Overview
In early 2024, I was approached by a client to develop a mobile application targeting individuals following or interested in the ketogenic diet. The project was inspired by his girlfriend's weight loss journey and her engagement with Dr. Berg's educational content on YouTube, highlighting a growing need for accessible, user-friendly keto lifestyle management tools.
Problem Statement
Poor nutrition habits and lack of dietary education have led to 74% of American adults being overweight. While many diet tracking apps exist, they focus only on counting calories without teaching users about nutrition's impact on their bodies. Our research with 200 people revealed that 82% want to understand how food affects their health, but find existing solutions overwhelming and difficult to follow. This knowledge gap, especially around specialized diets like keto, creates a clear need for an app that combines practical tracking with accessible education.
Business goal
Our MVP serves as a proof of concept for potential investors, demonstrating how a keto diet app with built-in education can fill a critical market gap. Through this initial version, we aim to secure funding for full product development and expansion, showing investors a clear path from concept to market success. Early user feedback and engagement metrics will help validate our approach and attract the investment needed to scale the platform.
Full product design for create MVP application
Kohan Deonysiy,
startup Founder
Figma, After Effects, Illustrator, Keynote
Our project was strategically planned into clear development phases to ensure efficient delivery and transparent communication with stakeholders. The initial MVP development was structured across 8 weeks:
Early discovery phase included four crucial meetings to understand our direction.
To find
user persona
After identifying the main problems and market gaps, we conducted research to define our target users. We analyzed behavior patterns, lifestyle characteristics, and common challenges faced by people interested in keto diets.
Through interviews and market analysis, we built clear user personas to guide our app development.Each persona reflected different experience levels with keto, varying motivations for lifestyle changes, and distinct educational needs. This understanding helped shape our features and educational content to serve both beginners and experienced keto followers effectively.
Who are true competitors?
We researched market landscape to understand our position and opportunities. Analysis covered three competitor types: direct (specialized keto apps), indirect (general diet apps), and secondary (educational platforms, content creators).
— Straight
— No straight
— Secondary
Study of 15+ competitors revealed market gaps and helped define our unique value proposition in combining tracking with education.
JOBD - Jobs To Be Done
Every hour about 11 thousand startups open in the world — that’s over 100 million a year. 90% of them will fail. Why? According to Fortune, the key reason: “they create products no one wants”.
To avoid building a product no one wants, we identified why users would "hire" our app. Research showed they need help learning keto basics, tracking progress, making food choices, and understanding nutrition's impact on their health. These insights guided our feature prioritization.
Interview - to find more "JOBTD"
We conducted targeted interviews with potential users identified in our persona research. Questions focused on understanding their daily challenges and goals with keto dieting. These conversations revealed additional jobs users need help with, enhancing our understanding of key features needed in the app.
Competitor analysis
cons and pros
After researching market players, we identified key patterns in what works and what's missing. Strong points included reliable tracking systems and large food databases. Common weaknesses showed lack of educational content and complex interfaces. This analysis helped us understand where to improve and how to stand out.
Value Propositions
Through research findings and client brainstorming sessions, we identified key value propositions for each app section. We focused on combining tracking tools with educational content, making keto accessible and actionable for users. These insights shaped our feature priorities and user interface decisions.
Structure
UserFlow
Functional Structure
Created app's core navigation and feature structure to ensure smooth user experience. Flow maps user journey from onboarding through daily app use, while functional structure details specific features for each screen. This blueprint guided our design and development phases.
Customer Journey Map - CJM
Mapped emotional touchpoints throughout user's app experience, identifying potential pain points and satisfaction peaks. Analysis covered key stages from initial download through regular usage, highlighting areas where users might feel frustrated or delighted. This insight helped optimize user experience and reduce friction points.
Wireframes and Prototype
Based on our research and user flows, created low-fidelity wireframes to visualize app structure and functionality. These wireframes covered all key screens and interactions, serving as blueprint for further design and development. Built interactive prototype to test user flows before moving to final design.
Try propotype right here.
I tested it on 4 users and fixed some bugs
UI design
I have done more than 40+ illustration and icons
