NutriReality
NutriReality provides personalized nutrition and exercise plans based on your genetic heritage using virtual reality headsets, interactive tables, and genetic testing!
Design Research, UI/UX, Product Design
Team: Diana Garza, Jonah Goode, Grace Rai, Jenna Singletary
Research: All team members
Table UI/UX: Diana Garza, Grace Rai, Jenna Singletary
VR UI/UX: Jonah Goode, Grace Rai
Table Video: Jenna Singletary
VR Video: Grace Rai
Brand Identity & AI Nutritionist/Instructor: Jonah Goode
Contributions
Challenge
Genes play a significant role in a person’s physical health, including their appetite, metabolism, and body fat distribution. Many people do not realize that their genes may be responsible for their inactivity or weight gain. As a result, they lose all motivation to exercise and eat healthy.
Mission
Through interactive technology, our goal is to help users understand Nutrigenomics and guide them through their personalized physical wellness plan.
Discovery
What is Nutrigenomics?
Nutrigenomics, nutrition genomic testing, identifies an individual’s metabolic weaknesses by examining protein variants. Using the gene-nutrition relationship as a basis, Nutrigenomics develops optimal strategies to improve weight loss, prevent disease, and enhance athletic performance.
Benefits of nutrition genomic testing
With DNA testing, people are able to receive accurate insights into how their bodies react to certain nutrients and supplements. This information strengthens knowledge and motivation to learn and set new health goals that can improve overall physical wellness.
Brainstorming
Interview Takeaways
To help identify our target audience, we came up with a set of questions related to health and fitness and interviewed people of different ages (22, 34, and 63 years old) who are either experienced or inexperienced with the topic of physical health and fitness.
Interviewees would participate in genetic testing for general curiosity and to also help them understand what is needed to properly fuel their bodies.
Interviewees mentioned having a personalized plan would eliminate the struggle of figuring out what to eat and what types of workouts to do.
Interviewees are aware they are not receiving the proper nutrients and are not completely satisfied with their current diets or eating habits.
User Personas & Empathy Maps
Based on our research discovery and interviews, we created two user personas and empathy maps to narrow down our audience and their needs.
Intended Target Audience
Following interviews with prospective users and the development of user personas, we have determined that our product is most likely to be used by individuals aged 25-40, particularly those with a keen interest in health and fitness. Our research indicates that our users may be at the beginning of their fitness journey or more advanced in their pursuits.
How Might We Statements
Now that we have learned about nutrigenomics testing and identified our target audience, the next step was to formulate How Might We questions. This step allowed us to brainstorm innovative screen features and designs to incorporate into our products. These questions proved valuable in our design process as they encouraged us to consider how our users would interact with our services and enabled us to explore various possibilities.
What is the solution?
In order to aid individuals in comprehending the ways in which nutrigenomics can assist them in attaining their health and nutrition goals, we’ve created two products: a Virtual Reality component integrated with an AI nutritionist and instructor named Elle, and an Interactive Cooking Table.
Why a VR?
Compared to a phone application, a VR offers users a superior interface and higher level of interactivity. The VR’s immersive experience enables users to operate it comfortably at home with minimal distractions, as the headset captures their complete visual attention. This, in turn, allows users to comprehend complex information more effectively displayed on the VR screen.
Why an AI?
By incorporating an AI nutritionist and instructor, we can overcome the challenge of engaging with our users. Our AI, Elle, will offer responses to any inquiries that our users may have in a conversational manner, thus enabling them to comprehend the intricate findings that Elle presents to them.
Why an Interactive Cooking Table?
A unique product like an interactive cooking table can significantly increase users’ interest in cooking. Not only does it offer flexibility and comfort, but it also enables a feature that links it to the user’s VR. By incorporating this feature, users can import recipes from their VR directly to the table, providing an immersive cooking experience. This table is suitable for both beginners and advanced users since it offers step-by-step instructions and necessary ingredients with their amounts for chosen recipes.
User Flows
With a clear understanding of our user’s needs and forming solutions, we created two user flows; a VR and a Table flow. By doing so, we could incorporate all possible features and determine the sequence in which our users would interact with our products.
Wireframes
During the wireframing process, we needed to revisit certain screens to ensure that we were satisfying the requirements of our users and maintaining the usability of our products.
Recipe Reflection
Initially, the recipes were listed and aligned to the left side of the screen. However, in order to improve the visual appeal of the screen and facilitate easier recipe identification for our users, we replaced the text with images and added a customization feature for users to modify their chosen recipe.
Facts & Ingredients Reflection
To enhance readability, we created our own nutrition fact format and determined that moving the ingredients to the top right corner would be optimal since the user’s cooking area is located below. Additionally, we moved the Begin Cooking button to the left side of the screen to align with the rest of the text for better consistency.
Food Scale Reflection
Rather than occupying the entire cooking area, we moved the food scale to a more suitable position on the right-hand side, allowing sample space for displaying recipe steps and ingredients.
Home Reflection
In order to enhance user-friendliness and comprehension, we simplified our interface and increased their size. Additionally, we included brief descriptions of each category to avoid any ambiguity and provide users with a clear understanding of their selections.
Results Reflection
To simplify scientific information such as gene types, we opted to use an image of the gene as the icon rather than a model. This allows users to easily recognize and identify each gene.
Gene Information Reflection
To further clarify the gene information that we initially had, we decided it would be best to maintain the use of visual imagery and icons.
Table Final Outcome
Intro and Customization
By importing saved recipes from their VR, users can efficiently choose their desired recipes without wasting time. Additionally, we included a feature that enables users to adjust their recipes to cook for more than one person, giving them the flexibility to decrease or increase their recipes as needed.
Addressed HMW:
How Might We simplify the recipe selection process and offer adequate customization for users?
Cooking Process
After selecting their recipe, users are presented with nutrition information, a list of necessary ingredients, and step-by-step cooking instructions. Additionally, users have the option to adjust the weight with the scale feature to ensure precise portion size.
Addressed HMW:
How Might We assist users who have little to no experience cooking?
Walkthrough Video
Table Mockup
VR Final Outcome
Intro and Results
Addressed HMW:
How Might We present complex information in a way that is easily understandable for our users?
How might we engage with our users and establish trust with them?
User is shown their results by AI nutritionist and instructor, Elle. With Elle’s assistance, users can learn more about a specific gene and hear her recommendations. Through Elle’s conversational approach and the use of clear iconography and imagery, users feel at ease and can comprehend their results.
Food Selection and Export
The user is presented with suggested recipes and meal-related details. In order to establish a seamless connection between the virtual reality (VR) system and the cooking table, we implemented a linking feature that enables users to send their preferred recipe directly to their cooking table.
Addressed HMW:
Establish a relationship between our products?
Fitness Selection
Users is presented with workout routines tailored to their nutrigenomics results, and with the help of Elle, they can receive a detailed overview of the exercises and perform them alongside her with precise instructions. This approach enables users to boost their self-assurance in their physical abilities while also ensuring that they adhere to proper form to prevent injuries.
Addressed HMW:
How Might We incorporate physical activity into our products to ensure that our users are both motivated and at ease while engaging in such activities?
VR Demonstration
Project Reflection
My Takeaways
Being well-experienced and having an interest in health and fitness added an extra layer of motivation to this project. It was one of the most enjoyable projects for me, as it marked the first time our team created something beyond an app. Having the freedom to explore various interactive technologies was a fun experience that encouraged me to explore more futuristic solutions to address other challenges. Through this project, I learned the significance of conducting user testing on all technologies, not just apps. This process proved to be useful in determining whether our product was user-friendly and easily understandable for our target audience.
Further Development
If given more time, I would have explored ideas on creating an app or website that would enable users to purchase their own nutrigenomics test. Additionally, I would have brainstormed ways to accelerate the DNA results process, as it can be time-consuming. I would have also liked to expand the VR screens further and show what the instructional fitness video would look like.