Overview
Dessert Hunters is website designed for dessert lovers based in the City of Calgary. It offers an interactive map where users can locate eight different dessert houses within Calgary’s Downtown and see detailed information about them. Moreover, when creating an account, the user has access to additional features such as giving store reviews, sharing pictures, and answering question to earn rewards.
The Goal
The Downtown is the core of the city and is well known for having plenty of restaurants and dinner options. Similarly, The 2021 Citizen Perspectives Survey conducted by the City of Calgary points out that dine in restaurants is the most likely to engage activity in Downtown, and most people visit it for entertainment. On the other side, people don’t drive Downtown because parking is too expensive.
The User
| Gender: | Female |
|---|---|
| Age: | 18 -30 years old |
| Income: | $50,000 - $70,000 |
| Job: | Digital Marketing Specialist |
| Education: | Bachelor’s degree |
| What they value: | Creating remarkable moments with their loved ones, cute visuals, and sharing experiences. |
| Behaviours: | Social Media user, not worried about calorie intake, hangs out with friends and family. |
The design
Inspiration
Drawing inspiration from candy styles and interactive video games like Pokem Go, my team and I aimed to evoke a sense of playfullness and excitement.
Design Decisions
A sweetish color palette and playful typography were chosen to reflect the indulgent nature of desserts. Interactive pins with images and descriptions provide a glimpse of each venue's offerings.
Solutions
Employing a responsive design, I ensured optimal viewing on various devices. User feedback led to refining the map's zoom and pan functionality, enhancing the overall navigation experience..
The Product
The final map design perfectly balances aesthetics and functionality, creating an exciting user journey through Calgary's dessert scene. However, initial load times were a challenge, addressed by optimizing image and video sizes and without compromising quality. This project reinforced the importance of performance optimization and the delicate balance between visual appeal and speed.
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