Feedback Summary

Open-Ended Interview Feedback

Themes and recommendations from open-ended interviews discussing the concept of an AI food logging app:

1. Ease of Use:
   • The app should not be time-consuming and logging food should not add significant time overhead to the user’s daily routine.
   • Searching databases for exactly the right food can be frustrating, and an app that does this automatically based on a photo be highly desirable.
2. Accuracy and Recognition of Diverse Foods:
   • Importance of the AI model recognizing traditional Hawaiian and other ethnic foods.
3. Privacy:
   • Two of three users did not care about or have any concerns about privacy.
   • One user had significant concerns about privacy and emphasized the need for clear communication about data usage, storage, and security.
   • Options like end-to-end encryption and storing data on the user’s device were viewed positively.
4. Personalization and Variation in Desired Features:
   • Variation in desired features, but meal planning, workout tracking, goal tracking, and competitions with friends were popular.
   • Idea of creating an avatar or character to represent the AI.
   • One participant had previously used three different apps simultaneously for food preparation and logging: one to generate recipes based on food in the fridge, one for a photo food journal, and one to track macronutrients and calories. This person wished for a single app to fulfill all three functions.

User Testing Feedback

Feedback focused more on the app’s design than interactivity, as the CRUD features are not fully implemented yet.

Screens

1. Login Screen:

• Warm colors and fruit imagery give a healthy and welcoming impression.
• Design appeals to new users or those wanting to start healthier habits.
• Suggest incorporating a photo or loop video showing high-protein meal preparation to attract experienced users.
• Liked the calming blue background and simple layout, but confusion over GitHub icon mistaken for a social login option.

2. Dashboard:

• Positive feedback on the food breakdown chart (processed, unprocessed, ultra-processed).
• Appreciation for visible accomplishments and challenges.
• Importance of mindfulness features.
• Desire for detailed macronutrient breakdown.
• Requested push notifications and a checklist on the dashboard for meal logging and other task reminders.
• Found design clean but somewhat plain; suggested adding dynamic elements like a rotating quote of the day.
• Desired more personalized features, such as setting dietary goals (e.g., low sugar).
• Requested bar charts for daily nutritional values and a color-coded system for dietary balance.

3. Journal:

• Card layout with half picture, and half information is well-received.
• Suggestion to add meals as headings with snaps for each meal underneath.
• Request for inclusion of macronutrient details in the meal cards (protein, fat, carbohydrates).
• Questioned app’s ability to automatically crop and adjust images.
• Proposed filtering journal entries by food type (e.g., vegan, keto).

4. Trends Page:

• Interest in viewing weekly or monthly statistics in a chart format.
• Desire to see macronutrient or processed percentage trends over time.
• Expected functionality similar to a stock market app for tracking nutrient intake over time.
• Wanted options to customize the graph display, like nutrient selection and time range adjustments.

5. Challenges:

• Interest in workout and step goal challenges.
• Suggestion for a leaderboard and the ability to form and compete within friend groups.
• Excited about group challenges with a leaderboard for motivation.
• Hoped for a range of challenges, from daily tasks to long-term goals.

6. Friends:

• Support for an instagram social feed where users can share meals and progress.
• Endorsement of using the platform for dietitians/personal trainers to offer services.
• Emphasized need for privacy settings for dietary information.
• Interested in sharing recipes and tips within the app community.

7. Coach:

• Willingness to pay for AI-based and human coaching services, with a preference for video interaction with human coaches.

8. Settings:

• Desire for the ability to silence social features.
• Suggestion to add a specific goals page for

detailed goal-setting.

• Wanted detailed settings for dietary preferences, allergen alerts, and goals (e.g., weight loss).
• Requested in-depth explanations for features like ‘mindfulness check-ins’.

9. Extra Features Desired:

• Request for an exercise tracking and workout planning feature.

10. Food Logging Activity:

- Positive feedback on the quick and easy logging process.
- Preference for a warmer, less stark color scheme in the app's design.

11. Journal Page Activity:

- Recommendation to include percentage numbers and macronutrient breakdown on meal cards.

12. Dashboard Ring Analysis Activity:

- Affirmation of the clarity and usefulness of the nutrition breakdown ring.

Final Critiques and Recommendations

1. Visual Design Update:

• Revise color scheme to be more modern and visually appealing, taking inspiration from apps like 24-hour fitness.
• Implement a warmer color palette, potentially with a darker background and bright accents.

2. Navigation and Layout:

• Maintain the current layout of the bottom bar for its intuitive order.
• Introduce processed/unprocessed/ultraprocessed food categorization in the app onboarding screens.

3. Personal Desires and Preferences Reflection:

• Incorporate missing macronutrient information to meet user expectations.
• Add workout features to enhance the app’s appeal and functionality.

4. Enhanced Communication Features:

• Add a chat box icon in the app bar for quick access to messages with friends and the AI bot.

Plans for the Future:

• Conduct two more user testing interviews before the end of the semester.
• Finish CRUD functions by the end of the semester.
• The app has been submitted as a candidate capstone project for ICS 496 next semester.