ShelfScout: Grocery Store App Case Study
This case study highlights the design of an iOS grocery shopping app aimed at helping users save time and reduce frustration while shopping. Focused on user needs and pain points, the project explores how thoughtful design choices can create a simpler, more efficient in-store experience.
Role: Product Designer (End-to-End)
Timeline: February 2025 - September 2025
Problem
Grocery store shoppers often face challenges when trying to locate specific items, which can lead to wasted time searching through aisles or relying on employees for assistance. Another common frustration is the lack of a quick and convenient way to compare prices across different stores, making it harder for shoppers to feel confident they are getting the best value.
Solution
ShelfScout is a user-friendly app that helps grocery shoppers navigate aisles and quickly locate items on their digital shopping list. It also gives users the ability to compare prices across stores, making it easier to shop smarter. By combining an easy-to-use interface with tools that streamline the shopping experience, ShelfScout delivers a dependable and convenient way to shop for groceries.
Talking to Grocery Shoppers
To identify key pain points and challenges, I conducted interviews with six grocery shoppers. Based on the insights gathered, I developed two user personas that represent the broader user base and synthesize the research findings from these participants.
Insights and Opportunities
Competitive Analysis
Some existing apps, such as Walmart with its item search feature and Instacart with price comparisons across stores, offer individual solutions. However, based on my research, no single app integrates these features into one seamless experience, nor do they provide detailed tools like aisle numbers linked directly to a shopping list.
Affinity Mapping
User Flow
I designed two user flows: one focused on locating an item in the store and another for building a grocery list. My goal was to create a streamlined process that makes it easy for users to search for an item and quickly add it to their list. These flows were developed with efficiency and clarity in mind, ensuring the experience feels intuitive for busy shoppers.
Some Early Sketches
I sketched out early concepts for different app pages as a way to brainstorm freely and spark creativity. This process helped me capture both good and bad ideas on paper, explore possibilities without overthinking details, and refine the strongest directions to carry forward into the design.
Outlining the structure and flow of the app through wireframes
Finding what works well and what needs improvement
I conducted a usability study with six grocery shoppers of varying ages. Participants were asked to complete key tasks, including locating an item in the store, creating a grocery list, and adding an item to the list. Throughout the study, I encouraged them to share their thoughts aloud while I captured observations, direct quotes, and click paths. I also evaluated the level of difficulty for each task. These insights provided clear direction for identifying pain points and informed the improvements needed to enhance the app’s usability.
Adding an Add to Cart Icon
Results showed that 66.7% of participants were confused by the three-lined hamburger menu and did not realize it was where the grocery list could be created, with some unable to complete the task. In contrast, the “Add to Cart” icon was instantly recognizable and made the process of building a list much faster, even though the app does not involve purchases. To further improve clarity and accessibility, I also added a settings gear icon, providing users with an intuitive and familiar way to adjust app preferences.
An Enhanced Grocery List Experience
Participants found the original grocery list unintuitive, noting it felt no different from writing a list on paper or in their phone’s notes app. The absence of a store name, aisle numbers, and organized order made it confusing and inefficient to use. To improve this, I redesigned the list to display the store name, automatically sort items along an optimized shopping path, and include aisle numbers for easier navigation. I also added a visible save button to replace the hidden option in the hamburger menu, making the feature more accessible and practical.
Current Lists vs. Past Lists
Several participants struggled with organizing and keeping track of their lists, describing the experience as random and difficult to manage. While they primarily cared about their current lists, some expressed interest in revisiting older lists or saved recipes. To address this, I separated lists into two sections—current and past—allowing users to easily drag a list from the current section into the past section for better organization and retrieval.
Final Product & Features
Select a Grocery Store
Shoppers can conveniently choose from a wide selection of nearby stores—typically around ten options—making it easy to start their shopping experience in the right location.
Search an Item
The app includes a built-in search engine that lets shoppers quickly look up specific items while also highlighting top products available at their selected store.
Item Location Details
This feature allows shoppers to view an item in detail, see related products located nearby, identify the aisle number where it can be found, and conveniently call customer service if additional assistance is needed.
Make a Grocery List
This feature enables shoppers to create organized grocery lists while also saving past lists for easy access and future use.
Main Takeaways
This app combines modern design trends with practical functionality to create a seamless shopping experience. Its clean interface, intuitive navigation, and clear visual hierarchy make it easy for users to focus on finding items quickly. By applying current iOS design standards, the app feels both contemporary and user-friendly, directly meeting the needs of grocery shoppers who value clarity and efficiency.
The app’s features also address key shopper pain points uncovered in research. With item search, aisle numbers, optimized lists, and saved past trips, it reduces wasted time and confusion while improving control over shopping routines. By blending user-centered design with modern iOS patterns, the app delivers a solution that is both highly functional and visually engaging.