Blue Crab

In a saturated market of food ordering apps, I wanted to explore how a digital product could stand out, not just through aesthetics or speed, but by solving a real social friction. Blue Crab was born from a simple but relatable pain point: coordinating group food orders is messy. Between remembering everyone’s preferences, juggling texts, and splitting bills, the process is anything but seamless.

My goal was to design an app that not only streamlined ordering but made it collaborative. By introducing a social feature, I aimed to turn a solitary transaction into a shared experience, one that could boost engagement and retention.

I surveyed over 150 people who expressed interest in a social food ordering application. This idea informed my wireframes to my high-fidelity prototype; however at the end of the usability study, users did not see a point to placing a food order with other users. One said that she would still prefer to text with friends and to split the bill in another application. The application was redesigned and the social feature was replaced with the QR code ordering that dining establishments have implemented today.

Creating a one-size-fits-all application was never my intention; however, I did just that by allowing users to message, order, and pay from the same application. There was also some recreating of the wheel when it came to layout and design. Initially, my focus was on those of pre-established restaurants and looking at their mobile websites for guidance.

Upon further reflection, I looked at other mobile ordering applications and how they function. Consolidating navigational elements, including animations between pages, and using an intuitive layout goes a long way to helping users interact with your application. Having an intuitive application that helps users achieve their goal, without the need of a first-time user experience, should be the focus.