We used many different method for our management, but breaking it down to show each step in our process and brainstorming is great way of showcasing how hard we worked towards our final solution: 

Olivia: 

When I first proposed the idea of meal planning and cooking for this project, I had no idea how expansive and complex the problem space would be. There is a lot that goes into cooking and planning: organizational skills, cooking ability, cultural background, time management, financial constraints, and more. I was eager to begin user research to discover which challenges were most relevant to our target audience. This was an interesting process that revealed unexpected concerns. While we initially thought users would consider their budgets more strictly, they instead mentioned more nuanced problems such as time management, variety, and food waste. 

As we moved into the design process, I found it useful to exploring existing solutions addressing this problem, including what they focused on and what gaps they addressed. Kayla, our professor, offered guidance that shaped our approach: since this is such a prevalent problem and there are already a lot of solutions out there - what can you do that offers something new and innovative? This encouraged our team stay intentional about what features we prioritized, especially when developing the unique Match feature. 

Finally, we started usability testing. It was heavily emphasized in class that designers should aim to get their product in front of users as much as possible during development. After spending so much time in the details of the application, it was fascinating to watch new users interact with the product and navigate the interface and features. While we did consult with our users fairly regularly, there are always more opportunities to do so and further refine our design. 

I also took User Research Methods this semester, so this hands-on experience solidified the connection between the research protocol and findings with the needed changes to the design. I am grateful for my wonderful team members who I have learned so much from and I am proud of the application we created together.

Sophia: 

I was nervous when starting this project because of such a broad topic this was. There has been solutions In the past to help with this, but the question remained on how our solution would be different then others. I was new to UX Design, so learning the phases while working on this helped me to slowly grew more confident in both the work we were putting into the project and in myself. With the help of my team, we worked towards creating a solution that meet the needs of our audience.  

I'm extremely proud of how we kept In contact with the users we Interviewed. They were constantly on our mind in every phrase of our design process and used their input for furthering our own design. Their Input made me both question my own bias and personal experience on the subject, while thinking of what each user would find helpful In our solution. In our ideation phase, I especially enjoyed challenging ourselves to not think of all web/app based application. Even If that wasn't used, the concept Itself challenged us to think outside the box and be creative! 

in the design portion and usability testing, there was a sense of pride among all of us. Seeing the fruits of our labor being tested and hearing feedback from peers, professors, and our testers made It even more satisfying. I think there could have been a few things we could have done differently, but this could be said for every design. I truly am thankful for an amazing team and will also remember Peas & Carrots (our team now) when thinking back on this experience. 

Amanda: 

I think one of the main factors why I enjoyed working on this project was due to how relevant the problem space was to pretty much everyone around us and how easy it was to find users to talk to about it. Even casual conversations with friends provided some insights - like how An, our classmate, mentioned the pain point of having to watch a TikTok nine times in a row in order to understand the recipe during our in-class critique. 

Our goal with the initial user research was to map out the entire user journey from finding a recipe to eating the meal, and I believe we did a great job at creating a solution that helps users at multiple points in that long journey. However, the problem space's large size did cause some problems for us as well. If we had more time, I wonder if it would have been beneficial to conduct more research specific to the recipe discovery and planning phases as we began ideating our solution. That way, we could have better validated all of the features of MyMeals before moving forward.