UX Project – Persona & User Journey (Food Delivery App)

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UX Project Guide: Persona & User Journey for a Food Delivery App

Project Theme: Intro to UX & Design Thinking – Human-Centered Design

🎯 Philosophy: Why This Project Matters

At the heart of UX is Human-Centered Design (HCD). We’re not building apps for ourselves—we’re solving real problems for real people. By creating a persona and a user journey map, we visualize the user’s experience and uncover opportunities to improve it.

🔍 Phase 1: Research & Empathy

Step 1: Define Research Goals

  • What goals do users have when ordering food?
  • What frustrates them with current apps?
  • What factors influence their decision (e.g., price, diet, speed)?
  • When and where do they use these apps?

Step 2: Collect User Insights

  • Secondary Research – Review articles, app store reviews, and market data.
  • Surveys – Use Google Forms or Typeform.
  • Interviews – Talk to 3–5 users. Ask open-ended questions like:
    “Tell me about your last food delivery experience.”

Step 3: Create an Empathy Map

  • Says: “I look for coupons first.”
  • Thinks: “Is this service fee worth it?”
  • Does: Compares prices across apps.
  • Feels: Frustrated with delays, happy with hot meals.

👤 Phase 2: Build a Persona

Create a one-page fictional user based on your findings.

Persona Example: Busy Ben

  • Age: 28
  • Occupation: Marketing Manager
  • Quote: “I need food delivered fast and hot. I don’t have time to wait.”
  • Bio: Ben works long hours and often orders food on weeknights. He values speed, accuracy, and clear pricing.
  • Goals: Find meals quickly, get hot food, avoid confusion.
  • Pain Points: Hidden fees, cold deliveries, poor driver comms.
  • Tech Comfort: High (uses multiple apps daily).

🗺️ Phase 3: Map the User Journey

Visualize each step the user takes, their emotions, and where the experience can be improved.

Scenario

“Ben wants to order a burger on a weeknight after work while watching TV.”

Stage Action Thought Feeling Opportunity
Discover Opens app “What’s fast and good?” 😊 Hopeful Highlight “Quick Delivery” options
Search Filters by burgers “Not waiting 45 mins.” 😐 Impatient Add “<30 min” filter
Checkout Applies promo “Ugh, another fee?” 😠 Frustrated Display fees upfront
Wait Watches ETA “Driver’s off route?” 😟 Anxious Allow driver messaging
Receive Takes delivery “Smells great!” 😊 Relieved Driver reminder to use thermal bags

📦 Final Project Deliverables

  • Research Summary: One paragraph overview
  • Empathy Map: Based on interview or survey insights
  • Persona: Designed single-page profile (e.g., “Busy Ben”)
  • User Journey Map: Clear chart showing actions, thoughts, and improvements

🛠️ Recommended Tools

  • Figma / FigJam – Diagrams & personas
  • Miro / Mural – Empathy mapping
  • Google Slides / Sheets – Simpler layouts
  • Adobe Illustrator – High-fidelity visuals

By following this process, you’ll build an impressive user-centered design project—showing empathy, structure, and UX thinking from start to finish.