I'm a UX Designer dedicated to crafting user-friendly digital experiences. By deeply understanding user needs, I create innovative solutions through design and prototyping, aiming to enhance usability and deliver impactful, creative outcomes.
This research addresses the challenge international students face in making healthy food choices in campus canteens due to unfamiliarity with local cuisine and complex nutritional information. By using Augmented Reality, the system provides real-time nutritional details and food pairing suggestions in an intuitive, interactive format. This solution aims to reduce the mental effort and decision-making difficulties that students experience, empowering them to make healthier, informed choices.
The prototype development followed a design thinking approach, starting with interviews and observations to understand the challenges international students face in making food choices. After defining the core issue—difficulty in understanding nutritional information—solutions were brainstormed, resulting in two prototypes: a traditional food display and an AR-enhanced display offering real-time nutritional data. Both prototypes were tested through AB testing, questionnaires, and interviews to evaluate their effectiveness in improving food choices and user experience.
The AR prototype provides users with real-time nutritional information, highlighting key components such as calorie content. It also offers healthier food pairing suggestions based on the user’s choices, helping them make informed, balanced decisions.
The traditional prototype replicates the current food information display methods commonly found in campus canteens. It provides basic nutritional information such as calorie counts and ingredient lists but lacks the interactive and real-time features of the AR prototype. Users need to manually read and interpret the static information to make their food choices, which can be challenging for those unfamiliar with nutritional labels or local food options.
The test results from both quantitative and qualitative analyses revealed that the AR prototype significantly improved participants’ ability to make healthier food choices, as evidenced by lower calorie selections compared to the traditional prototype. However, the AR system also increased cognitive load due to the more detailed nutritional information. Qualitative feedback highlighted that while users appreciated the enhanced decision-making capabilities, some felt overwhelmed by the complexity of the information, particularly during busy periods.
Quantitatively, participants reported higher positive emotions and a better user experience with the AR prototype, finding it more interactive and intuitive. The qualitative insights further supported these findings, as many participants emphasized the ease of understanding nutritional information with AR, though a few noted that the system may not be practical in fast-paced or high-pressure scenarios. Overall, the AR prototype was well-received for its ability to engage users and provide valuable nutritional guidance, despite some challenges with cognitive load.
