It all started when I couldn't find Jipai 大雞排 (fried chicken steak).
I searched around all the night markets searching for this particular dish but could not find it until I was leaving Raohe Night Market. I knew it couldn't just be me struggling with this pain point, so I began my project.
I dug into researching Taiwanese night markets and created a plan.
Problem
The Night Markets in Taiwan are amazing places to experience, rich in history and culture, and they draw both tourists and locals alike. However, for tourists, it can be a bit of a challenge to navigate these markets and find the best local specialties.
Goal
Yeshi aims to showcase the history and distinct qualities of Taiwanese Night Markets, while also creating practical solutions to help visitors and locals enjoy these markets to the fullest.
Software/tools
Figma, Adobe XD, Miro
Illustrator & Photoshop
Timeline
April 2023 - June 2023
I interviewed 7-night market visitors to start.
amongst the users:
-
1 had children under the age of 2 and was based in Taiwan
-
3 frequently visit Taiwan and 2 of them visited within the last month
-
3 visited for the first time within the last month
Based on user research, common issues emerged for both locals and tourists. Many people are drawn to larger, crowded markets but hesitate to visit due to concerns about overcrowding, hygiene, and smoke exposure.
"Individual vendors may not have their own yelp page. Each individual food stall should have their own food stall page."
"The food at the night market you can get at all the restaurants in Taiwan but why I’d pick the night market over restaurants is the atmosphere."
"It’ll be nice to know what the night market caters to before going there. If the night market had a specific unique food, then maybe going to visit the market to try it."
Afterward, it was crucial to look at other competitors to compare if there are resources that are hard to find or if the resources do not exist.
shown above: Competitor Analysis Company Summaries. Feel free to click through.
The consumer archetypes should have a wide range of visitors. This includes having visitors who have family in Taiwan, have remotely zero understanding of Taiwan, have a sense of familiarity but are still visitors, and of course the locals.
With research completed, it was time to pull what pain points existed and how we can solve them with these brand attributes.
The optimal approach to delivering an aesthetically appealing and practical experience was to prioritize the following attributes:
-
Hygiene
-
Efficiency
-
Storytelling
-
Accessibility
-
Supporting businesses
-
Locality
Organizing how the user would utilize the application before designing was essential.
After having a strong basis, It was time to start drawing and designing.
Once the first designs were created, it was important to conduct usability testing throughout the project.
Some Observations were:
-
Light mode: After a second pass of usability testing, it became evident that a dark theme may suit the style of the night markets more while keeping the light theme as an accessibility option. Initially, the mid-fidelity showcased a light theme, but further evaluation prompted this adjustment.
-
Typography sizing: During the mid to high-fidelity testing, usability testing results showed that text sizing may have been too small to read especially when navigating a busy location.
-
Flow inconsistencies: During the low and mid-fidelity phases, users had some difficulty selecting and finishing their trip planning. Due to this, the design had to be iterated upon to fix the confusion.
-
Limited Selection: The original plan was to let users choose one night market to visit each trip. Users felt that this limited their opportunities to visit multiple places and wanted the freedom for more selection options.
mid-fidelity wireframe
high-fidelity wireframe
With the research and designs complete, it was time to bring the idea and attributes to life.
Planning & Efficiency
The goal was to easily access items or stalls that were preplanned out to lessen the time for confusion and aimless walking.
This was completed by designing the application with all the xiaochis, stalls, and night markets upfront to locate quickly what users are looking for before or during the night market. The user can then create a plan of all the places and foods they'd like to try along with a map to seamlessly navigate the night market with ease.
Storytelling
The focus on the storytelling aspect of the night markets was a crucial attribute. Having it as the first thing that can be seen on the application was needed so users can easily locate and then learn what makes each night market special with the story on each page. The user can learn their distinctive features, popularity, crowd sizes, and the story of how each night market came to be. The user can also learn the history of Taiwan's Night Market culture and see how night markets have expanded throughout all of Taiwan.
Supporting Businesses
One of the most important goals was to focus on highlighting the businesses behind the night markets. They are the ones who make the night markets exist. Users can focus on each stall as well as learn what makes that stall special and view authentic business reviews, historical information, hygiene standards, online ordering, and pricing details even before navigating the night markets. The night market pages also focus on what stalls and businesses are available there.
Throughout the project to completion, the prototypes were shown to 15 diverse users to receive feedback.
With their feedback and insights, I was able to gather new ways to improve the user flow as well as design choices, which were implemented. User feedback showcased that they would certainly want to be able to utilize this application to spend less time searching for prices, food stalls, and availability.
During the project, I encountered several challenges:
-
Information overload: I had to condense and streamline the information to ensure it was easily accessible and not overwhelming for users.
-
Clarity and simplicity: I recognized that what seemed simple to me might not be the same for others. To address this, I sought input from a diverse range of users to identify potential pain points and areas for improvement.
-
Accessibility: The chance that visitors would be utilizing the application during nighttime was high, which was why it was important that everything is visible when the user’s vision was limited/lowered.
-
User-friendliness for locals: It was essential to create a tool that benefited both tourists and locals alike. To achieve this, I designed the app to serve as a comprehensive guide to each stall and night market, enabling quick access to desired food options.
style guide
To capture the essence of night markets, I opted for a purple-ish hue to convey the ambiance of a dark yet well-lit night. Additionally, I incorporated yellow and orange-pink hues to symbolize the radiant lights emanating from the vibrant stalls.
What started out as a personal pain point turned into solving many while learning more about Taiwanese night market history.
Driven by my love for food, my goal was to create a Taiwanese Night Market Guide. As the project progressed. it transformed into a more meaningful endeavor. This project now not only reflects my passion for food but also offers practical solutions for others.
Explore Yeshi!
To explore the prototype and learn more about Taiwanese Night Markets and Stalls, please click the links below.
