Plateful

Case study

Community food-sharing app

A personal UX/UI project designing a food-sharing platform, working through the entire process from user flows and high-fidelity prototypes to logo and design system.



Many home cooks have extra meals but lack an easy way to share or sell them. At the same time, busy individuals seek nutritious, affordable home-cooked food. Plateful bridges these needs by connecting local cooks and eaters through a community platform that reduces food waste, increases meal accessibility, and creates new income opportunities, fostering a more connected, sustainable, and nourishing food ecosystem.

Client

Personal Project

My role

UX/UI Designer

Year

2024

User Stories

Karen

Sex/Age: Female, 45

Job: School administrator

Location: Tarrytown, NY

"I cook every day, and there’s always more than my family can eat. I wish someone nearby could enjoy it too."


Goal: Share or sell extra homemade meals to reduce waste and connect with neighbors.


Frustration: It’s hard to find a safe, simple way to offer extra homemade meals to people nearby.

Jona

Sex/Age: Male, 32

Job: Accountant

Location: Woodside, NY

"I'd love to earn a little extra from cooking, but opening a restaurant is too expensive and complicated."


Goal: Earn modest side income by selling small batches of homemade meals.


Frustration: There’s no simple or accessible way for home cooks to sell homemade meals.

Daniel

Sex/Age: Male, 24

Job: Graduate student

Location: Flatbush, NY

"Delivery costs add up so fast. I’d love something homemade but still affordable."


Goal: Access convenient, budget-friendly homemade meals within walking distance.


Frustration: Restaurant food is expensive, and affordable home-cooked alternatives are hard to find.

Michelle

Sex/Age: Female, 37

Job: Interior designer

Location: Upper East Side, NY

"Most days I skip meals because I’m too busy to cook or wait for delivery. I just need something quick nearby."


Goal: Get quick, homemade-style meals nearby without needing to plan, prep, or wait for delivery.


Frustration: Struggles to find quick, healthy homemade options, as delivery is slow and takeout feels repetitive.

Competitive Analysis

Lofi Wireframe

Design System

Colors

UI Components

Typography

Takeaways

• Designed a two-sided marketplace structure

• Built a scalable UI system

• Validated needs through personas and research

• Strengthened product thinking from concept to prototype

More work