From world-renowned poutine and smoked meat to innovative dining spots that blend global influences with local ingredients, Montreal offers an incredible range of dining experiences. However, navigating this culinary landscape can be overwhelming, especially as new gems constantly emerge in its bustling neighborhoods.
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An app designed as a comprehensive guide to Montreal’s best restaurants, bars, and cafés is an invaluable tool, bringing users an effortless way to discover, save, and experience the city's top spots. This app offers curated recommendations tailored to each user’s tastes and preferences, whether they crave an authentic French bistro, a cozy neighborhood coffee shop, or the latest in fusion cuisine. With a few taps, users can explore Montreal’s food scene based on location, mood, or dietary preferences, making it easier than ever to discover new favorites and hidden gems.

The user values the convenience of a personalized guide that brings curated recommendations right to their fingertips, saving them time and effort in finding places that match their vibe, whether they’re looking for a cozy coffee shop, a lively bar, or a fine dining experience.They also want an app that evolves with them, adapting to their changing tastes, new dietary needs, or seasonal interests, offering a dynamic selection that feels fresh and relevant each time. Ultimately, this user seeks not only an efficient tool but an inspiring companion that enhances their dining journey, giving them a trusted, ever-accessible guide to navigate the city's culinary scene confidently and authentically.

There is considerable competition in the market for recommendation apps focused on cafes, bars, restaurants, and similar venues. On one end, platforms like Google Maps offer broad, directory-style listings, providing users with extensive options but limited curation. On the other, apps like Infatuation offer a more selective approach, curating a smaller number of venues to deliver a focused, high-quality selection. This range highlights the varied user preferences for either comprehensive access to local spots or a tailored, expert-curated experience, making it a dynamic and challenging market for recommendation apps.

As we've seen, Montreal is a city rich in culinary diversity, offering an impressive array of dining experiences. A major challenge, however, is the overwhelming choice, which can make it hard to decide where to go. This decision often depends on personal cravings, individual tastes, the occasion, and even the company you’ll be with.

Before I joined Tastet, the team had begun envisioning a basic structure for the application. One of my first tasks was to conduct a UX/UI audit of what had already been developed. This audit involved carefully reviewing existing elements, identifying strengths, and highlighting areas for improvement to ensure the app would meet user needs and deliver an intuitive experience. By assessing the initial design choices, I could make informed recommendations to align the application more closely with both user expectations and Tastet’s brand objectives.

The information architecture for the Tastet+ app was designed to create a seamless, intuitive experience that helps users navigate effortlessly and find what they need quickly. Starting with the primary navigation, main categories like Map, Lists, Suggestion, and Profile formed the backbone of the app, with each section leading to detailed subcategories. Users could filter and refine results in areas like cuisine type, price, and occasion, while a search function enabled direct access to specific places or types of venues, enhancing usability. By structuring the tree in a modular way, I ensured that every feature, from curated lists in Lists to personal lists added to Favorites, could be accessed with minimal friction.

We worked in sprints to develop and design each feature of the Tastet+ app, carefully defining the priority and value of each one for our users. This sprint-based approach allowed us to focus on delivering high-impact features in a structured, iterative way, ensuring that we aligned with user needs at every step.

I started by mapping out user flows to establish a clear journey through key features such as the Map, Lists, Filters, Personalized Suggestions, Restaurant Profiles, News Updates, Feedback System, .... For each feature, I created detailed user flows that visually mapped how users would interact with the app from entry point to completion of each task

Using Figma, I crafted high-fidelity mockups that captured the visual style, brand elements, and layout of each screen. These mockups were then transformed into interactive prototypes, enabling us to simulate user flows and gather feedback on functionality and usability. Prototyping allowed us to refine details like navigation, transitions, and button responses, ensuring an intuitive experience. This process was very important for validating design choices and making adjustments before moving into development.

For the Tastet+ app, I built a cohesive design system centered on Tastet’s brand colors, using the Google Material Icon kit, consistent spacing, subtle drop shadows, and an elegant, readable font. This approach ensured a clean, branded look and streamlined the creation of new screens. The spacing and shadows added depth, guiding users naturally through the interface, while the typography established a clear hierarchy. By adhering to these guidelines, I maintained visual coherence across the app, delivering a polished, user-friendly experience true to Tastet’s identity.

User feedback was instrumental in shaping and refining the Tastet+ app. Using Featurebase, we gathered valuable insights on what users appreciated, areas for improvement, and expectations for future updates. Users responded positively to the  Map and Lists but highlighted specific needs for enhancements, such as more robust filtering options and personalized recommendations.

I also worked on creating visuals for Tastet+ that involved designing engaging social media graphics and ad banners that would capture attention and communicate the app's value. For social media, I developed eye-catching posts showcasing key app features, like curated lists and interactive maps, to drive user interest and downloads. Ad banners for the Tastet media site were designed with a focus on clarity and simplicity, using strong visuals and concise messaging to attract viewers and encourage clicks. This visual strategy helped build awareness and generate excitement around the Tastet+ app across multiple channels.

I also had the opportunity to work on a showcase website that presented the various aspects of the Tastet+ application. This site was designed to introduce potential clients and users to the app’s purpose, key features, pricing packages, and frequently asked questions. My goal was to create a clear, visually appealing, and informative platform that highlighted the app's value and answered common questions.

Using Webflow as the main tool, I was able to build and design the site efficiently, leveraging Webflow’s no-code capabilities for layout and styling while incorporating some custom code for specific design elements and functionality. This combination allowed me to achieve a polished, responsive design with interactive features that enhanced user engagement.

In addition to the Tastet+ application, the product and technology were offered as a white-label solution, meaning that it could be customized and branded to match the identity of each purchasing client. This allowed other businesses to leverage the Tastet+ app’s core features under their own branding. One notable client that adopted this approach was the Ritz Carlton Montreal, who utilized the white-labeled version to enhance their customer experience.

To support this customization, it was necessary to create a desktop version of the application, enabling the product to function seamlessly as a web app. This involved adapting the design and interface to suit both mobile and desktop platforms, ensuring that users would enjoy a consistent, high-quality experience across devices. Creating a responsive, adaptable design for the web app required additional planning in terms of layout, navigation, and accessibility, allowing each brand to deliver the Tastet+ experience in a way that felt fully integrated with their own identity and digital ecosystem.