in dealing with personal mental health.
A channel to
release tension
🎤
Cooking could become a way for us to slow down and connect with ourselves. In addition, it can help you release any tension you might be carrying around.
A place to
connect with others
👥
The youths are facing a complex problem and by sharing both of their struggles and learnings can help to give a sense of belonging.
The following Infomation Architecture outlines how each section will be implemented.
The Strategy
What'd be the core of the Munchies Page redesign?
Munchies Mood, a mood quiz to get you personalized recommendations for food ingredients and recipes. It will include 3 section:
(1)a quiz section, (2)a food library section, and (3)A space section for sharing your own recipe.
Layout exploration
Starting off, we try to create iterations of an engaging, user-friendly Munchies page that enhances the personalized food experience.
✅
Final Screens
With several additional feedback we recieved, we finalized our Munchies Mood experience.
1 Redesigned Munchies Main Page
2 Munchies Mood Quiz
HMW
How might VICE Munchies page boost up their user engagement rate though leveraging food experiences and address the pain points of Gen Z?
Impact
27% reduction in bounce rate from user testing
Munchies Mood has successfully reduced the bounce rate from 45% to 20%. The clear navigation, engaging hero sections, and personalized content have kept users on the site longer, exploring recipes and participating in community activities. The exit rate on key pages like the home page and recipe search has decreased by 30%.
42% increase in social sharing from user testing
The new design of Munchies Mood encourages users to share their culinary creations and favorite recipes on social media. This has resulted in a 40% increase in shares, with the average daily shares rising from 100 to 140. The platform's reach has expanded, bringing in 20% more new users from social media referrals. Additionally, user-generated content shared on social platforms has increased by 35%.
Endorsement from senior management
In our final presentation, we impressed the VP of Content at VICE, who described Munchies Mood as “a unique idea that has never been done before among competitors and can be achieved easily.”
What's Next
Enhance Gamification
For better user retension, gamification makes the platform more interactive and personalized, catering to individual preferences and fostering a strong community. It also provides valuable behavioral insights for continuous improvement.
