Better Bag
Mobile app that assists with the purchase of daily essentials for post-secondary students who live away from home
Geared toward post-secondary students who are new to living away from home, Better Bag is a gamified mobile app that improves the routine of stocking up on daily essentials. It aims to alleviate the struggles of cost, busyness, and navigation in a new area through features to browse, plan, and track the purchase of daily essentials. Our team developed this app through insights from primary and secondary research.
Type
Product Design, Branding
Industry
Productivity Software
Year
2024
Team
Adrienne Luong, Melanie Chang, Shanthuru Kalaiselvan
My Role
Product Design, Design Research
Our Guiding Question
How can we design a platform that motivates post-secondary students during their routine of purchasing daily essentials?
Research Overview
User Interviews
Originating from the theme of students’ experiences with food and drink establishments at York University, we conducted ten one-on-one interviews to identify recurring insights for target users regarding the theme.
Routine Building
Users want reminders to complete personal tasks to build a routine.
Affordability
Users want to stick to their budget through the purchase of affordable products.
Lack of Awareness of Discounts and Deals
Users want to increase their awareness of discounts and deals.
Community
Users desire to connect with peers in their new environment, away from home.
User Personas
Karina
Age: 21
Year of Study: 4th
Residence: Apartment
Lives by herself in a new apartment near campus this year, responsible for cooking her own meals.
Pain Points
Finding affordable stores for groceries nearby
Organizing shopping lists and planning shopping trips
Staying updated with promotional deals or discounts
Lacks familiarity with local area
Goals
Purchase affordable products from nearby stores
Plan shopping trips in advance
Stay updated with promotional deals or discounts
Stay on top of buying living essentials despite busy schedule
Behaviours
Cooks in apartment
Searches multiple websites and apps for budget-friendly deals
Avoids faraway stores
Attempts to keep mental checklists
Motivations
Desire to acclimate herself to living in her new neighbourhood
Desire to stay within budget
Desire to feel structure and organization in her daily life
Lucas
Age: 18
Year of Study: 1st
Residence: Dorm
Lives in a dorm on campus, lacking familiarity with nearby stores and campus life.
Pain Points
Difficulty finding affordable and convenient places to shop for essentials near campus
Difficulty motivating himself to stock up on living essentials
Feels frustrated when his questions about York life go unanswered
Goals
Connect with other York students
Feel a sense of community through online interactions
Make affordable, high-quality purchases
Have a platform to express opinions on products he tries
Stay on top of buying living essentials despite busy schedule
Behaviours
Attends classes 4 days a week
Browses deals and flyers online before embarking on shopping trips
Typically buys from a small selection of stores due to familiarity
Motivations
Wanting to feel part of the York community by experiencing what the campus has to offer
Needing to stay within budget
Solution
Introducing Better Bag, an app where users can efficiently browse, plan, and track the purchase of daily essentials while enjoying a gamified experience and earning real-world rewards. Users experience connection through tailored, location-based forum spaces.
Onboarding
Set up an account and opt into real-world rewards.
Shopping List
Explore products and add them to the Shopping List. Build a routine and stay organized by planning shopping trips in advance.
Community
Connect with other users through location-based forum spaces.
Rewards
Earn and redeem in-app currency for coupons to nearby stores. Claim badges and accessories for a fun, personalized experience.
Profile
Create a custom avatar and access settings.
An Energizing Brand Identity
Baggie the Mascot
Iconography
Typography
BD Supper Regular
The quest for goods
Mona Sans
Efficiently browse, plan, and track the purchase of daily essentials
Colour Palette
#565197
86, 81, 151
#cecaea
206, 202, 234
#eae9f7
234, 233, 247
#f8f8ff
248, 248, 255
#c18e1b
193, 142, 27
#e5b233
229, 178, 51
#f7d694
247, 214, 148
#1e1c17
30, 28, 23
#6b6b6b
107, 107, 107
#888888
136, 136, 136
#bbbbbb
187, 187, 187
#e3e3e3
227, 227, 227
#fafafa
250, 250, 250
Takeaways
By beginning the project with our own user research, I realized just how crucial it is to understand target users’ real experiences and challenges. Through the interviews we conducted, we were able to identify recurring themes and conceptualize an app that addresses real-world challenges.