Buddy
A desktop app that makes healthy eating habits really simple.
A study project by Theresa Hußke and Daria Savchenko
2nd semester, 2023
Supervisors: Martin Haas, Sebastian Haase, Prof. Andrea Krajewski, Jan Messing, Dieter Stasch, Torben Toepper, Tomas Zebis
Problem statement
Due to their stressful daily student life, students usually have neither the time nor sufficient motivation to prioritise their diet. Most of the students affected are aware that they do not eat well or could eat more healthily, but they lack the motivation to engage more deeply with the topic of nutrition.
A further complication is the limited budget that students have.
Several apps are used to find recipes, create shopping lists and plan meals (if at all). Furthermore, the sheer volume of recipe results online can be overwhelming.
Value Proposition
For busy students who want to take a more conscious approach to their health, Buddy is an interactive guide in the form of a desktop web application that offers support in improving and developing healthy eating habits in everyday life.
Unlike FatSecret or Noom, the system helps you plan your meals rather than simply tracking calories. It offers suggestions on where improvements can be made, takes your dietary, time and budget requirements into account, and motivates users through gamification elements.
Buddy supports you on your journey towards a healthier diet.
The idea
Your needs
Do you have allergies, a special diet or a limited budget when shopping? No problem! Just enter your requirements and Buddy will suggest the best recipes for you.
Easy planning
Plan your weekly meals in advance with the Buddy Planner. Add any ingredients you don’t already have at home to your shopping list. And when you’re ready, cook along with Buddy.
Healthier recipes
Don’t give up on your own recipes that you already know how to cook – enjoy them with a healthy twist. Enter your recipe details and Buddy will take care of the rest.
Motivation
Simplified when gamified. Experience an environment where healthy eating is integrated as seamlessly as possible into your busy life by celebrating every step along the way.
Prototype Testing
The aim of the study was to test participants’ understanding of the user flows and to gain insights into how the application could be improved. Six students took part in the usability test, motivated by their interest in eye-tracking technology and the flexible testing times.
During the session, participants took turns in the roles of moderator and note-taker.
The following steps were carried out: onboarding, comprehension, functionality testing via scenarios, and debriefing. Participants were briefed on the procedure, signed a consent form and were asked to think aloud during the tests. In the debriefing, they again highlighted frustrating aspects of the application.
Room for improvement was identified in the following areas:
The participants correctly understood what the app was about, but some were unclear as to what could be found under ‘Cook recipes’ in the navigation menu.
‘Skip’ and ‘Back’ buttons are desirable on all onboarding pages.
It is not clear to users why their own recipes can be found under ‘Search recipes’. The name should be worded more clearly and a separate page should be created.
The Buddy’s functions should be limited. At present, in addition to psychological support and gamified rewards for renewal successes, it also provides a page description; however, this should be placed in the top-left corner after the page title, as is customary, so that it is more easily noticed.