A location-enabled web app for Belgian beer enthusiasts, at home and away.
My Role
-Marketplace research
-Product design & planning
-UI design & testing
Tools
Belgian-style beer aficionados had a nagging, perpetual problem; it was nearly impossible to discern which restaurants, bars & stores served or stocked their very niche beverage of choice.
An easy to use responsive web app was needed to literally guide the way for this underserved population.
Incorporating search, mapping & live routing, Belgian Brewfinder connects Belgian-style beer enthusiasts with purveyors of the copper tonic.
INITIAL HYPOTHESIS
When empowered to quickly and easily locate businesses that serve or stock Belgian beer in their immediate area - as well as those they plan to visit - the target user group will utilize Belgian Brewfinder via any internet connected device to discover and route to these establishments.
They will use the responsive web app both in the moment and when planning, enjoying the option to navigate from any location to their selection(s), which may also be informed by ratings and reviews submitted by other users.
AUDIENCE
Three personas were developed from the distillation of user research conducted on a group of self-reported fans of Belgian beer, aged 25-55.
The sample group had a high frequency of beer connoisseurs and world travelers. Based on their interviews, commonalities included high end tastes, an adventurous spirit, and interest in European culture and travel. Meet Doug, Jan, and Esperanza.
USER FLOW & DESIGN
With initial work comprising a marketplace and competitor analysis, the core challenge was identified and solidified; no other service was found to offer a solution to this particular problem.
USER RESEARCH
User interviews were conducted that provided the foundation for our three main personas, which then allowed for identification of the core needs and essential functionality for an MVP.
WORK FLOWS
While Belgian Brewfinder is a relatively simple service and interface, it was still paramount to map out user flows for all essential processes the app was to provide; namely search, navigation, adding and rating an establishment, and creating a user profile.
LEAN DESIGN / RAPID PROTOTYPING
Using Lean methodology for initial design, rapid prototyping with paper and pen was employed to quickly ideate, test, and iterate in an agile fashion - ensuring roadblocks or necessary course correction were identified early and mitigated efficiently.
DESIGN INSPIRATION
With the framework of the web app largely constructed, mood boards were created to explore the emotional impact, adherence to the key thematic elements, and visual language opportunities. The final selected mood board is shown here.
LOGO DEVELOPMENT
FINAL DESIGN
Belgian Brewfinder is fun! It’s easy. It doesn’t require the audience to specifically have an iPhone, or an Android, or to tie them to a desktop to enjoy true usability.
The fully responsive, browser-based design; encompassing four custom tailored breakpoints for screens the size of a small phone to a 4K desktop monitor; enables any Belgian beer fan, anywhere, with access to nearly any smart device, to make their next favorite memory - with friends, family, coworkers, or on their own!
RESTROSPECTIVE
This project hit the right mark by being lightweight, intuitive, and specifically targeted to a passionate community. The responsive design held up well across devices, and the visual language made browsing feel fun but purposeful.
That said, the app could have benefited from stronger incentives for return visits—content felt static once a user had browsed their local area, for instance. If I were to build on this, I’d integrate more of a social layer or limited-time features to keep discovery fresh and relevant.
