Food Lovers Social Media
● Posts were hard to read: dense cards and unclear text hierarchy hurt scan ability.
● Contacting a seller for a specific recipe was confusing: the path from recipe to message wasn’t clear and conversations lost context.
● Uploading content crammed too much info into one small space: single‑screen layout, tiny inputs, and no progress made completion difficult.
● Recipe unit sharing had design limitations: portions/measurement units weren’t handled cleanly when sharing.
● Card readability: simplified visual hierarchy (image first, compact metadata row, clearer primary/secondary actions
● Contact from Fooders Market: added an obvious “Contact Seller” entry with the Description attached.
● Guided upload: step‑based composer (Photo to Details to Tags/Units to Preview to Publish) with progress, validation, and Save Draft; larger inputs and better spacing.
● Recipe units & sharing: standardized unit fields, hint text, and share preview formatting.
Post‑launch, after promoting the revamped app, retention increased by 32% compared to previous metrics. Internal evaluation also indicated shorter time to post and fewer abandoned uploads, and message threads showed fewer “what is this about?” replies thanks to the attached recipe context.
FeedU — mobile social app for food lovers
UI/UX Designer (me), Product Founder
8 weeks
Refreshed Newsfeed, Messaging with context, Guided Upload flow, Recipe posting
Research synthesis, user flows, wireframes, high‑fidelity UI, interactive prototype, developer handoff
Adobe XD (UI & prototyping), Adobe Illustrator (icons/brand)
FeedU’s early beta had strong community energy, but growth was slowed by two issues: creating a post (photo or recipe) required many small steps and unclear choices, and the newsfeed and messaging felt busy, making it hard to focus on what mattered. I set out to simplify the experience without losing the personality and delight of a food‑first network.
● Shorten time‑to‑post: streamline the upload/recipe flow with inline guidance and clearer progress.
● Clarify hierarchy: make content cards scannable; separate primary vs. secondary actions.
● Improve relevance: introduce filters/sorting patterns and subtle affordances that surface “what’s new/near/related.”
● Tighten system: unify layout, type scale, iconography, and motion for a consistent, accessible UI.
I reviewed comparable social/recipe apps, mapped existing screens, and sketched alternatives. Early paper sketches focused on:
● A card system that emphasizes imagery with clear metadata rows.
● A guided composer for uploads with step‑by‑step structure (photo to details to tags to publish).
● A message thread layout that preserves context from the original post.
These sketches informed low‑fi wires for the core journey: land to browse to create to discuss.
To match the actual design, the card surfaces metadata first—author, time (and location when available)—followed by the image. Secondary actions are grouped and visually de‑emphasized to reduce noise, and we added light affordances like “See recipe” and “Open thread,” plus lightweight filters for quick pivots.
Threads now preview the post at the top so users always know what a conversation references. Improvements to type scale, spacing, and timestamps make messages easier to scan, while quick‑reply patterns and attachments reduce friction.
A stepper with a progress indicator and back/next controls builds confidence throughout the flow. Inline tips (for photo quality and ingredient formatting) and real‑time validation keep users on track, and a clear Save draft or Publish decision at the end is supported by a summary preview.
Structured fields—title, ingredient checklist, steps, time, and tags—speed up entry, with re‑orderable steps and autosave to prevent loss. A live preview shows exactly how the recipe card will appear in the feed.
● Feed: from dense, multi‑action tiles to to focused cards with clean meta rows and fewer competing actions.
● Profile: simplified stats and tabs; content grid with consistent cropping.
● Composer: from one crowded screen to to a calm, step‑based flow with progress.
To support low‑light use and improve perceived contrast for media, I designed a dedicated dark UI variant for the mobile app. The palette uses deep gray backgrounds to avoid pure black banding, with elevated surfaces for cards and a slightly lighter layer for input fields. Accent colors remain consistent across themes for state recognition, while text tokens shift to high‑contrast neutrals to meet AA guidelines. The result preserves image vibrancy, reduces glare at night, and keeps affordances obvious.
Post‑launch, after promoting the revamped app, retention increased by 32% compared to previous metrics. In internal evaluation, users completed posts faster with fewer abandoned uploads, and message threads generated fewer clarifying replies because the original recipe context appears at the top of each conversation. These outcomes suggest the hierarchy and guided flows reduced friction in core tasks while improving comprehension.
● Measure what matters: Track time to post, draft abandonment, feed CTR, and D7 retention; alert on regressions.
● Run quick experiments: A/B card density, default filters, and CTA copy; ship winners fast.
● Help first‑time creators: Tips, templates, autosave recovery, and a simple Create empty‑state.
● Tighten accessibility: Screen‑reader pass, clear focus order, AA contrast in light and dark.
● Stability & speed: Keep LCP under ~2.5s with responsive images and skeletons; monitor crashes.
● Near‑term roadmap: Saved filters, recipe unit converter, share‑as‑card, basic creator insights.
Feel free to reach out for projects, collaborations, or just to say hello! Currently seeking new opportunities.