Dynery App

Top to bottom redesign for Dynery - a dining app

Project Type
Mobile application redesign

Tools
Figma
Miro

Role
Freelance UX Designer

Timeline
6 weeks
June - July 2023

Introduction

Dynery is a mobile application designed to provide users with personalized dining recommendations based on their preferences and dietary restrictions. The initial project goal was a visual refresh, but a deeper evaluation revealed critical usability issues. I undertook a comprehensive redesign to create a more engaging and enjoyable user experience while driving user engagement for the business.

Impact

  • Developed a detailed prototype for rapid coding and implementation.

  • Delivered a comprehensive app that adds value to users and encourages user-generated content, a valued business asset.

  • Prototype allowed business to begin to secure funding from angel investors.

Problem

Dynery had previously beta-launched an app that did not resonate with users. The CEO sought a UI facelift, but a closer examination revealed severe usability issues that could have had dire consequences for the startup. This led to a full-scale app redesign.

Solution

The solution involved a comprehensive redesign of the app, including:

  • Reworking the information architecture to reduce confusion and improve navigation.

  • Adding a social media component to enhance connection between users and restaurants.

  • Simplifying the tagging experience for creating new tags and selecting from existing ones.

  • Consistent design patterns throughout the app to create an intuitive user experience

Design Process: From IA to lo-fi prototypes

Our journey began by addressing the structural foundation of Dynery. The initial focus was on revamping the information architecture, an essential step to reduce user confusion and enhance navigation. We meticulously restructured the app's information flow, aligning it with our vision for a more intuitive user experience.

Once consensus was reached on design elements, including color palettes and UI kits, I embarked on the creation of high-fidelity prototypes. Due to time and budget constraints, I chose to use a Material Design Kit for quick and consistent componentization. Prototypes were crafted screen by screen, starting with the pivotal home screen. High fidelity allowed us to refine the details, ensuring a polished user interface that would resonate with target users.

This phased approach ensured that every design decision was rooted in a strong foundation of information architecture, followed by iterative refinement through sketching and high-fidelity prototyping.

From there, I transitioned to the next phase of design. Lo-fi sketches were crafted to quickly visualize critical screens, ensuring alignment with our refined information architecture. These sketches provided a tangible framework that served as the bedrock of our design direction.

Takeaways: Feedback, Communication, and Trust

Several valuable lessons emerged from this project:

  • Feedback was our guiding star. During hi-fi design, regular feedback loops were instrumental in avoiding wasted effort.

  • Effective communication with the development team was imperative, particularly when navigating technical limitations.

  • Building trust with an opinionated CEO was a crucial aspect of the journey. Alignment with his vision was crucial.

Final Design

Simplified Navigation

📍 Navigate Safely:

The main focus of our app is to help users navigate safely by providing variables that can assist them in their commute.

  • Incident alerts on the map

  • Nearby friends known as ‘Buddies’ to commute with

  • Bus and ride schedules based on destinations

  • In-app navigational assistance

Social Media Component

Stay Connected

☎️ Stay Connected:

For an enhanced sense of safety, we incorporated a way for users to remain connected with their loved ones and provided them with the ability to send real-time updates about their current location so that they can feel safer during their commute. They can do so by adding emergency contacts and further sharing their live location and additional details about their journey.

Increase Awareness

👯 Find Companions:

This feature helps users find a Buddy to accompany them on their commute for an enhanced sense of safety. As our research findings revealed that most users felt significantly safer when they were with someone else as opposed to being alone, we decided to make it easier for users to find a companion to commute with based on their destination and mode of commute.

🚨 Increase Awareness:

This aspect of our app allows users to report concerning incidents that they encounter. This can increase communal awareness about unsafe occurrences and equip all users of the app with the ability to remain alert of their surroundings and choose their route to commute accordingly. These incidents will be displayed within the map once the incident has been verified by an authorizing body such as the UW safety services.

Results: The Path Forward

The CEO and development team are prepared to bring the fully realized app to life, although it remains in the development phase. Initial reactions from investors have been positive and allowed Trofimo to secure funding from angel investors. User testing on potential users has been promising, and an initial launch to a select group of 50 users will soon be underway.

Conclusion

Our endeavor to redesign Dynery was not merely a cosmetic endeavor. It was a quest to deliver a seamless and engaging user experience, addressing fundamental usability concerns while tapping into the creative spirit of Gen Z. This redesign sets the stage for a triumphant relaunch - an app that stands as a beacon in the realm of dining discovery, tailor-made for the creative desires of the next generation.

The impact of this redesign extends beyond users. Restaurants and chefs, often voiceless on major platforms like Yelp or Google Maps, now find a dedicated space to showcase their culinary excellence. Through the addition of a social networking component, Dynery bridges the gap between diners and restaurants, fostering connections that go beyond mere transactions.

As the redesigned Dynery prepares to launch, we anticipate not only satisfied users but also thriving restaurants, eager to share their unique flavors and stories with a new generation of diners.

Thanks!

Big thanks to Wale Martin, Dynery’s CEO, for entrusting me with this project. Your feedback and encouragement allowed me to grow through this challenge. I hope we can work together again soon! Thanks to Dynery developers Kishore and Nagasai for staying true to the design in your implementation.