Mobile App
Crumb: Helping users stay motivated and secure in their food spendings through fun nudges and insights
overview
How much are we actually spending on convenience?
Neither of us could remember what apps we ordered from, or how often. We tried checking our delivery apps, but couldn't find sums or clarity in our history, and banking apps lumped all dining under a generic filter. It made tracking specific take-out or food delivery spending incredibly difficult.
Delivery and those little purchases add up. But it's hard to realize that until it's too late.
People who order delivery often can't see the real total of the habit, because it's split across apps, hidden in fees, and paid for with the slip of a button, whether you're a tired parent, kid, or college student.
When they finally see some kind of spending, it arrives as a lump sum of guilt that’s not possible to act on.
Getting Started
Onboard with your goals, connecting every app in one place
Go through the onboarding to set your goals, and edit them in the Settings at any time
Where all that spending goes
Insights show you how the money works around the food
Plate separates food from fees and tips across every app on the Insights page, by date, spending category, and other uses
proactive help
Nudge before you order, not after the bank statement
Decide for yourself what your ideal budget is, and we'll help you get there with notifications and trackers
Encouraging positivity
Find your habits, make it fun, and spend less!
Monthly reviews help inspire, encourage, and redirect (while helping you learn about your struggle meals and favorite foods) :)
Before the Design...
How did I get there?
Research
How frequently do people buy, and what makes them do it?
I ideated by conducting desk research around the problem space of food and takeout. What do users actually need? Ease of access in exchange for food.
1:. It's a big, growing habit
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2:. Most of the cost is unnoticed because it's split across different apps and fees
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3:. Even being aware of costs helps reduce them
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Process
Information architecture designed to maximize clarity
After research, I set up information architecture from the onboarding to automatic and manual order-logging.
AI Process
How do we use AI to enhance, but not control?
Claude and Cursor helps accelerate the design process. But the human-made architecture set a solid direction for us to ideate off of, and revise as I designed.
Reflection
Sourcing and Motivations
Where would the data come from?
Delivery apps don't share their data, and bank statements are vague. We ended up deciding to use email receipts, which do explain purchases in more detail.
This does bring up another issue I'd like to continue exploring: would people let an app read their inbox?
How do we encourage positivity seamlessly?
Delivery takes a bigger bite out of smaller paychecks, and guilt makes people stop looking. So every nudge in Plate is encouraging and comes with one small, doable step.
