This is a 2019 redesign of my very first mobile web app. Back in 2013, while working for the City of Toronto as a Business Analyst, I designed a basic app allowing you to look up a restaurant’s inspection status on the go. Unbeknownst to me, it was built and put into production! Here I revisit this old project.
Background
I was tasked with defining the requirements for modernizing the DineSafe program at the City of Toronto. The impetus came from a Public Opinion Poll about the program. Among the recommendations was improving usability of the existing website and creating new channels for data disclosure to the public, such making the raw data available and creating a mobile version of the existing site. I spoke with the business unit, who were directly involved in the public consultation. I defined a number of user and technical requirements.
Audiences
From my conversations with client, I identified a number of audiences. It turned out that even internal staff were using DineSafe to look up data, due to lack of a proper internal system.
The target audience for the mobile experience was casual restaurant goers who wanted to see if a restaurant has had health violations. It was decided to expose just this functionality through the mobile app.
Application Map
Prior to design, I did entity maps similar to these, which established the basic structure of the app:
