YOUshi
The story of YOUSHI began with a simple idea: to make sushi more accessible and customizable for everyone. Sushi has long been cherished for its artistry and exquisite flavors, but traditional dining experiences can be restrictive for those seeking more personalized options. We envisioned a platform where anyone could craft their own sushi, just the way they like it.
CONTEXT - FROM IDEA TO APP, FROM SUSHI TO YOUSHI
The story of YOUshi began with a simple idea: to make sushi more accessible and customizable for everyone. Sushi has long been cherished for its artistry and exquisite flavors, but traditional dining experiences can be restrictive for those seeking more personalized options. We envisioned a platform where anyone could craft their own sushi, just the way they like it.
RESEARCH - WHAT CENTURIES OF JAPANESE CUISINE TAUGHT THE DESIGN PROCESS
When tasked with designing an app for a Japanese restaurant, my mind flooded with ideas and questions.
•How could we encapsulate the essence of sushi as a culinary marvel that effortlessly intertwines simplicity with complexity?
•How might we preserve the intricate flavors and centuries old artistry of this cuisine, while seamlessly translating it into the digital realm for online ordering?
These were the challenges that ignited the journey - to craft an experience that honored tradition yet embraced innovation, where ordering sushi became as seamless as savoring it’s delicate flavors.
Before diving into the design process, our initial step was to immerse ourselves in the competitive landscape. Understanding what gives each product its market fit and which demographic they are aiming towards led to a more rounded perspective of where the current space is at.
Competitor Audit deep dive
Competitor product key takeaways
The competitive audit and research led us to the following key observations:
1. Most japanese restaurants resort to mainly desktop ordering or third party ordering.
2. The possibilities of sushi dishes are about as endless as they are unique.
3.There seemed to be a disconnect from the ordering process that would take you to see a pdf menu, making it less interactive.
These observations led the way for the design process. It opened up an opportunity to hone in on the sushi ordering process and make our target audience the everyday user who wants a faster and customizable sushi experience.
We explored persona development and journey mapping to really get in the shoes of our potential everyday user.
Creating personas helped envision our demographic
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