Allerwell is a food logging app that uses natural language input and surfaces allergens in what users eat. This case study walks through the redesign that removed the navigation, why I made that call, and what I learned from shipping it.
Food logging is a daily action that most apps have built for a different shape of life than the one users actually live.
The standard flow is: search a food, pick from near-identical results, adjust portions, confirm, repeat for each item in the meal. It works for a single packaged item. It doesn’t fit the few seconds someone is actually willing to give it while standing in a queue, eating at a desk, or remembering a meal they finished an hour ago.
For people managing food allergies, the friction compounds. Restaurant and takeaway food carries ingredients the user often doesn’t know in detail. The app needs to do ingredient-level work the user can’t reliably do themselves, and it needs to do it fast enough to be useful at the moment of decision: before ordering, not after.
Problem
Allerwell logs meals through natural language and surfaces allergens in what the user eats or is about to eat.
The user types or says “I had oats cooked in milk with banana,” and the app returns calories, macros, and any flagged allergens. No assembling the meal item by item.
A separate menu-scan flow flags allergens on restaurant menus before the user orders.
It’s live on the App Store and Play Store. Free for now, which is why active user growth matters as an early-stage signal.
Target audience
Two populations, two slightly different jobs.
Nutrition trackers: Open Allerwell after they’ve eaten to log the meal so they can see calories and macros over time. The job is recording. Speed matters because they’re already moving on to whatever’s next.
Allergy users: Open Allerwell at the point of decision, often at a restaurant or takeaway counter. The job is verification. Speed matters because the decision is time-pressured and the cost of getting it wrong is real.
The wedge is the overlap. Trackers don’t handle allergens at the ingredient level. Allergy apps don’t track nutrition. A meaningful share of Allerwell’s users want both, and don’t want to maintain two separate apps to get them.
The structural diagnostic was easy: the previous version had five tabs of equal weight, and logging was one tab among five.
The deeper problem was that the app’s structure didn’t fit how the action was actually done. Logging is a daily, time-pressured behavior, not a destination.
Building it as a tab among five treated it like one of several places the user might want to go, when in practice it was where most sessions started and ended.
The redesign used IA as the lever, but the goal was behavioral. Make logging fit the seconds users are willing to give it.
30 days post-launch vs 30 days pre-launch.
+75%
Logs per active user per day.
Average daily logs per active user moved from 2 to 3.5.
+6%
Downloads
+12%
Active users
The Pivot
Old 5-tab nav vs new single home screen. (The structural decision)
Loading State
Empty input to skeleton card to filled result. (Designing for AI ambiguity)
Allergen Flag
Inline allergen surfacing on a logged meal. (The allergen layer)
Progress Track Screen
The progress management tool keeps clients in the loop with real-time updates, visuals, and collaboration, fostering transparency throughout projects.
The problem statement identifies several challenges faced by skilled UX/UI designers and freelancers/agency owners.
A challenge we faced throughout this process was the inability to interview users due to constraints of time. Our solution was a blend of one-on-one interviews with designers present in our team and secondary research.
One-on-one interviews with our teammates enabled us to align on project goals and uncover any additional needs.
Secondary research helped us grasp existing knowledge about competitors, and trends, informing design decisions and identifying areas for further exploration.
Client Acquisition and Visibility:
Effective profile creation tools to showcase their skills, experience, and portfolio in a compelling way. Marketing and outreach functionalities to connect with potential clients and promote their services.
Credibility and Trust Building:
Client review and rating system to establish trust and credibility with potential clients. Secure portfolio hosting to showcase their work professionally and securely. Client communication tools to facilitate clear and efficient communication with potential and existing clients.
Streamlined Project Management:
Proposal and contract creation tools to easily create professional proposals to clients. Integrated invoicing and payment processing to receive payments securely and efficiently. Project management features: Communication with clients.
Competitive fees and transparent pricing:
To ensure fair compensation for their work.
Competitive analysis helped us understand its landscape: who are they competing against, what features do they offer, and how are they perceived? This knowledge allows Elevate to identify opportunities for differentiation, refine its value proposition, and ultimately attract more designers and clients.
“To support freelance designers and agencies to thrive by connecting them with ideal clients, building trust and credibility, and streamlining project workflows.”
Defining the goal statement acted as a guiding light, ensuring every design decision aligns with the app's core purpose: putting quality design agency and freelancers designers. By keeping this goal at the forefront, we were able to prioritize features that directly addresses user needs, such as efficient project management tools and maximizing visibility for designers. This laser focus translates into a user experience that truly caters to designers' success, ultimately driving user satisfaction and platform adoption.
To address the challenges, We implemented a three-way approach:
Curated Talent Pool:
We introduced a high standard verification step for evaluating designer skills, ensuring a strong talent pool while preventing saturation. This ensures both quality for clients and increased visibility for skilled designers.
Streamlined Project Management
We provided efficient project management tools, allowing designers to manage tasks, track progress, and communicate effectively with clients. This fosters smoother workflows and client satisfaction.
Badge System for Recognition:
We implemented a badge system that rewards designers with increasing recognition based on positive client testimonials. This incentivizes quality work and provides valuable social proof for both designers and clients.
Profile Creation
By requiring profile creation upfront, Elevate collects information and potentially verify a designer's skills and qualify them in the Elevate community. This builds trust and helps clients identify highly skilled designers.
Home Screen
Upon registration, designers undergo a verification process that takes 48 hours. During this time, they can freely explore the app's features and functionalities, but they are temporarily restricted from applying to job listings.
The home screen serves as the central hub for exploring design opportunities. It's divided into key sections. Filter, ongoing jobs and recommended jobs.
Jobs
A clear description initiates each job posting, followed by the company's background and required qualifications. Clicking the "Apply Now" call to action directs designers to have their details pre-filled and allows them to upload a proposal for enhanced client visibility.
Proposal Template
A customizable template is provided by Elevate for each job listing. This allows designers to showcase their unique strengths and tailor their value proposition to individual opportunities. Pre-populated content can be easily adapted to highlight specific skills, experience, and any qualities that distinguish the designer.
Designer's Profile
The designer's profile is prominently displayed, showcasing their level through earned badges based on positive reviews, a comprehensive overview of their skills and experience, and a curated selection of their work. Additionally, verified client testimonials and ratings are presented, providing valuable insights into the designer's capabilities and performance.
Project Management
The major project management tool is the My Jobs section, where job listings are segregated by status. Each job listing features a separate project management tool, in which progress is updated by designers based on their design process, with transparency extended to the client.
Chats
A separate chat section is integrated for easy interaction between designers and clients. The chat screen includes an integrated project management tool with an automatic invoice section, enabling the creation and automatic sending of invoices when needed.
Effective communication
Clear and transparent communication played a pivotal role in navigating challenges. Regular team meetings, status updates, and open lines of communication helped address roadblocks promptly and ensured everyone was aligned with project goals.
Attention to detail:
The devil is indeed in the details. We learned that the small nuances in design, such as micro-interactions and visual cues, significantly contribute to the overall user experience. Meticulous attention to these details ensures a polished and user-friendly interface.
Collaboration:
Leading a UX case study reinforced the importance of collaborative efforts. Working closely as a team, led to richer insights and more holistic solutions.
Documentation:
Throughout the case study, We realized the importance of comprehensive documentation. From user personas to user flow and prototyping results, having a well-documented process not only aids in project continuity but also serves as a valuable resource for future reference and analysis.
“To support freelance designers and agencies to thrive by connecting them with ideal clients, building trust and credibility, and streamlining project workflows.”
Gamification:
We introduced a high standard verification step for evaluating designer skills, ensuring a strong talent pool while preventing saturation. This ensures both quality for clients and increased visibility for skilled designers.
AI integration:
Leverage AI to streamline project management by offering features like:
Automated task suggestions and scheduling to optimize workflow efficiency.
Smart client matching based on project requirements and designer expertise.
Progress tracking and risk identification to ensure timely project completion.