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Find a Lunch Companion

Design an opt-in social meal experience that matches nearby people by schedule and dining preference while prioritizing safe public meetings.

Mobile4 hours plus

The brief

Understand the problem

Background

People who are new to a workplace or city may want casual company for a meal. Matching strangers around real-time location creates safety, privacy, accessibility, and expectation-setting concerns.

User context

Ana recently moved for work and has a free lunch hour near a busy public market. She would like to meet one or two people who enjoy inexpensive vegetarian food and a short conversation.

Product problem

The app must provide enough compatibility and identity context for an informed choice without exposing exact live location or pressuring anyone to meet.

Objective

Design availability setup, group matching, public venue selection, check-in, and post-meal safety controls.

What to design

Define the experience

Required experience

  • Meal availability and preference setup
  • Small-group match review
  • Public venue agreement
  • Check-in and feedback

Screens and states

  • Availability setup
  • Match detail
  • Venue vote
  • Meeting status
  • Block and report

Core user flow

Follow the critical path

  1. 01

    Ana sets a lunch window and broad area

  2. 02

    She reviews a three-person match

  3. 03

    Everyone agrees on a public venue

  4. 04

    Ana checks in, then privately records whether she would meet the group again

Product rules

Requirements and constraints

Requirements

  • Keep precise location hidden until a venue is agreed
  • Show identity and conduct verification
  • Require mutual confirmation
  • Support dietary, budget, access, and language needs
  • Make leaving, blocking, and reporting easy

Constraints

  • No home meetings or private pickup points
  • Availability changes quickly
  • The product cannot guarantee compatibility or safety

Reality check

States worth considering

One person does not arrive
The venue becomes unavailable
Someone shares unwanted contact information
A participant feels unsafe
Only one match is available

Ready-to-use content

Mock data

Use this content to test hierarchy and realistic data states. You can expand it when the concept needs more depth.

Lunch match

  • Ana, Noor, and Kelvin
  • Window: 12:20 to 13:10
  • Area: Central Market
  • Shared preferences: vegetarian options, under $18, quiet conversation

Finish line

What to deliver

  • Five mobile screens or states
  • A privacy model for area, venue, and check-in visibility

If you want more

Optional extensions

Add recurring community tables
Design host tools for verified organizations

Optional direction

Visual resources

Use these as a starting constraint if you want one. They are not part of the required solution.

Font pairing
CinzelFauna One

Cinzel & Fauna One

Clear interface writing gives people the confidence to understand what changed and decide what to do next.

Icons
Illustrations

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