What is Yummi™?
Yummi™ Native Mobile Application is my passion project that came to life by crossing several of my interests, most notably my love for graphic design, booming mobile industry as well as something we all know and love: good food and alcohol.
Today, craft alcohol industry is as big as ever. Although so-called Beer Revolution dates back to the 70s in the US, it was not until last decade when the DYI breweries evolved into a vast industry domain. The public awareness is anything like 20 years ago and today hardly anybody is surprised by a beer bottle priced as high as a bottle of wine or some distillate. Keeping in mind that my native country is considered amongst highest-quality craft beer producers in the world, I’m proud I was able to come up with the idea of filling the gap that’s described below.
What is Yummi™?
Yummi™ Native Mobile Application is my passion project that came to life by crossing several of my interests, most notably my love for graphic design, booming mobile industry as well as something we all know and love: good food and alcohol.
Today, craft alcohol industry is as big as ever. Although so-called Beer Revolution dates back to the 70s in the US, it was not until last decade when the DYI breweries evolved into a vast industry domain. The public awareness is anything like 20 years ago and today hardly anybody is surprised by a beer bottle priced as high as a bottle of wine or some distillate. Keeping in mind that my native country is considered amongst highest-quality craft beer producers in the world, I’m proud I was able to come up with the idea of filling the gap that’s described below.
Competition
Application stores are full of products ready to pair your favourite meal with any possible wine in the world. Frankly speaking, it’s easy to lost the count while surfing through GooglePlay and AppStore. Let’s mention Grape Base, Vinnie and DeliPair as the best examples. However, there’s been only one application that matches food and beer, called simply „Beer and Food Pairing”. Despite its maximum simplicity, the app doesn’t offer anything apart from the most basic functions you can think of: matching beer to food and vice versa. While the waste of potential was stunning, that gave me even more of an impulse to create much greater and improved version, that would eventually evolve into Yummi™.
Competition
Application stores are full of products ready to pair your favourite meal with any possible wine in the world. Frankly speaking, it’s easy to lost the count while surfing through GooglePlay and AppStore. Let’s mention Grape Base, Vinnie and DeliPair as the best examples. However, there’s been only one application that matches food and beer, called simply „Beer and Food Pairing”. Despite its maximum simplicity, the app doesn’t offer anything apart from the most basic functions you can think of: matching beer to food and vice versa. While the waste of potential was stunning, that gave me even more of an impulse to create much greater and improved version, that would eventually evolve into Yummi™.
„Food and Beer Pairing” App – Cons:
– nothing beyond two of the options mentioned in Pros
– very basic info about beer
– rough and cheap looking interface
– wasted potential
– no settings and accessibility
– no accounts allowed
– inaccurate pairing choices
„Food and Beer Pairing” App – Pros:
– extreme simplicity
– nice, friendly drawings
– both-sides mirrored pairing (beer-2-food and food-2-beer)
„Food and Beer Pairing” App – Cons:
– nothing beyond two of the options mentioned in Pros
– very basic info about beer
– rough and cheap looking interface
– wasted potential
– no settings and accessibility
– no accounts allowed
– inaccurate pairing choices
„Food and Beer Pairing” App – Pros:
– extreme simplicity
– nice, friendly drawings
– both-sides mirrored pairing (beer-2-food and food-2-beer)
Interviews
One of the highlights of my UX research was a BeerWeek Con I attended in May 2022. Interviewees were asked about beer-food pairing and how important it is to them; have they ever tried to look for this kind of information for themselves or what were the situations and places they did ask themselves „does it really match?”.
Interviews
One of the highlights of my UX research was a BeerWeek Con I attended in May 2022. Interviewees were asked about beer-food pairing and how important it is to them; have they ever tried to look for this kind of information for themselves or what were the situations and places they did ask themselves „does it really match?”.
Feedback
The feedback I got was interesting. Most people confirmed their interest in beer/food pairing at some point, though majority of them mentioned restaurants as the main opportunity to utilize their knowledge (and potentially use the app). People would like to know if they’ve been served properly by the staff and if their beer was matched well with the meal. The second overwhelming answer indicated guest parties, where interviewees (as hosts) want to impress their friends and family by serving a nicely-matching food’n’beer pair. Keeping that in mind, I added one more significant option to my early mockup. Besides simple „beer2food match” (and vice versa), now you can also check how the food and beer you already have in your fridge fits together.
Though my persona and main target group consists of Beergeeks and Nerds, it is important not to forget about people who may not be that much into craft beer world and some of the Yummi™’s pairing choices could be questionable, to say the least. Therefore, I decided to add some extra information about beer species itselves as well as simple justification and rules of each matching choice. Registered users are allowed also to add some of the pairs to their favourite list.
Feedback
The feedback I got was interesting. Most people confirmed their interest in beer/food pairing at some point, though majority of them mentioned restaurants as the main opportunity to utilize their knowledge (and potentially use the app). People would like to know if they’ve been served properly by the staff and if their beer was matched well with the meal. The second overwhelming answer indicated guest parties, where interviewees (as hosts) want to impress their friends and family by serving a nicely-matching food’n’beer pair. Keeping that in mind, I added one more significant option to my early mockup. Besides simple „beer2food match” (and vice versa), now you can also check how the food and beer you already have in your fridge fits together.
Though my persona and main target group consists of Beergeeks and Nerds, it is important not to forget about people who may not be that much into craft beer world and some of the Yummi™’s pairing choices could be questionable, to say the least. Therefore, I decided to add some extra information about beer species itselves as well as simple justification and rules of each matching choice. Registered users are allowed also to add some of the pairs to their favourite list.
Persona: Tomasz
Age: early 30s
Social status: payed above average
Profession: Software developer
Bio: Tomasz lives in a highly populated city (above 100k ppl). He often eats outdoors, visiting bars, restaurants and foodtrucks, as he doesn’t have much time to cook on his own. He is vividly interested in high-end food and beverages, in particular craft beer. Thanks to his big salary he can afford buying expensive alcohol and shine above his friends, sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm all around.
Features: high-end oriented, a bit snobbish yet honestly interested in craft beer industry
Goals: wants to expand his knowledge about craft alcohols – he wants to follow the trends. He loves to experience the dining degustations on his own as well as impress his colleagues with an outstanding knowledge.
Frustrations: too many food/beer pairing sources instead of one, quickly accessible and acclaimed source; mutually exclusive information; too narrow food & craft beer index.
Persona: Tomasz
Age: early 30s
Social status: payed above average
Profession: Software developer
Bio: Tomasz lives in a highly populated city (above 100k ppl). He often eats outdoors, visiting bars, restaurants and foodtrucks, as he doesn’t have much time to cook on his own. He is vividly interested in high-end food and beverages, in particular craft beer. Thanks to his big salary he can afford buying expensive alcohol and shine above his friends, sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm all around.
Features: high-end oriented, a bit snobbish yet honestly interested in craft beer industry
Goals: wants to expand his knowledge about craft alcohols – he wants to follow the trends. He loves to experience the dining degustations on his own as well as impress his colleagues with an outstanding knowledge.
Frustrations: too many food/beer pairing sources instead of one, quickly accessible and acclaimed source; mutually exclusive information; too narrow food & craft beer index.
Live tests
To check and improve on Yummi™ as much as possible, I conducted 7 independent testing sessions with people I know, who were told to follow given orders.
The app was tested on a late wireframe using a mobile phone, thanks to Adobe XD prototyping option. Look at the below bulletpoints and test Yummi™ by yourself!
Live tests
To check and improve on Yummi™ as much as possible, I conducted 7 independent testing sessions with people I know, who were told to follow given orders.
The app was tested on a late wireframe using a mobile phone, thanks to Adobe XD prototyping option. Look at the below bulletpoints and test Yummi™ by yourself!
Main functionalities: beer/food matching
1. You’re at the Italian restaurant, where you’ve just ordered a pizza. You wanna have a good time and order the beer which matched the best. Go!
2. Your friend bought you a crate of Guinness beer, which is Stout. You’d like to know what kind of meal matches the best, as your supply is far from short.
Main functionalities: match quality evaluation
3. To celebrate the first day of summer, you decided to make a Barbecue garden party. You’re guests brought lots of beer, all of them are Pilsners. Let’s check if that kind of food and beer matches together!
4. If the couple fits well, would be good to add it to favourites. If not, try to look for a better beer that matches Barbecue.
5. You have a date in a restaurant and the waiter brought you sushi and Stout beer. Let’s check if he’s not mistaken by serving you that way.
6. Once again, if the couple fits well, would be good to add it to favourites. If not, try to look for a better beer that matches Sushi.
Main functionalities: database
7. You want to know something more about beer types and you are particularly interested in Pilsner beer – try to find info about the alcohol voltage as well as best recommendations that you can buy at the store.
Account & Accesibility
8. Go to your profile and sign-in using Yummi’s account. If you are already signed in, log out and log in again.
9. Check out your notifications and then favourites. The couple of Pizza & Pilsner beer gets boring for you – remove it from favourites.
10. It’s quite late in the night and you woud’l like to switch Yummi to dark mode. Don’t worry if doesn’t actually go dark – we are working on it!
Main functionalities: beer/food matching
1. You’re at the Italian restaurant, where you’ve just ordered a pizza. You wanna have a good time and order the beer which matched the best. Go!
2. Your friend bought you a crate of Guinness beer, which is Stout. You’d like to know what kind of meal matches the best, as your supply is far from short.
Main functionalities: match quality evaluation
3. To celebrate the first day of summer, you decided to make a Barbecue garden party. You’re guests brought lots of beer, all of them are Pilsners. Let’s check if that kind of food and beer matches together!
4. If the couple fits well, would be good to add it to favourites. If not, try to look for a better beer that matches Barbecue.
5. You have a date in a restaurant and the waiter brought you sushi and Stout beer. Let’s check if he’s not mistaken by serving you that way.
6. Once again, if the couple fits well, would be good to add it to favourites. If not, try to look for a better beer that matches Sushi.
Main functionalities: database
7. You want to know something more about beer types and you are particularly interested in Pilsner beer – try to find info about the alcohol voltage as well as best recommendations that you can buy at the store.
Account & Accesibility
8. Go to your profile and sign-in using Yummi’s account. If you are already signed in, log out and log in again.
9. Check out your notifications and then favourites. The couple of Pizza & Pilsner beer gets boring for you – remove it from favourites.
10. It’s quite late in the night and you woud’l like to switch Yummi to dark mode. Don’t worry if doesn’t actually go dark – we are working on it!
Some of the changes made after tests:
– Changing the main screen interface (where pairing options are available) by providing short comments description
– Changing the order of main pairing options („Beer to food” above „Food to beer”)
– Adding „BeerPedia” and „FoodPedia” options so beer and food infocards could be more accessible
– Adding „Yummi™’s proposal” option (both „Beer to food” and „Food to beer”) for Bad pairing examples
– Smooth change of color palette
– Adding the possibility of requesting a new food/beer feature
– Expanded accessibility screen
– Adding option of Google/Facebook login
– Re-designing and expanding filter boxes – adding food allergens and meal-type filters
– Using chevrons to make Yummi™’s beer proposals more clickable (leading up to beer and food infocards)
Some of the changes made after tests:
– Changing the main screen interface (where pairing options are available) by providing short comments description
– Changing the order of main pairing options („Beer to food” above „Food to beer”)
– Adding „BeerPedia” and „FoodPedia” options so beer and food infocards could be more accessible
– Adding „Yummi™’s proposal” option (both „Beer to food” and „Food to beer”) for Bad pairing examples
– Smooth change of color palette
– Adding the possibility of requesting a new food/beer feature
– Expanded accessibility screen
– Adding option of Google/Facebook login
– Re-designing and expanding filter boxes – adding food allergens and meal-type filters
– Using chevrons to make Yummi™’s beer proposals more clickable (leading up to beer and food infocards)
Name & Logo
For a long time through it’s designing process, the App was supposed to be called „LoveCraft”. However, that name focused too much on a Craft-beer side of thing, despite it’s goal to achieve the greatest balance between both beer and food. Also, „LoveCraft” may trigger some associations with XX horror fiction author, which was not intended at any point. At the end of the day, Yummi™ (a pun from „Yummy”) seemed like a perfect, catchy and modern name, that would fit perfectly to app’s theme, while still being universal and appetizing.
Similar to application’s name changes, Yummi™’s logo went through a real development struggle. Most of ideas circled around beer-cap and heart, but finally I decided to sketch over a dozen different black-and-white logos, and let You vote. There we are, at simple, minimalistic and truely yummy logo that mashes up a burger and a beer bottle. Bottle is placed horizontally instead of meat steak, and is exactly the same width as the sandwich.
Name & Logo
For a long time through it’s designing process, the App was supposed to be called „LoveCraft”. However, that name focused too much on a Craft-beer side of thing, despite it’s goal to achieve the greatest balance between both beer and food. Also, „LoveCraft” may trigger some associations with XX horror fiction author, which was not intended at any point. At the end of the day, Yummi™ (a pun from „Yummy”) seemed like a perfect, catchy and modern name, that would fit perfectly to app’s theme, while still being universal and appetizing.
Similar to application’s name changes, Yummi™’s logo went through a real development struggle. Most of ideas circled around beer-cap and heart, but finally I decided to sketch over a dozen different black-and-white logos, and let You vote. There we are, at simple, minimalistic and truely yummy logo that mashes up a burger and a beer bottle. Bottle is placed horizontally instead of meat steak, and is exactly the same width as the sandwich.
Color pallete
Ever since Yummi™’s idea was born, I’ve been desperate to establish some beer-hue reference while looking for Yummi™’s branding colors. Despite interviewees’ reception, I was confident about golden-yellow color that is always associated with beer. Two of the other branding colors include juicy pink called „Food porn” and muted, darker shade of green called „Bottle green”. The mix of those 3 colors reminds of fresh food and cold beer, and is supposed to wet your mouth much like a good restaurant’s commercial.
Color pallete
Ever since Yummi™’s idea was born, I’ve been desperate to establish some beer-hue reference while looking for Yummi™’s branding colors. Despite interviewees’ reception, I was confident about golden-yellow color that is always associated with beer. Two of the other branding colors include juicy pink called „Food porn” and muted, darker shade of green called „Bottle green”. The mix of those 3 colors reminds of fresh food and cold beer, and is supposed to wet your mouth much like a good restaurant’s commercial.
Font
It was a real treat to pick a perfect font for application like Yummi™ – on one side – bright colors, hand-drawn illustrations and wacky subject, on the other – I really wanted to elevate the idea of beer-food pairing as something important and attention-worthy. Manrope is a non-sheriff, minimalist and beautiful font with a nice gimmick – with a proper size and a default spacing, some letters (usually double „t”) blend together – much like a mind trick after having several yummy, cold beer pints.
Font
It was a real treat to pick a perfect font for application like Yummi™ – on one side – bright colors, hand-drawn illustrations and wacky subject, on the other – I really wanted to elevate the idea of beer-food pairing as something important and attention-worthy. Manrope is a non-sheriff, minimalist and beautiful font with a nice gimmick – with a proper size and a default spacing, some letters (usually double „t”) blend together – much like a mind trick after having several yummy, cold beer pints.
Design
The blend of a minimalist, gentle design with flashy colors and handmade drawings is difficult to utilize. I wanted to make Yummi™ look professional, very easy to use, yet still colorful and attractive, with personalized illustrations and my own photographs. Not everything is included in the current version of app, but so many new features and updates are yet to come. I promise.
Design
The blend of a minimalist, gentle design with flashy colors and handmade drawings is difficult to utilize. I wanted to make Yummi™ look professional, very easy to use, yet still colorful and attractive, with personalized illustrations and my own photographs. Not everything is included in the current version of app, but so many new features and updates are yet to come. I promise.
What’s coming next in Yummi™?
My initial (and still ongoing) goal was to create as much Yummi™ components as possible on my own – including UX research, wireframing, design and prototype, with my own branding, and photographs. Please keep in mind, that not everything is complete yet and the project you are experiencing is not a final one. There is so much more to come. Below you can find all the most urging next-steps scheduled for a prompt release (although their priority and order might change):
– more of multiple test sessions with potential users (not only family/friends)
– improving upon current UI
– implementing my own text on Matching cards and Beer cards
– implementing my own professional photos of food and beer
– developing the Frontend code (HTML5 & CSS3) to mirror the design in the most accurate way
Some of my inteviewees and test subjects were honestly interested in Yummi™, providing me with some new, cool and challenging ideas in which the app could evolve. I’ve been suggested with expanding the alcohol range to wines and distillates; adding world-span regions and locations, or even an option to recognize beer by scanning the QR code or EAN number on it’s label. Crazy, isn’t it? Time to get some beer.
What’s coming next in Yummi™?
My initial (and still ongoing) goal was to create as much Yummi™ components as possible on my own – including UX research, wireframing, design and prototype, with my own branding, and photographs. Please keep in mind, that not everything is complete yet and the project you are experiencing is not a final one. There is so much more to come. Below you can find all the most urging next-steps scheduled for a prompt release (although their priority and order might change):
– more of multiple test sessions with potential users (not only family/friends)
– improving upon current UI
– implementing my own text on Matching cards and Beer cards
– implementing my own professional photos of food and beer
– developing the Frontend code (HTML5 & CSS3) to mirror the design in the most accurate way
Some of my inteviewees and test subjects were honestly interested in Yummi™, providing me with some new, cool and challenging ideas in which the app could evolve. I’ve been suggested with expanding the alcohol range to wines and distillates; adding world-span regions and locations, or even an option to recognize beer by scanning the QR code or EAN number on it’s label. Crazy, isn’t it? Time to get some beer.
Download Mobile Prototype
Download Styleguide
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