AggieRewards

AggieRewards

During a design sprint organized by a campus club, I along with 3 fellow designers developed an app called Aggie Rewards to incentivize students to dine on campus. The project aimed to address the decline in on-campus dining by providing a rewards-based incentive. Our design won the "Most Human-Centered Design" award.

/timeline

Oct 2023 - Nov 2023

product design

visual identity

graphic design

//role

UX Research

Product Design

//tools

Figma + Procreate + Adobe Photoshop

The problem ⤵︎

Despite UC Davis’s diverse dining options, high costs and few incentives have deterred students, causing revenue to drop. (tell me why a bagel is $8.25 with no cream cheese, a CRIME)

We wanted to develop an idea where UC Davis students could be more inclined to dine more frequently on campus, and we came up with a durable and accessible rewards program. Initially, a stamp card system was considered, but later evolved into a points-based rewards program. Through a simple tap, students can view their accumulated points, schedule orders for meals and drinks, and see the distance to each eatery on campus.

think! ˎˊ˗

How Can We Incentivize UC Davis Students to Dine on Campus More Frequently and Make It More Affordable and Accessible?

COMPETITIVE AUDIT + ANALYSIS ⤵︎

There is no "Easy Mode"

We noticed that most programs lacked an "easy mode" and had clunky navigation. They were either too wordy and overwhelming or visually unappealing. For example:

  • McDonald's app is user-friendly and offers frequent rewards but feels crowded with food items yelling at you.

  • Teaspoon, a local boba shop, gives you 2 points (Golden Spoons) for every dollar spent. When you reach 120 Golden Spoons ($60), you get a free drink. Not exactly a steal.

  • Sephora’s tiered loyalty program offers exclusive rewards, but you typically need to spend over $100 just to get a free face wash worth $10. Seems a bit steep, right?

USER RESEARCH ⤵︎

The People Want Easy and Cheap.

We surveyed students and found:

  • 53% rarely dine on campus – a lot of students aren't using campus dining.

  • 41% would dine on campus more if there were rewards – a solid potential for a rewards-based system.

Through our research, we found that a successful rewards program needs to be:

  • Accessible: Easy for all students to sign up and use.

  • Easy to Understand: Simple rules and clear rewards.

  • Desirable: Offering rewards that students genuinely want and feel are worth the effort.

The solution ⤵︎

The solution ⤵︎

INTRODUCING AGGIEREWARDS ˎˊ˗

AggieRewards is a streamlined campus dining app that begins with a secure UC Davis CAS login. The home screen features a dynamic points banner and a list of nearby dining spots sorted by distance for maximum convenience.

Users can order meals for immediate pickup or schedule them for later, with a checkout process that makes customizations simple. By tapping the points banner, students access a tiered rewards system where earned points unlock exclusive discounts that apply automatically to their cart. Wrapped in the official UC Davis color palette, the app offers a professional, intuitive, and cohesive experience for navigating campus dining.

AggieRewards is a streamlined campus dining app that begins with a secure UC Davis CAS login. The home screen features a dynamic points banner and a list of nearby dining spots sorted by distance for maximum convenience.

Users can order meals for immediate pickup or schedule them for later, with a checkout process that makes customizations simple. By tapping the points banner, students access a tiered rewards system where earned points unlock exclusive discounts that apply automatically to their cart. Wrapped in the official UC Davis color palette, the app offers a professional, intuitive, and cohesive experience for navigating campus dining.

WRAPUP ⤵︎

WRAPUP ⤵︎

Challenges???

When developing this platform, we frequently bounced back and forth whether to use a stamp card system or switch to a traditional point system for better user experience and design. One major challenge was addressing varying technical skill levels, as some users found the original design user-friendly while others found it confusing. This highlighted the need for a highly intuitive interface. We also had to find a balance between simplicity and functionality—ensuring the system was engaging yet practical, without being overly simplistic or too complex.

When developing this platform, we frequently bounced back and forth whether to use a stamp card system or switch to a traditional point system for better user experience and design. One major challenge was addressing varying technical skill levels, as some users found the original design user-friendly while others found it confusing. This highlighted the need for a highly intuitive interface. We also had to find a balance between simplicity and functionality—ensuring the system was engaging yet practical, without being overly simplistic or too complex.

Takeaways and What's Next ⤵︎

Takeaways and What's Next ⤵︎

As my first take into the UX Design world, I found this project to be highly impactful, building me a strong foundation into this field. For what's to come next, I hope to utilize what I have learned from this project to carry onto various more projects to come. Currently, I am working on a startup with a group of colleagues where we will solely focus on enhancing the user's experience within food sharing on the social web.

As my first take into the UX Design world, I found this project to be highly impactful, building me a strong foundation into this field. For what's to come next, I hope to utilize what I have learned from this project to carry onto various more projects to come. Currently, I am working on a startup with a group of colleagues where we will solely focus on enhancing the user's experience within food sharing on the social web.

design bits n' pieces ⤵︎

ITERATIONS & DRAFTS ⤵︎

A New Makeover

Users found the app's flow confusing and visually unappealing. By incorporating UC Davis's official colors, we introduced a bolder, cleaner look compared to the old pastel palette.

Stamp Card Out! Points In!

Through User Testing, we scrapped the stamp card as it was less appealing and more confusing than a traditional point system. Feedback from users indicated that a regular point system was more effective than a stamp card, which was found messy and confusing. In order to still maintain the incentives for visiting certain dining spots on campus, a complementary system was implemented that provides a point multiplier for dining at select locations.