Casting a Wide Net

In researching Celiac Disease, I quickly discovered that food allergy and dietary restriction communities were far larger than I had expected, and that many people faced similar challenges when dining out.

Identifying Differences

Food allergies and dietary restrictions are often grouped together, but they can differ significantly. Factors such as reaction severity and cross-contamination risks vary greatly.

Fragmented & Limited

While resources do exist for these communities, they are extremely limited in both functionality and reach. There is currently no single place people can turn to for reliable help finding safe dining options.

Building Connections

One of the most valuable features offered by existing apps is their ability to connect users directly with restaurants. Clear communication and direct access to information can go far in building trust.

Thorough Analysis

To see what was already working, I took a deep dive into existing apps. This process helped me identify common strengths, recurring pain points, and ideas that could help create a better overall experience.

The Opportunity

Most options currently rely on crowdsourced information, which can be inconsistent and inaccurate. By sourcing dietary-filtered menu information directly from restaurants, a more reliable connection could be created between restaurants and these communities.

Convenience

Significantly reduce the time spent searching for food.

Safety

Ensure users can dine out without any risk to their health.

Confidence

Offer a return to normalcy in the dining experience.

Expanding Structure

This phase focused on building out the remaining pages and introducing more detail throughout the app. Doing so helped establish a clearer visual hierarchy and understanding of how information would be presented.

Focus on Familiarity

One of the most valuable pieces of feedback I received was not to shy away from familiar design patterns. By embracing interactions users already understood, the app became easier to navigate and required less effort to learn.

Centering Users

My approach to the branding was to create an experience that felt personal and trustworthy. Building confidence is key for users making dietary decisions, so the identity was designed to reflect an understanding of their unique challenges.

Aesthetic Inspiration

Health-centric colors, organic forms, and simple iconography served as the foundation of the brand. The goal was to clearly communicate the app’s purpose without relying on the expected visual language of the category, creating an identity that feels both familiar and distinct.

Implementation

The branding extended beyond the logo to include a visual system for each dietary restriction represented in the app. These elements helped create a more personalized experience while reinforcing the brand’s character.

Personal

The home page is designed to feel personal, helping users revisit restaurants they enjoy while encouraging new discoveries.

Navigation

Search tools such as location, filters, and cuisines remain readily accessible, allowing users to quickly narrow their search and find results.

Transparency

One of the most important features of the app is the ability for restaurants to not only share allergen information, but also their dietary policies. With this information coming directly from the source, users can make dining decisions with greater confidence.

Convenience

Users can seamlessly switch between a menu filtered to their dietary needs and the restaurant’s full menu. This makes it easy to quickly find safe options while still sharing menu items with others.

Community

To keep reviews relevant and trustworthy, users only see feedback from others who share their dietary restrictions. This helps prevent confusion and allows users to make decisions based on experiences that closely reflect their own.