Overview

Dive straight into the interactive demo below or explore my design journey in this case study.

Problem

Many food-saving apps enable businesses to sell food nearing expiration, helping customers save money while reducing waste. However, most of these apps, like the Danish startup Too Good To Go (TGTG), primarily serve large cities in North America and Europe. Competing apps have struggled to attract users in smaller communities due to a lack of participating businesses.

Solution

LastCall is a food waste prevention app tailored specifically for smaller communities. The app is designed with scalability in mind, featuring strategies to expand while maintaining an intuitive UX.

My Role

I was the sole designer and developer for this project.

Target Audience

LastCall is designed for restaurants, cafes, delis, and their customers in smaller urban communities.

Explore

Competitive Analysis

I conducted a thorough analysis of the top competitors in the food-saving niche, focusing on their strengths, weaknesses, and potential barriers to adoption. The analysis highlighted several key challenges, including technical issues, inaccurate information, and unmet user needs.

Ideate

Pain Points - Where Does It Go Wrong?

- Lack of available partners in small cities deters user adoption.

- Some apps require upfront commitment (e.g., subscription fees) without proving their value.

- Users appreciate surprises but need some level of predictability, especially concerning allergens.

- Restaurants are busy and often have low-tech setups, leading to inconsistent surplus food availability.

- Reviews are vague, offering little useful information for decision-making.

- Confusion around pickup procedures frustrates users and merchants alike.

![Mind mapping various pain points and possible solutions]

Why Tree Testing?

I used tree testing to consolidate pain points from app reviews and user interviews, brainstorming different user journeys and resolutions for common issues. This method is ideal for early-stage prototypes, helping establish information flow before diving into detailed UI design.

![User flow diagram for the new concept]

Product Changes

- Users select their city from a list, with the number of available partners displayed. This provides instant feedback on whether the service is available in their area.

- Users can include allergen information in reviews, enhancing the current lack of food detail.

- Reviews are more quantitative, providing detailed information on food categories and quantities.

- The QR code page now includes comprehensive instructions for the pickup procedure, guiding users through potential issues.

Design

I started by assessing the current UI to understand the user journey and identify obstacles. This phase involved creating lo-fi prototypes based on available information from social media and app reviews. Future steps will include more extensive user testing to refine the design.


[→ View interactive prototype](https://www.figma.com/proto/BowYQgOD2MHb1a5MwvYiwR/LastCall?node-id=123%3A38&starting-point-node-id=123%3A38)

Test

User testing was a crucial part of this process. I aimed to evaluate the following:

1. Can users complete tasks confidently and easily?

2. Do users need guidance or support?

3. Does the app accommodate edge cases, such as users living out of range or those with disabilities?

4. Do user expectations align with their actual experience?

5. Are there unnecessary or overly complicated steps in the process?

I utilized the System Usability Scale for a quick and effective assessment of ease of use.

Results

| Participant | Location | SUS Score | User of competitor apps? |

| --- | --- | --- | --- |

| 1 | Ithaca, NY | 6.23 | No |

| 2 | Denmark | 8.55 | Yes |

| 3 | Denmark | 8.33 | Yes |

| 4 | NYC | 9.12 | Yes |

| 5 | NYC | 6.87 | No |

---

Review

LastCall received positive feedback for ease of use, but there are areas that need further attention. The initial goal of targeting smaller communities was not fully addressed, and future user testing should include more extensive fieldwork, especially focusing on the physical pickup process.

What Happens Outside the App?

- The merchant experience is crucial and must be optimized to support the overall user experience. Future work will focus on this area.

- User testing should include evaluations of the physical pickup process, possibly through fieldwork or user incentives.

- Synchronization and consistency are key to building user trust. Providing standard-sized food boxes to merchants can help manage user expectations.

- A targeted, city-by-city marketing strategy is recommended, similar to the grassroots approach adopted by Too Good To Go. This will allow for tailored UX changes as the platform scales.