Design a third-party desktop app or website that serves as a single-stop resource for any media related to a topic and encourages users to find new interests, events, and communities.  

Twitch communities are made up of diehard fans who learn about their passions from many different forms. Live streaming is one way to tap into knowledge, but how can this sharing become truly omnidirectional?

SOLUTION

Yumspace is a friendly, inclusive, and accessible desktop app that encourages people with different cultural backgrounds to connect and share content on food. Our brand name consists of two words — “Yummy” and “Space” — which reflects our goal to create the most innovative and international online space for people. Our app provides multiple design solutions to not only support user’s personal dietary preferences but also helps users to broaden their cooking experiences. Through live streaming, online chats, recipe blogs, and tutorial videos, users’ sharing experiences will enhance in omnidirectional ways. Users can create both personal and public events by scheduling their meal plans and arranging virtual meetings with various communities. 

So how might we design an inclusive and user-friendly platform that encourages the social community to help each other with questions and interests regarding cooking?

1. Encourage people with different cultural backgrounds to share and connect the content they love.

2. Integrated different media (livestreaming, blog articles, video clips, live chat, messaging, social media) to increase engagement. 

3. Provide a friendly, Inclusive and accessible environment for users in different age groups.

DESIGN TOUCH POINTS

UI/UX Design, Branding, Motion, Product Design

1. Involvement, activity and direct feedback
According to the current market of food recipe apps, there are minimum function for taking care of users' direct feedback. Majority of the cooking app only allows commenting only, without the features of sharing to friends or commenting with photos. 

2. Connection and engagement
Since there are lack of opportunities for communicating with people who share the same appetite, there are lack of engagement in terms of digging out the recipes. There are also lack of different medias to broaden user's interest. 

3. Background knowledge and accessibility
After our analysis of current food app, we found a missing opportunity for making the app more inclusive, accessible and more personalized. There is a chance to inform users' about food culture and its background information if we can make the design to support the content. 

Takeaways we incorporated:

1. Font accessibility 
2. Language preferences setting

3. Subtitles for livestream and video tutorials
4. Personalized schedule

5. Explore food by using maps or categories

6. Filters adjusted to user's need

7. Voice message, phone call and video call function for chat room

8. Be able to see friend's recipes and their friend in chat room

9. Live chat 

10. Saved recipes and be able to add recipe's author as friend

We've chose three different users in terms of gender, age group, country of origins and different needs to give an overview of what can be accomplished by using our Yumspace app. Their pain points help us when we are brainstorming solutions. 

This user flow help us to present the prototype to the judges, step by step. This ensures that every feature of our app get presented seamlessly in a logical and structural way. 

The orange and brown colour palette conveys a warm atmosphere, further communicates the app’s position of being a friendly and welcoming resource. The use of icons, typography, and illustrations contribute to an intuitive and creative interface.  

Haneul and I collaborated on Adobe XD synchronously as well as asynchronously, this brand guideline help us to make sure our design style are on the same page. 

1. Creating various options for users to explore and share different recipes. 

2. Integrated different media (livestream, recipe articles, online tutorials, live chat, messaging). 
3. Provide an accessible and personalized experience.

Judges evaluate our design based on these questions provided in the brief:

1. Does the solution address a target audience and their needs?
2. Does the prototype solve the problem in an innovative way?
3. Is the user experience and interface intuitive?
4. Is visual design used in a thoughtful and meaningful way?

We've received valuable feedbacks from the judges. They seemed to be impressed with our app's visual design, the inclusiveness and accessibility. 

We were so honoured to win the fifth place among 409 teams across the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand!