top of page

Savest

Project Type & Timeline

  • A solo project completed over a few weeks in the summer of 2022

  • Tools: JustInMind, Marvel

Project Details

  • Prompted by CalArts’ UX Design Fundamentals course on Coursera

  • Prototyped an app for a new business

Business Creation

I first needed to come up with a business that would be in need of a mobile app for its clients, which brought me to my idea for Savest.

savest.png

Savest helps people find the cheapest option for the products they need to buy. Many people struggle with buying everyday essentials while trying to stick to a budget and choosing between different stores and brands.

 

This app makes shopping efficient and stress-free, by allowing users to search for the individual products they need and find the store that sells it for the cheapest in their area, taking into account prices, sales, and available discounts/coupons. Therefore, Savest provides users with the necessary information to make the best financial decisions on a day-to-day basis.

Research & Planning

With a business idea in mind, I now began to identify the product’s needs and the users' expectations.

Strategy

Necessary Functions of the App

  • Display specific items (when individually searched for) based on its price in specific stores (within the user’s area), with factors like ongoing discounts/sales/coupons taken into account

  • Allow users to input “grocery lists” and calculate totals in different stores to show the user their overall cheapest option

  • Display items and lists on a map that shows the location of the best stores in a user’s area

  • Provide recommendations for general products based on the user’s preferences (e.g. cost, health, taste, quantity, etc.) and other users’ reviews of products

Goals of the Designer and Potential Client

  • Reveal the availability of the cheapest products and stores in a user’s area (with respect to health, quality, etc.)

  • Connect people who may be in similar situations and allow them to also help one another

  • Provide a useful app that makes money (through ad revenue)

Brief User Ideation

Initial User Target Group - People who want to save time and money shopping while still purchasing the best goods available

  • Full-time college student interested in spending less and finding the cheapest options near them

  • Working parent who needs grocery shopping to take up as little time as possible

  • Low-income worker who needs to save time and money

  • Nutrition/Fitness coach who can create detailed plans for themselves and their clients based on personal affordability, location, and health needs

Alex Smith, 21. From New York, NY. Majoring in environmental science. Lives with 5 roommates in an apartment. Likes cooking and exercising. Works a part-time job to pay for college/loans.

Inspiration from Similar Apps

Basket: an app that allows users to compare prices at nearby stores

Honey: an app that automatically applies available coupons and cash backs to the user’s purchases

AnyList: an app that allows users to create and share grocery lists, organize them with recipes, and plan meals using a calendar

While many apps provide similar services to the ones that would be provided by Savest, there were none that I could find that also included a user reviews and forum function, where users can consider both price and quality when selecting products and discuss their choices with their community. Thereby, Savest can fill a gap in the market while still taking inspiration from pre-existing, well-designed apps like the ones above.

Sitemap
Sitemap.jpeg

As the last step in my planning process, I created a brief sitemap on Lucidchart to lay out the most common paths a user would take and what potential functions may be available on each screen.

Wireframes

After the initial planning and research stage, I designed some basic wireframes in JustInMind to support these requirements

1.png
4.png
2.png
5.png
3.png

See the rest on my slide deck linked at the bottom of this page!

After creating enough wireframes to support a functional clickable prototype, I collected the images and used Marvel to set up a working prototype of the app. Please use the link below to access this project.

Final Thoughts

What I Liked

I loved the process of creating a working clickable prototype, that would allow designers and testers to experience the setup of the app before it is actually developed. Crafting a user’s journey became incredibly important and fascinating within the UI/UX process.

What Could Have Been Better

I think I could have done a better job making the wireframes look cleaner and simpler, as well as utilize more refined elements.

If I Had More Time

I would create wireframes for and prototype the app in its entirety. I would also spend more time conducting user research, having participants go through the clickable prototype and bring up any pain points they may experience.

Thank you for reading!
bottom of page