Designing experiences that turn street food into a safe journey.
Responsibilities
UX Design / UX Research
Tools
Figma, Google Suite
Year
2023
Team
Pakin.Design
Juliah S. Champion
Supanat Pinyo
Esther Blessing Onoruke
Julius Berthold
What we do in this project.
In this project we create an application that helps users experience street food safely while exploring diverse culinary landscapes abroad. The design focuses on addressing key challenges such as safety and language barriers, ensuring that travelers can enjoy authentic local cuisine with confidence and ease.
The primary objectives of the app are to assist travelers in discovering accommodations, restaurants, local attractions, and other points of interest, while also enabling them to share their experiences with friends and fellow travelers. Although these core functions form the foundation of the project, the brief also encouraged exploring alternative ideas—leading us to focus on enhancing the street food experience as a unique and integral part of travel discovery.
Our work process.
UX Research
Our research phase focused on understanding traveler behaviors and needs to ensure the concept’s viability. Through user interviews, persona creation and validation, and competitive analysis.
UX Design
Building on our research findings, we moved into designing a user-friendly and intuitive experience. The process began with sitemaps, user flows, and wireframes to define structure and functionality.
In our interview we…
Interviewed a total of 27 participants, primarily aged between 18 and 25 years old, aligning with our target audience of European and Australian backpackers, along with a few American budget travelers. To ensure we reached the right demographic, our team strategically visited well-known backpacker hotspots across Bangkok.
we headed to Khao San Road, a lively and iconic hub for travelers from around the world. There, we successfully connected with many participants and gathered a wealth of rich, firsthand insights (yes, with handful of foods).
Through this targeted approach, we effectively engaged with young international backpackers from the US, Europe, and Australia, capturing meaningful perspectives on their travel habits, motivations, and preferences. This process allowed us to better understand the needs and experiences of our core audience within the global backpacking community.
84% of the people desire the incorporation of a wide variety of culinary experiences while travelling. However…
Many backpackers express strong concerns about hygiene and food safety when it comes to street food. They often fear getting food poisoning or falling ill, as they perceive street food to be less hygienic than restaurant options. This anxiety can discourage them from fully engaging in local food experiences, even when they are eager to try authentic dishes.
At the same time, backpackers are highly motivated to discover and enjoy local street food as part of their cultural exploration. They seek convenient and trustworthy ways to find good food spots that are both authentic and safe, enhancing their overall travel experience.
However, communication barriers often stand in the way. Many street food menus are written only in Thai, making it difficult for travelers to understand what dishes contain. This leads to challenges when communicating dietary restrictions, such as vegan preferences, spice levels, or allergies. As a result, backpackers need better tools or systems to help bridge these gaps and allow them to interact more confidently with local vendors.
Personas creation
After uncovering key challenges and insights from our research, we developed three user personas to guide our design process: Safety Henry, Allergy Nina, and Foodie Kelly. Each persona represents a distinct type of traveler with unique motivations and concerns around street food exploration.
Safety Henry embodies the cautious traveler who values hygiene and needs reassurance that the food he eats is clean and safe. Allergy Nina represents users who must navigate dietary restrictions and require clear, reliable ways to communicate with street vendors despite language barriers. Foodie Kelly, on the other hand, captures the adventurous spirit of travelers seeking authentic culinary experiences, eager to discover and document renowned or Michelin-rated street food spots. By designing with these personas in mind, we ensured our decisions were deeply rooted in real user needs—balancing safety, accessibility, and discovery to create a meaningful and enjoyable street food experience for all types of backpackers.
The concept of Yummy Planet
An application for street food involves addressing safety and language barriers, which are crucial when exploring culinary landscapes abroad. The goal is to educate and build trust by helping users understand and feel confident about what they are eating. The application teaches users about common Thai street food dishes, allowing them to learn what’s in each meal and make informed choices.
It also enables users to tailor dishes to suit their dietary restrictions, ensuring that everyone—from vegans to those with allergies—can enjoy street food safely. Additionally, the app spotlights food vendors based on popularity or Michelin recognition, helping travelers discover reputable and authentic spots. Finally, it enhances communication between users and vendors, bridging language gaps so travelers can express preferences, ask questions, and order with confidence.
Competitive analysis
The competitive analysis revealed a mix of direct and indirect competitors, ranging from apps to media platforms. Google Maps helps users discover and review dining spots, while TV shows and food blogs inspire culinary exploration through storytelling and education. Lineman Wongnai focuses on user-generated reviews and recommendations for restaurants and food vendors. Together, these platforms highlight different ways users explore, learn about, and engage with food experiences.
Sitemap
After we have done our research and personas we designed our app structure to before outline the path of our users
Userflow
After identifying our structure we outlined our user flow to see how can the user go with our application in two ways. So we can see the user's progress starting from the launch of the application until the end.
Wireframe
Before making our wireframe on the computer, we quickly sketch out basic ideas by hand. This helps us come up with more thoughts and plan out our strategy before finalizing the digital version of the wireframe.
Key Takeaways
In this case study section, we delve into the journey that brought our ideas to life with a strong user focus. From comprehensive research to creative ideation.
Depending solely on Google Maps and its reviews might not ensure accuracy. A mobile digital companion is currently absent. Our most favorable chance arises while traveling. Certain platforms are confined to specific countries.
However, our competitors offer generic information, although their accuracy is questionable.
Certain platforms are confined to specific countries.
Our aim is to establish a sense of comfort and safety for backpackers, reducing any apprehension when it comes to ordering street food.