Improved usability for an NPO web app reaches 4,500 users every month
Achieved a 400% increase in daily new users and gained 4,500 monthly active users by enhancing the mobile web app's usability and efficiency.
Overview
Food Oasis is a non-profit that maintains a database of meal and pantry locations in California. This project improved the mobile web app's user experience through user-centered design and feedback. We expanded reach, recognition, user engagement, and task success for food seekers.
Project details
Company
Food Oasis
A non-profit organization based in Los Angeles, California. It's entirely volunteer led.
Role
Designer and Researcher
Led research sessions and ideated solutions for improvement.
Team and collaborators
3 people
1 Product Manager, 1 Product Owner, 1 Developer
Timeline
4 Weeks
June 2021 – July 2021
Tools
Various
Figma, Miro, MarvelApp, Zoom
Type
Mobile Web App
Feature Enhancement & Redesign
The problem
Users found the Food Oasis mobile app hard to use and often didn't trust the app's data, preferring to ask others for help instead.
Current experience
Heuristic evaluation and user interviews revealed users struggled to find food resources quickly due to difficult navigation, ineffective filters, cluttered screens, and outdated information.
See the messy process
Want to understand the "why" behind every design decision? Dive into the full case study to explore the research and iterations that led to this solution.
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Solution
We simplified the navigation and search to clear screen clutter. We made both the map and list views more efficient with quick access to details and directions.
Map view
Redesigned the navigation and filters to increase map visibility.
Listing details
Valuable information such as hours, location, eligibility, and last updated status we're added.
List view
Majority of users prefer the list view so we added quick action buttons and revealed time windows for efficient browsing.
Results
400
new users daily
A significant increase in daily new users joining the Food Oasis community by 2024.
4,500
monthly active users
A strong base of users consistently engaging with the app's features and resources by 2024.
10%
faster resource discovery
Users are finding healthy food options and resources more efficiently.
Broader impact
The enhancements provided a scalable and intuitive foundation for growth, significantly increasing community reach and user engagement by connecting people to vital resources.
Expanded reach to Northern California
Increasing user base and resource access with plans for expansion in Hawaii and Oregon.
Recognition from government agencies
Gained recognition from the Nutrition Department at Department of Public Health for our user base.
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