logo prototype
Iteration 1 - Mimicking the instagram like user interface, with too many options
Iteration 4 account page
iteration 4 UI
Iteration 2
Iteration 3 home page showing bland-ish colors and page prototypes
iteration 4 post process

Shared Bites

Queen’s UX Hackathon - Project Documentation By: Ivan Bardziyan and Abdullokh Tulkinov

1. Project Overview

The purpose of this project is to give a platform to users where they are able to take a picture of the moment of the shared meal with family, friends, coworkers or even just for themselves.

The audiences can be broad from each family member to highschoolers taking pictures of their meals. But the target is the newer generation and those who love to capture every moment and upload it on social media platforms.

The main difference between this application and platforms like Instagram lies in context and intent. Instagram has evolved into a highly curated, performance-driven platform where users feel pressure to share only major life events, aesthetically perfect images, or content that maximizes engagement. Sharing a casual, everyday meal with a friend often feels contextually inappropriate or too 'small' for a public, follower-driven feed. Our app offers a low-pressure, private space dedicated only to these small, shared memories, freeing them from the need for external validation.

For example, think of the meals you share with coworkers or friends, events that are not major milestones but are special enough to warrant a picture, which is then only shared in a private group chat or direct message. This image, and the memory, is immediately buried beneath the day's messages and quickly forgotten. Our application steps in to fill this exact gap, giving these valuable, casual memories a dedicated, organized, and easily retrievable home.

Another key goal of this application is to give users and their Circles the ability to build a 'Food Passport Map.' This feature provides a nice visual and interactive record of every unique location they have shared a meal at. It functions as a shared dining history, allowing the group to easily see where they've been, track their favorite spots, and discover new places within their collective log.

2. Research Insights

The color palette we chose is eggshell with a deep burgundy accent, this was purposeful as shades of red and yellow are heavily used by fast food companies, and many restaurants interior designs. Reasons are that they trigger specific psychological responses even linking to appetite stimulation. (Design)

We also chose to purposefully keep it simple and distractionless in order to keep the users in the moment, and not attempt to keep them within the app for any longer than needed.

Avatar surrounds, with color relations in their border, in which the borders show correlation to the circle they/you are both in.

3. Iterations

Iteration 1

For iteration #1 we developed an application which primarily was an alternative to instagram with a built-in “food passport” map and feed. After receiving feedback from peers we decided to narrow the project down to have very simplistic features and making sure to allow the users enjoy the moment instead of trying to keep the user within the app for as long as possible with an overwhelming amount of things to do. This iteration was too grand in terms of the apps features and use-case, which would work negatively against the idea of keeping the users in their current moment rather than on the app.

Iteration 2

Iteration #2, the changes are made in order to heavily simplify the user experience when it comes to using the application. No longer is it a social media platform copying others like Instagram, but more so of a food log with a food log map being key. The main screen will only have the pictures that include YOU and YOUR friends, nothing that would be there just for extra attention grabbing acting as a daily log and not a content platform. A key new feature added is the separating and classification by color and outline of separate groups you might have like friends, family, coworkers, etc.

Iteration 3

Third iteration polished out key features of where the buttons for creating new posts would be and the “passport map” for food places. Instead of previously having the main functionality at the top we have moved it down as it is more accessible for users and muscle memory coming from other platforms like tiktok, instagram etc. As well a simplistic design creation for the posting feature of the food through the camera section. The key buttons were moved into the corners for easier accessibility with the thumbs.

Iteration 4

The final iteration (#4) focused mainly on polishing the UI/UX, and assembling the color scheme across the app.

4. Final Outcome

The final product was a polished off version as shown in iteration #4, which included using Nunito, as a more friendly, cozy, but still professional font. The button colors and accents were also shifted to use that of the overall color scheme. The simple user interface is clearly showcased in the prototype, with the very small number of accessible and clear buttons, and the overall user-friendly design. Moreover, the account pages, and extra sections in the photo posting areas were added, to showcase how users can enable and post the establishment location, along with choosing what people they want to attach in their post. The overall outcome is a simple to use, clear and concise app, which aims to maintain the users attention and focus on the real-life current moments, as opposed to keeping them within the digital world.

The result is an app that helps people stay present in real life while preserving moments for later.