about
about
the problem: what's lunch?
My partner and I love food.
As I pursue my graduate degree in the US, he resides 12 hours ahead of me in Singapore, and is always thinking about what to eat, especially where he can grab a quick bite around his office during lunch break. "What should I eat for lunch today?" seems like a tie that connects—except that I always give the "wrong" answer. After years of failing as an understanding partner, I've decided to design a tool to save our relationship.
Introducing: The Food Wheel!
the challenge: what are the options?
Analyzing Food Pattern
Understanding what he likes to eat is not the hard part; the hard part is choosing one out of the several options around his office, which he and his colleagues would repeatedly visit, and perhaps understanding the patterns.
I downloaded the image files embedded with our WhatsApp chat history for the last year, selected the food pictures he sent, to not be confused with the food picture i sent.
The result was an album of 278 images.
Cataloguing: I utilize ChatGPT and Claude to analyze the images, providing me with two text-based spreadsheet catalogues, and labeling the food as breakfast, lunch, or dinner based on the time sent.
Data Validation: Based on this information, I used the two chatbots to create two sets of "food reports", including data visualization of the most common dish eaten, food patterns depending on time of the year, etc. After cross-comparing the two sets of results, I chose to continue with the one Claude created, and shared the report with my "client" for feedback.
The analysis reports reveal some overlooked patterns:
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Toppings: Pork is a consistent protein choice at various fast food places offering "make your own bowl" options, whether grilled, in soup, or atop noodles and rice.
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Palette Change: Food options evolve; for instance, spicy Chinese cuisine has recently become a regular part of the diet since the fall.
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Seasonal Influence: habits fluctuate throughout the year. During holidays like Lunar New Year, there's a shift from single-serving fast food to larger family gatherings away from the office.
the design: prototyping and finalizing
I envisioned a simple, straightforward product that serves only one job - give the user an option, and preferably hit the jackpot. If not, at least help the user decide what they do NOT want to eat.
select preferences
breakfast / lunch / dinner / surprise
generate
results
food for the day
the earlier prototype i build with claude code
Inspired by retro games, I created the design with a lighter pastel color palette that reflects an 80s retro aesthetic, and each dish features a retro pixel icon. Since many dishes allow for "choose your own toppings" adventures, the tool will also provide potential toppings for inspiration.
I also added some snacks and surprises within the options, noted as the "chaos pick". They are less healthy, but maybe suggest a sign for a needed "guilt pleasure".
