📋Problem Statement
The goal was to create a mobile e-commerce experience, to browse the catalog, find items they’re looking for, initiate checkout, and complete the purchase.
🤭Storytime!
I was ordering pasta 🍝 and wanted the perfect drink to accompany it. Since I’m not a huge fan of soda, I looked up what pairs well with pasta. And guess what? It turns out pasta goes perfectly with wine!
I pulled out my phone to find a delivery app that could bring both drinks and related items. But every app seemed to either focus on alcohol delivery or grocery/party supply delivery. So, I did what any curious problem-solver would — reached out to friends and fellow foodies to see if they were facing the same issue.
Turns out, I wasn’t alone! A lot of people were looking for a single app that could handle all their beverage and accessory needs. A “one-stop-shop” for everything related to drinks — now that’s something worth designing.
🔎Research:
To validate this idea, I conducted in-person discussions and an Instagram poll, gathering insights for both quantitative and qualitative analysis. Since this research took place during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, I learned that many people had shifted their buying habits online and now valued the convenience of having everything available on a single platform.
Some unique insights came from my conversations with users in India:
Cultural Sensitivity: Many women felt judged when buying alcohol in person, so having a delivery option was appealing.
Convenience of Mixology: With limited access to fully stocked bars, users often could not recreate the cocktails they enjoyed at bars. There was a desire for a platform that offered drinks, ingredients, recipes, and guidance to create cocktails and mocktails from home.
Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis
I tried to reach out to as many younger generations as I could via “Instagram Poll”
Instagram Poll
All user data shared in this case study was collected with full consent from participants. I received permission from all respondents to use their feedback and insights for this project.
Qualitative Data:
Users disliked having to use multiple apps for food and drinks.
Many women in India prefer online alcohol purchases due to privacy concerns.
Users wanted a bar/club-like experience at home, including access to drinks and tools (glasses, shakers).
Quantitative Data:
91% of users preferred ordering food and drinks from the same app.
59% would use an app offering both drinks and party supplies.
40% of women avoid buying alcohol in stores due to stigma.
65% would use a cocktail recipe feature if available.
User Personas
User 1
User 2
An interesting tip from the users: People prefer to give a gift voucher that allows another user to purchase their favored beverage.
Types of Users
Features
To address the needs identified in my research, I designed a set of key features that would create a seamless, comprehensive experience for users looking to order drinks and related products:
🍹 Recipe Section: This feature includes both cocktail and mocktail recipes. Users can follow these recipes to make popular drinks at home, catering to those who want to enjoy the bar experience without leaving their space.
🍸 Bar Essentials: Beyond beverages, users can order bar-related materials, like glasses, mixing spoons, and cocktail shakers. This addition allows them to fully replicate a bar-like experience with the right tools.
🎁 Gifting Options: Two unique gifting options were designed for the app. Users can either select gift recommendations, such as a bottle of wine, or present a Gift Voucher, which allows recipients to choose their preferred drinks or bar essentials.
🥤 Soft Drinks: For users who prefer non-alcoholic options, soft drinks are also available, making the app versatile for all types of users and occasions.
📊Sitemap and IA
This stage helped me to clearly define and represent how the user will navigate through the app and the information/metadata to be displayed on the screens.
📑Wireframe
I conducted color psychology research to identify which colors are most appealing to users. To select the right color palette for my visual design, I also considered colors that might irritate or discomfort users, especially after they’ve had a few drinks. This research guided my choice of a color palette that enhances the overall user experience.
🎨Visual Design
User Testing & Outcome
Since this project is a conceptual prototype, I did not conduct formal user testing or record feedback through surveys. Instead, I observed a small group of users interacting with the prototype to gather insights into their behavior and preferences.
User Interaction: Users easily navigated through the app’s key features, such as browsing drinks, viewing cocktail recipes, and adding party supplies to their cart, gaining a clear sense of the app’s concept and functionality.
Color Palette: The color palette was carefully selected based on color psychology research, aiming to create a soothing and appealing atmosphere for users who might be ordering after consuming alcohol. The feedback indicated that the color choices were well-received and did not cause discomfort.
Feedback: Users found the idea of having a single app for both drinks and party-related items highly convenient. Many users expressed interest in an app that could eliminate the need to switch between multiple platforms for drinks and party supplies.
The cocktail and mocktail recipe feature was particularly appreciated, as it offered users a fun and interactive way to explore new drink ideas.
Suggestions: Users showed interest in customization features, such as filtering drinks based on their preferences.
The future scope for this app is to make a flow for To order food 🍱 and Kitchen and Bar 🥂, where users can order food.
And that’s a wrap!!
Good to see you read till here. Hope you found it insightful to take away some points for yourself.I want to thank Abhinav Chikkara for coming up with this assignment and giving me feedback.
Special thanks to Aboli Joshi for the constant feedback on this assignment.