During my pursuit for higher education, I was tasked with choosing a real-world problem, conducting thorough research (qualitative, quantitative, user, etc.), and then designing and prototyping a solution. For me, I immediately knew what problem I wanted to address:

How might we simplify cooking for those who experience dietary restrictions in order to improve their overall relationship with food?

This case study was conducted over a 12 week period, and while for some it may feel like a lifetime, it did not feel that way for me. Some of the professional hurdles that I encountered and their direct effects were:

• Learning a new program: Having never used Figma prior, I feel inspired to incorporate it into my workflow.
• Time Management: On top of attending school as an adult, I was also on maternity leave, resulting in me having to be incredibly efficient with my time.
• Digital Accessibility: Expanding my current knowledge of accessibility in design has made me realize that I need to be more inclusive with my design approach.
• Research and Ideation: A phase that truly never ends, I found that I needed to be more flexible in my problem-solving and open to changes at any stage.

Due to the length of my presentation, what is shown on this page is merely a glimpse to the work that has been completed. To review the whole breadth of the project, I recommend the following links:

• Full Presentation
• Mobile Prototype
• Tablet Prototype

Though the class is complete, this adventure is far from over. Design is iterative, and when you’re especially passionate about a project, it’s never truly finished.

It’s been eye-opening to work on a passion project such as this, and I hope that I can continue to expand upon it further in the future, incorporating new capabilities that directly impact user accessibility and app functionality in a positive light. By working on this project, I feel that I’ve grown more not only as a designer but also as an ally to those with dietary restrictions.

I hope that as you delved into the world of SafeSwap, you’ve felt the passion that drove it to be designed.

Date: 2024