Design Thinking in Action: Developing an Early-Stage Prototype of the Food Guide Mobile App
Menshikova, Anastasiia (2025)
2025
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025052615993
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025052615993
Tiivistelmä
The development of a sophisticated, market-ready mobile application typically requires substantial resources in terms of time, funding, and effort. As a problem-solving and innovation methodology, Design Thinking provides strategic value by enabling early validation of ideas and supporting the creation of solutions that genuinely address user needs. By placing the user at the center of the process and adopting a design mindset, organizations can navigate uncertainty, reduce the risk of failure, and allocate resources more efficiently.
This product-based thesis was initiated in collaboration with a potential startup. The study explores the early-stage development of a mobile application prototype using the Design Thinking methodology. The proposed service, Food Guide, is designed to streamline the search and discovery of food products for individuals with dietary restrictions due to health conditions or lifestyle choices. Its overarching goal is to simplify the grocery shopping experience and empower users to make more informed, health-conscious, and sustainable food decisions.
The theoretical background—covering key concepts of Design Thinking, the Double Diamond model, and User Experience (UX) design—provided a solid foundation for project implementation. The Double Diamond model, used as the central framework, divided the process into four distinct stages and offered a clear yet adaptable pathway. To maintain a user-centered focus, a range of design thinking and UX methods was strategically applied. Each tool served a specific role at its respective stage—supporting research, synthesis, empathy-building, problem-framing, ideation, prototyping, and testing—while facilitating both divergent and convergent thinking.
The project resulted in a validated high-fidelity prototype of core features that addressed user dietary needs and preferences, streamlining the food product discovery process. Through iterative design and two rounds of usability testing, the solution demonstrated improved usability, clarity, and personalization. While not yet fully functional, the prototype effectively captured the concept’s potential and laid a strong foundation for future development.
The discussion reflects on the study’s overall quality and addresses its limitations, primarily related to the project’s individual nature and defined scope. In addition, practical recommendations are provided to guide future development by applying and testing ideas not explored in the current work, addressing key constraints identified during the process, and informing strategic next steps for moving the concept beyond its initial stage.
Overall, the project demonstrates how Design Thinking can be effectively applied in the early stages of digital product development to create meaningful, inclusive, and insight-driven solutions.
This product-based thesis was initiated in collaboration with a potential startup. The study explores the early-stage development of a mobile application prototype using the Design Thinking methodology. The proposed service, Food Guide, is designed to streamline the search and discovery of food products for individuals with dietary restrictions due to health conditions or lifestyle choices. Its overarching goal is to simplify the grocery shopping experience and empower users to make more informed, health-conscious, and sustainable food decisions.
The theoretical background—covering key concepts of Design Thinking, the Double Diamond model, and User Experience (UX) design—provided a solid foundation for project implementation. The Double Diamond model, used as the central framework, divided the process into four distinct stages and offered a clear yet adaptable pathway. To maintain a user-centered focus, a range of design thinking and UX methods was strategically applied. Each tool served a specific role at its respective stage—supporting research, synthesis, empathy-building, problem-framing, ideation, prototyping, and testing—while facilitating both divergent and convergent thinking.
The project resulted in a validated high-fidelity prototype of core features that addressed user dietary needs and preferences, streamlining the food product discovery process. Through iterative design and two rounds of usability testing, the solution demonstrated improved usability, clarity, and personalization. While not yet fully functional, the prototype effectively captured the concept’s potential and laid a strong foundation for future development.
The discussion reflects on the study’s overall quality and addresses its limitations, primarily related to the project’s individual nature and defined scope. In addition, practical recommendations are provided to guide future development by applying and testing ideas not explored in the current work, addressing key constraints identified during the process, and informing strategic next steps for moving the concept beyond its initial stage.
Overall, the project demonstrates how Design Thinking can be effectively applied in the early stages of digital product development to create meaningful, inclusive, and insight-driven solutions.