Some of the challenges that I saw with the existing app is the general ambiguity and lack of transparency of the food offerings. Certain locations have used the app to promote the restaurant by offering discounted goods to increase in-store traffic instead of fighting food waste by selling surplus of unsold food. Items tend to have "Selling Fast" as a default callout, and promotes a false sense of urgency that's deceptive to the user. Food items are also unclear on dietary or allergic restrictions that could be a determining factor for the user.
I addressed some of these issues by putting myself as the user and wanted to experience the app that promoted clarity. Some of these solutions include offering specific food items that take the guessing out of the user's hands, while also offering the "Surprise Bag" as an alternative offering. The "Selling Fast" callout was unnecessary and deceptive, so for the user to make informed decisions, I chose to remove it. It's also important to make it clear to the user if there are any dietary or allergic restrictions with the food offering, so I included that option for the awareness of the user. With the help of AI (specifically Gemini and ChatGPT), I was able to generate user personas, and the problems they might have using the app. I was able to generate a mock usability study that helped inform my design decisions, and eliminate the unnecessary elements of the app.
Too Good To Go users need a reliable way to purchase discounted surplus food without experiencing buyer’s remorse or disappointment from undesirable, inedible, or unsuited ‘Surprise Bag’ contents, because the current low-transparency model undermines user trust and long-term retention despite the app’s powerful environmental mission.
To redesign the Too Good To Go application experience to increase user trust and minimize disappointment by introducing features that provide predictable value assurance and essential content visibility, while keeping the “Surprise Bag” as an additional option for the adventurous user.
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