nomz
MAKE EATING OUT STRESS FREE
Navigating the eternal dilemma of where to eat out is a game of culinary roulette, filled with indecisive "I don't care"s and "down for whatever"s, only leaving us hungrier and frustrated. To address this, I embarked on a 72-hour design sprint to create nomz, aiming to alleviate the stress of dining decisions.
ROLE
Founding Product
Designer
TIMELINE
72hr Project Challenge
SKILLS
UX Research
Visual Design
Branding
Wireframing
Prototyping
TOOLS
Figma
Adobe Illustrator
Google Forms
✦
WHY DID I BUILD IT?
If anyone knows anything about me, it's my unrelenting indecisiveness, especially when it comes to food. The instant I'm asked, "What do you want to eat?" my brain kicks into overdrive, grappling with the myriad choices available.

Through my interactions with others, I've noticed that this struggle isn't unique to me. As a product designer, I'm constantly on the lookout for everyday challenges like this, which can be addressed with innovative solutions.
✦
DEFINING THE PROBLEM
The struggle of choosing where to eat often results in conflicts due to indecisiveness and clashing opinions, leading to either abandoning the plan all together or settling for the same place repeatedly. And so we ask:
How might we streamline the dining decision process to reduce stress and increase satisfaction when choosing where to eat?
✦
TAKE A QUICK LOOK...
... but how did we get here?
01 ✦ RESEARCH & SOLUTION
Identifying the problem is not enough, the next step is to figure out the WHY
1.1 Lets Talk Data
After initially identifying the problem, I delved into further research to understand why this might be happening, aiming for a better grasp of the solution. Ultimately finding the problem derived from 3 main components: 
CHOICE OVERLOAD
DECISION FATIGUE
RISK PERCEPTION
1.2 The Solution !!
Remember the objective: How might we streamline the dining decision process to reduce stress and increase satisfaction when choosing where to eat?
With dining decisions often overwhelming, " nomz " steps in. By combining a personalized quiz and vetted recommendations, nomz simplifies the process, ensuring stress-free and authentic dining experiences in no time.
02 ✦ IDEATION
Here is where I braindump and see where it takes me...
2.1 Lets Start at the Drawing Board...
Instead of jumping straight into wireframes, I brainstormed features to implement, refining them to focus on 3 core aspects: simplifying the search for reliable food spots, expediting the decision-making process, and adding a touch of fun to the process.
BRAINSTORM SOLUTIONS → IDENTIFY FEATURES
2.2 Structuring the User Flow / User Journey
From there, I translated these features into a user flow to outline the functionality of the application. Once the user flow was complete, I developed a site map to provide a clear overview of the key functions.
2.3 Visualizing Concepts
I grabbed my essentials—my Apple Pencil and GoodNotes—and began sketching out the initial concept drafts.
03 ✦ ITERATIONS & TESTING
In this stage, I worked up from Low to High Fidelity , making changes in between based on data collected from user testing and feedback.
3.1 Low-Fidelity Wireframes
I started by building a solid outline and basic framework to serve as a foundation for future iterations. Then, I went back and added notes and features to aid in making adjustments when creating the Mid-Fidelity Wireframes.
KEY FOCUSES:
✦ STRAIGHT FORWARD UX
✦ SIMPLE LAYOUT
✦ "PLAYFUL" UI
3.2 Mid-Fidelity Wireframes
I used the low-fidelity wireframes as a template to visualize the general structure of the app, making edits along the way to come up with a draft of wireframes that I could use for user testing.
3.3 User Testing !!
Next comes my favorite part – user feedback and testing! Due to the time constraints of the 72-hour design sprint, I couldn't delve deeply into comprehensive user feedback and testing. However, I managed to conduct four 10-15 minute user testing sessions with my friends to gather feedback for later application to my final screens.
01 ✦ CLARIFY FUNCTIONALITY
02 ✦ MINIMIZE COGNITIVE OVERLOAD
03 ✦ SHOW NOT TELL
04 ✦ SOMETIMES LESS IS MORE
05 ✦ MEET nomz
YAY! You made it to the end. After making the final adjustments, the 72 hours came to an end and nomz was born:
5.1 Design System
I developed the design system, carefully choosing colors, visuals, and typography that would encapsulate the playful, fun, vibe I wanted nomz to present to users.
5.2 nomz Prototypes:
Finally presenting nomz!
Home & Quiz
Feed & Search
My Eats
Profile
5.3 High-Fidelity Wireframes
Finally presenting nomz pt2!
06 ✦ REFLECTION
Embarking on my very first solo design sprint, I underwent significant learning and growth, navigating through the entire design process from research to final product development
✦ Balancing Form and Function
Since it was my first solo design sprint, I was eager to explore complete creative freedom for the app. However, my initial enthusiasm led to over-development, cluttering the app with too many functions and losing sight of its purpose. Stepping back, I found the sweet balance in the design, focusing on core functions while preserving its engaging aesthetics and elements of gamification
✦ User-First Designs
I discovered that designs that seemed clear to me didn't always translate smoothly to the users. It was crucial to remember that users (unfortunately) cannot read my mind, so I had to ensure the designs were as straightforward as possible. Problem-solving became vital; I needed to adapt and implement user feedback effectively to make productive changes to the app
✦ Pushing Through Creative Block
At first, the looming 72-hour limit weighed heavily on me. I felt pressured to create within this tight timeframe, and stress mounted when ideas didn't flow. In those moments, I forced myself to explore different approaches to overcome the creative block. I learned that sometimes, taking action was more effective than endlessly scrolling through Behance, comparing myself to others' creative ideas.