UX/UI Design, Branding
Better Bag
Timeline
January – May 2024
Tools
Figma, Adobe Illustrator
COLLABORATORS
Adrienne Luong, Melanie Chang,
Shanthuru Kalaiselvan
Role
User Research, UX/UI Design
Context
Post-secondary school students living away from home are often responsible for purchasing living essentials regularly. However, this can become challenging due to cost, busy schedules, and navigating an unfamiliar area.
To make this transition easier, we designed Better Bag, a mobile app that helps users browse, plan, and track the purchase of living essentials through a gamified approach.
Challenge
How might we design a motivating platform that supports students living away from home with the purchase of living essentials?
User research
We conducted 10 user research interviews about students' experiences living away from home and finding food establishments on the York University campus. Based on these themes, four key insights emerged.
Routine building
Users would like reminders to complete personal tasks to build a routine.
Affordability
Users would like to stick to their budgets by purchasing affordable goods.
Feeling unaware of discounts and deals
Users would like to become more aware of discounts and deals.
Community
Users desire to find connection and friends with others in their new environment.
Personas
Karina
21 years old
4th year
Apartment
Living by herself in a new apartment near campus this year, responsible for cooking her own meals.
Pain Points
Difficulty finding affordable stores for groceries nearby
Difficulty organizing shopping lists and planning shopping trips
Difficulty staying updated with promotional deals or discounts
Lacks familiarity with local area
Goals
Purchase affordable products from nearby stores
Plan shopping trips in advance
Stay updated with promotional deals or discounts
Stay on top of buying living essentials despite busy schedule
Behaviours
Cooks in apartment
Searches multiple websites and apps for budget-friendly deals
Avoids faraway stores
Attempts to keep mental checklists
Motivations
Desire to acclimate herself to living in her new neighbourhood
Desire to stay within budget
Desire to feel structure and organization in her daily life
Lucas
18 years old
1st year
Residence
Living in a dorm on campus, lacking familiarity with nearby stores and campus life.
Pain Points
Difficulty finding affordable and convenient places to shop for essentials near campus
Difficulty motivating himself to stock up on living essentials
Feels frustrated when his questions about York life go unanswered
Goals
Connect with other York students
Feel a sense of community through online interactions
Make affordable, high-quality purchases
Have a platform to express opinions on products he tries
Stay on top of buying living essentials despite busy schedule
Behaviours
Attends classes 4 days a week
Browses deals and flyers online before embarking on shopping trips
Typically buys from a small selection of stores due to familiarity
Motivations
Wanting to feel part of the York community by experiencing what the campus has to offer
Needing to stay within budget
Problem Statement
Our user, a post-secondary school student new to living away from home, needs a motivating way to purchase living essentials so that they can find products meeting their cost, time, and navigation needs.
Visual Identity System
Typography
Friendly, funky header paired with a clean body.
Making your transition to living away from home easier
Mona Sans
A rewarding, cost-saving, and organizational mobile app geared toward post-secondary students living away from home for the first time.
Colours
Soft colours for a calming experience that supports appropriate spending.
#565197
86, 81, 151
#cecaea
206, 202, 234
#eae9f7
234, 233, 247
#f8f8ff
248, 248, 255
#c18e1b
193, 142, 27
#e5b233
229, 178, 51
#f7d694
247, 214, 148
#1e1c17
30, 28, 23
#6b6b6b
107, 107, 107
#888888
136, 136, 136
#bbbbbb
187, 187, 187
#e3e3e3
227, 227, 227
#fafafa
250, 250, 250