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(Re)design Rationale

OVERVIEW

This redesign reimagines Brooklyn Water Bagel’s mobile app with a focus on improving usability, accessibility, and the overall user experience while staying true to the brand’s identity. The original app had several usability challenges, outdated visuals, and accessibility issues that created unnecessary friction for customers trying to complete a simple task: ordering food.

My goal was to create a smoother, more intuitive experience that helps users accomplish their goals quickly while still feeling connected to the personality and values of the brand. This project allowed me to explore how thoughtful UX/UI decisions can transform a digital product into a more effective and enjoyable experience.

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* THE PROBLEM *

Brooklyn Water Bagel’s existing app made it harder than necessary for users to complete its primary task: ordering food quickly and easily.

Through my analysis, I identified several key areas of improvement:

Usability: The ordering feature was not prioritized on the home screen, making the main action harder to discover.

Visual Design: The interface relied on bright colors, all-caps typography, and busy background textures that competed with important content.

Accessibility: Several text and link colors did not meet WCAG contrast standards, making certain elements harder to read.

Information Architecture: Repetitive navigation patterns, including both sidebar and bottom navigation, created unnecessary confusion.

Brand Consistency: The app did not fully communicate what makes Brooklyn Water Bagel unique, which is its signature “Brooklynized” approach and brand personality.

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GOALS

The redesign focused on creating a more user-centered experience by:

• Making ordering the primary focus of the app.
• Simplifying navigation and reducing unnecessary steps.
• Improving readability and accessibility.
• Creating a stronger visual connection to the Brooklyn Water Bagel brand.
• Designing an experience that feels intuitive for both new and returning customers.

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PROCESS

I approached this redesign by first understanding the existing experience, identifying areas of friction, and defining opportunities to create a more effective user flow.

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User Research & Understanding

I began with a heuristic analysis of the original app to evaluate usability, accessibility, navigation, and overall interaction patterns. From this analysis, I identified common user goals and pain points that influenced the direction of the redesign.

Because food ordering apps are centered around convenience and efficiency, I focused on understanding the needs of users who want to quickly place an order, reorder familiar items, customize their meals, and navigate the app without unnecessary effort.

I created user personas to represent different customer behaviors, including users who prioritize speed, returning customers who frequently reorder favorites, and users who benefit from a simpler and more accessible experience. These personas helped guide design decisions and keep the focus on real user needs.

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Defining the Problem

After analyzing the original experience, I identified the main opportunity: create an ordering experience that feels simple, predictable, and enjoyable while maintaining the personality of the Brooklyn Water Bagel brand.

This meant focusing on reducing friction, improving hierarchy, and making important actions easier to find.

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Ideation & Design

Using these insights, I created user flows, wireframes, and interface designs in Figma. I explored different solutions while considering how each decision would impact the user's journey.

Key improvements included:

Home Screen: Introduced a clear “Order Now” prompt and moved the “Order Again” section forward to support faster repeat purchases.

Ordering Flow: Simplified the ordering process into guided steps with stronger hierarchy, clearer customization options, and improved product visibility.

Rewards & Account Screens: Redesigned layouts to create a more consistent experience across the app while improving usability.

UI Design: Created a cleaner visual system using updated typography, refined colors, rounded interface elements, and improved contrast while keeping the brand recognizable.

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Testing & Iteration

After creating the redesign, I reviewed the experience through usability-focused testing and iteration. I evaluated whether users could easily identify where to begin an order, navigate through customization options, and complete important tasks without unnecessary confusion.

The feedback and observations from this process helped refine the design by improving navigation, strengthening hierarchy, and creating a more seamless experience from start to finish.

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* THE SOLUTION *

The redesigned interface positions ordering as the core experience while creating a more accessible, intuitive, and visually cohesive product.

Key improvements include:

• A home screen that prioritizes the user’s next action.
• Simplified and consistent navigation.
• Improved color contrast and readability.
• A refreshed brand aesthetic featuring subtle aqua elements and rounded UI components inspired by the “Brooklynized water” concept.
• A smoother ordering experience that supports both first-time and returning customers.

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OUTCOME

The final redesign creates a cleaner and more modern mobile experience that better represents Brooklyn Water Bagel’s brand while making the ordering process easier for users.

This project reinforced how much thought goes into creating digital products that genuinely support people. I believe technology works best when it removes friction and allows users to focus on what they need to accomplish.

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In Conclusion...

This project strengthened my understanding of the relationship between visual design and user experience. Through research, problem definition, iteration, and testing, I learned how small design decisions can have a major impact on how people interact with a product.

It gave me more confidence in my design process and reinforced the importance of creating experiences that balance usability, accessibility, and business goals.

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