Homebrewing enthusiasts, from beginners to seasoned brewers, often struggle with inconsistent recipes, unclear brewing instructions, and unreliable troubleshooting resources. Our user research highlights a gap in existing brewing apps, where scattered or outdated information leads to frustration and wasted batches. To address this, we propose developing a home brewing app that combines user-generated content, expert-guided tutorials, and real-time brewing support to provide reliable, up-to-date, and community-driven insights for every step of the brewing process.
Overview
Beer connoisseurs with limited experience need help brewing at home because they lack hands on experience and knowledge.
Problem
To create an all in one resource for beer enthusiasts that are trying to get into the craft or that have been in it for some time.
Solution
Figma, Google Drive, Zoom
Tools
UI UX Researcher & designer (Group Project - with work devided evenly through out the project)
My Role
3 weeks
Timeline
UX/UI Design
Wireframing & Prototyping
User Research & Usability Testing
Ux Techniques
User Research
Interviews will be conducted to collect user data using a mix of open-ended and probing questions. All 8 participants, between the ages of 25-40, will be asked a series of questions to obtain information on their brewing experience and how this app would be useful to those who are looking to learn.
Research Questions
What are some challenges users have when trying to brew at home?
What type of users are looking to download a brewing app?
How do we keep our users engaged?
How do our users feel about learning and maintaining a new hobby?
User Persona
Affinity Diagram
Definition & Synthesis
Brewing beers at home can be a difficult process to learn. Many users do their research using multiple websites which can lead to errors, confusion, and expensive messes. our research showed that guides and the ability to track and time brewing steps would be beneficial to our users.
Problem Statement
Story Board
Journey Map
Ideation
During the ideation phase, we focused on developing features that directly address the challenges identified in the definition phase. These include comprehensive guides and recipes to assist users at every step, a batch calculator to ensure brew consistency, a brew time tracker for monitoring progress, and supply sourcing suggestions to help users find the perfect ingredients for their next batch.
Feature Prioritization Matrix
User Flow
Competitor Analysis
Prototyping
During the prototyping phase, we developed interactive wireframes to visualize the app’s core features and user flow. This allowed us to test functionality, gather early feedback, and refine key elements such as the batch calculator, brew time tracker, and recipe guides. By iterating on user input, we ensured a seamless and intuitive experience tailored to homebrewers of all skill levels.
Sketches
Wireframes
Hi-Fi Prototypes
User Testing
We conducted user testing with homebrewers of varying experience levels to evaluate the app’s usability and effectiveness. Testers provided valuable feedback on the clarity of the recipe guides, accuracy of the batch calculator, and ease of tracking brew progress. Based on their insights, we refined the interface, improved feature accessibility, and enhanced overall user experience to better support brewers at every stage of their process.
Testing
Results
Iterations
Conclusion
While we had initially aimed for more in-depth research to refine our brewing app's functionalities, We’re pleased with its current capabilities and the encouraging feedback we've received from brewers. Moving forward, we’re excited to continue iterating and exploring opportunities to enhance recipe customization, brewing tools, and community engagement, all based on invaluable user experiences and feedback.
