Talabat
Talabat
UX
UX
Helping health-conscious Talabat users make safer food choices without slowing them down
Helping health-conscious Talabat users make safer food choices without slowing them down
Helping health-conscious Talabat users make safer food choices without slowing them down
Client — Maqamy
Type — Fintech
Role — Visual Designer
Design Tools — Illustrator, Photoshop, Figma
Client — Maqamy
Type — Fintech
Role — Visual Designer
Design Tools — Illustrator, Photoshop, Figma
OVERVIEW
OVERVIEW
A simple solution for a greater problem.
A simple solution for a greater problem.
Food delivery has become part of everyday life in the UAE. For many people, ordering food is no longer an occasional convenience but a daily habit. At the same time, the UAE has one of the highest rates of diet-related health conditions in the world. Diabetes, hypertension, and obesity are common, and many people are required to be careful about what they eat.
Food delivery has become part of everyday life in the UAE. For many people, ordering food is no longer an occasional convenience but a daily habit. At the same time, the UAE has one of the highest rates of diet-related health conditions in the world. Diabetes, hypertension, and obesity are common, and many people are required to be careful about what they eat.
Despite this, food delivery apps offer very limited support when it comes to understanding what is actually in a dish. Menus rarely show full ingredients, sugar levels, or clear allergen information. Users are expected to make decisions with incomplete information, even when those decisions can directly affect their health.
Despite this, food delivery apps offer very limited support when it comes to understanding what is actually in a dish. Menus rarely show full ingredients, sugar levels, or clear allergen information. Users are expected to make decisions with incomplete information, even when those decisions can directly affect their health.
This project explores how Talabat could introduce a Healthy Mode, a feature that helps users make safer food choices at the moment of ordering.
This project explores how Talabat could introduce a Healthy Mode, a feature that helps users make safer food choices at the moment of ordering.
Challenge
Challenge
Users want to eat safely but lack clear, trustworthy guidance when choosing dishes, leading to hesitation and uncertainty at checkout.
Users want to eat safely but lack clear, trustworthy guidance when choosing dishes, leading to hesitation and uncertainty at checkout.
Solution
Solution
Healthy Mode provides optional, personalized food insights at key moments, helping users make confident choices without disrupting the ordering flow.
Healthy Mode provides optional, personalized food insights at key moments, helping users make confident choices without disrupting the ordering flow.
DISCOVER
DISCOVER
Understanding the UAE health & food delivery context.
Understanding the UAE health & food delivery context.
The first step was to understand whether this problem truly exists in the UAE, or if it is simply a nice idea.
The first step was to understand whether this problem truly exists in the UAE, or if it is simply a nice idea.
The data quickly made things clear. Around 16-18% of adults in the UAE live with diabetes, and nearly 1 in 3 adults is prediabetic. Hypertension affects roughly 30-35% of the population, and over 60% of adults are overweight or obese. These conditions are closely linked to frequent consumption of restaurant food, especially meals high in sugar, salt, and fats.
The data quickly made things clear. Around 16-18% of adults in the UAE live with diabetes, and nearly 1 in 3 adults is prediabetic. Hypertension affects roughly 30-35% of the population, and over 60% of adults are overweight or obese. These conditions are closely linked to frequent consumption of restaurant food, especially meals high in sugar, salt, and fats.
At the same time, food delivery usage is extremely high. Around 70-80% of residents in the UAE use food delivery apps regularly. Many urban professionals order food 3-5 times a week. For a large group of users, food delivery is their primary source of meals.
At the same time, food delivery usage is extremely high. Around 70-80% of residents in the UAE use food delivery apps regularly. Many urban professionals order food 3-5 times a week. For a large group of users, food delivery is their primary source of meals.
This combination creates a clear tension. People rely heavily on food delivery, yet are making food decisions with very little visibility into what they are eating.
This combination creates a clear tension. People rely heavily on food delivery, yet are making food decisions with very little visibility into what they are eating.
DISCOVER
DISCOVER
Learning from the competitors.
Learning from the competitors.
Zomato, a major food delivery app based in India, has launched a feature called 'Healthy Mode' in 2025 that assigns each dish a healthy score based on macronutrients such as protein, fibre, and complex carbohydrates. This scoring is powered by AI and restaurant-supplied data to help users identify more nutritious meals directly within the ordering experience.
Zomato, a major food delivery app based in India, has launched a feature called 'Healthy Mode' in 2025 that assigns each dish a healthy score based on macronutrients such as protein, fibre, and complex carbohydrates. This scoring is powered by AI and restaurant-supplied data to help users identify more nutritious meals directly within the ordering experience.
Zomato reported that Healthy Mode already contributes to 5% of platform orders, proving that people are open to health-aware guidance inside food delivery apps.
Zomato reported that Healthy Mode already contributes to 5% of platform orders, proving that people are open to health-aware guidance inside food delivery apps.
Zomato is not the first player to attempt nutrition-based categorisation. Rival Swiggy, also based in India, earlier launched a ‘High Protein’ (now renamed to 'Eat Right' category to make high-protein meals easier to find and order. Each dish listed under the category has at least 15 grams of protein per serving.
Zomato is not the first player to attempt nutrition-based categorisation. Rival Swiggy, also based in India, earlier launched a ‘High Protein’ (now renamed to 'Eat Right' category to make high-protein meals easier to find and order. Each dish listed under the category has at least 15 grams of protein per serving.
'Healthy Mode' and 'High Protein' (now Eat Right) represents a larger shift in food delivery app design. Instead of just showing menus and prices, platforms are beginning to embed health signals and nutritional context directly into the ordering experience.
'Healthy Mode' and 'High Protein' (now Eat Right) represents a larger shift in food delivery app design. Instead of just showing menus and prices, platforms are beginning to embed health signals and nutritional context directly into the ordering experience.
DISCOVER
DISCOVER
Where current healthy modes fall short.
Where current healthy modes fall short.
Zomato’s Healthy Mode and Swiggy’s High Protein (now Eat Right) clearly validate the demand for health-aware guidance in food delivery. However, user feedback reveals key gaps in how these features work today.
Zomato’s Healthy Mode and Swiggy’s High Protein (now Eat Right) clearly validate the demand for health-aware guidance in food delivery. However, user feedback reveals key gaps in how these features work today.
In Swiggy's High Protein (now Eat Right), health is often reduced to a single label or metric. Dishes flagged as “High Protein” or “Healthy” can still be high in fat, sugar, or calories, creating a misleading health halo. Without full context, these badges risk oversimplifying complex nutritional realities.
In Swiggy's High Protein (now Eat Right), health is often reduced to a single label or metric. Dishes flagged as “High Protein” or “Healthy” can still be high in fat, sugar, or calories, creating a misleading health halo. Without full context, these badges risk oversimplifying complex nutritional realities.
Current solutions also lack intent awareness. Users managing diabetes, allergies, or specific dietary needs evaluate food very differently, yet health features largely assume one generic definition of “healthy.” This makes guidance feel less relevant for people eating carefully out of necessity, not preference.
Current solutions also lack intent awareness. Users managing diabetes, allergies, or specific dietary needs evaluate food very differently, yet health features largely assume one generic definition of “healthy.” This makes guidance feel less relevant for people eating carefully out of necessity, not preference.
Trust remains another challenge. Users question the accuracy of nutritional values and health scores when restaurant ingredients and cooking methods vary widely. Once inconsistencies are noticed, credibility drops quickly.
Trust remains another challenge. Users question the accuracy of nutritional values and health scores when restaurant ingredients and cooking methods vary widely. Once inconsistencies are noticed, credibility drops quickly.
Finally, isolating healthy into separate categories risks framing the rest of the menu as unhealthy. Users respond better to healthy as a supportive layer within the main experience, rather than a rigid filter or marketing label.
Finally, isolating healthy into separate categories risks framing the rest of the menu as unhealthy. Users respond better to healthy as a supportive layer within the main experience, rather than a rigid filter or marketing label.
These gaps highlight an opportunity to move beyond badges and macros toward clearer, intent-aware, and trustworthy decision support.
These gaps highlight an opportunity to move beyond badges and macros toward clearer, intent-aware, and trustworthy decision support.
DEFINE
DEFINE
Defining the core problem & user personas.
Defining the core problem & user personas.
Health-conscious users want to make safer food choices, but the current food delivery experience does not support that.
Health-conscious users want to make safer food choices, but the current food delivery experience does not support that.
Users are often left guessing whether a dish is suitable for their health conditions, allergies, or dietary needs. Even when health labels exist, they are frequently generic, inconsistent, or hard to trust.
Users are often left guessing whether a dish is suitable for their health conditions, allergies, or dietary needs. Even when health labels exist, they are frequently generic, inconsistent, or hard to trust.
This uncertainty creates anxiety and forces users to either take risks or avoid ordering altogether. The problem is not lack of intent. Most users want to eat better or at least eat safely. The real gap is the lack of clear, trustworthy, and personalized guidance at the exact moment of decision.
This uncertainty creates anxiety and forces users to either take risks or avoid ordering altogether. The problem is not lack of intent. Most users want to eat better or at least eat safely. The real gap is the lack of clear, trustworthy, and personalized guidance at the exact moment of decision.
DEVELOP
DEVELOP
Exploring the right approach.
Exploring the right approach.
How might we provide clear, trustworthy, and personalized health guidance at the moment users decide what to order, without slowing down the food delivery experience?
How might we provide clear, trustworthy, and personalized health guidance at the moment users decide what to order, without slowing down the food delivery experience?
I then focused on the most impactful elements for the Healthy Mode feature.
I then focused on the most impactful elements for the Healthy Mode feature.
An opt-in Healthy Mode toggle
A simple health profile setup with medical conditions, allergies, and dietary needs.
Dish-level indicators that highlight potential concerns
Simple breakdowns and explanations with less medical jargons
Non-blocking warnings before checkout when relevant
An opt-in Healthy Mode toggle
A simple health profile setup with medical conditions, allergies, and dietary needs.
Dish-level indicators that highlight potential concerns
Simple breakdowns and explanations with less medical jargons
Non-blocking warnings before checkout when relevant
I then focused on integrating these elements into the existing Talabat flow.
I then focused on integrating these elements into the existing Talabat flow.
The goal was to support users without slowing them down or changing how they normally order food.
The goal was to support users without slowing them down or changing how they normally order food.
REFINE
REFINE
Designing for clarity, confidence, and care.
Designing for clarity, confidence, and care.
Healthy Mode is designed as an optional layer that users can turn on if they want more clarity. When enabled, it uses the user’s health profile to surface relevant insights while browsing menus.
Healthy Mode is designed as an optional layer that users can turn on if they want more clarity. When enabled, it uses the user’s health profile to surface relevant insights while browsing menus.
Language and visuals were kept calm and neutral. There are no bright red alerts, no good or bad labels, and no blocked actions. Users always remain in control.
Language and visuals were kept calm and neutral. There are no bright red alerts, no good or bad labels, and no blocked actions. Users always remain in control.
One important decision was to avoid heavy medical jargons. While useful for some users, these require more explanation and can increase cognitive load.
One important decision was to avoid heavy medical jargons. While useful for some users, these require more explanation and can increase cognitive load.
Focusing on relevance to the user’s own needs felt more appropriate for a fast, everyday ordering context.
Focusing on relevance to the user’s own needs felt more appropriate for a fast, everyday ordering context.
SOLUTION
SOLUTION
Introducing the Talabat Healthy Mode.
Introducing the Talabat Healthy Mode.
Talabat Healthy Mode is an optional feature inside Talabat that helps users make safer food choices based on their personal health needs.
Talabat Healthy Mode is an optional feature inside Talabat that helps users make safer food choices based on their personal health needs.
Users can set their preferences once. When browsing menus, they see subtle indicators on dishes that may affect their health, allergies, or dietary requirements. Tapping into a dish reveals a short explanation in plain language.
Users can set their preferences once. When browsing menus, they see subtle indicators on dishes that may affect their health, allergies, or dietary requirements. Tapping into a dish reveals a short explanation in plain language.
If a dish conflicts with the user’s profile, the app gently flags it before checkout. Users can review or continue without restriction.
If a dish conflicts with the user’s profile, the app gently flags it before checkout. Users can review or continue without restriction.
Healthy Mode does not aim to make users eat healthy. It helps them eat confidently.
Healthy Mode does not aim to make users eat healthy. It helps them eat confidently.
Healthy Mode Toggle
Healthy Mode Toggle
Turn on Healthy Mode to get food insights tailored to your health needs while you browse and order.
Turn on Healthy Mode to get food insights tailored to your health needs while you browse and order.
Set Health Preferences
Set Health Preferences
Select your health conditions, allergies, or food preferences to personalize what you see.
Select your health conditions, allergies, or food preferences to personalize what you see.
Smart Restaurant Filtering
Smart Restaurant Filtering
Restaurants are highlighted based on how many dishes align with your preferences.
Restaurants are highlighted based on how many dishes align with your preferences.
Dish-Level Insights
Dish-Level Insights
Each dish shows simple cues that help you understand how it fits your health needs.
Each dish shows simple cues that help you understand how it fits your health needs.
Health Check
Health Check
Get a clear summary of how a dish aligns with your preferences, in plain language.
Get a clear summary of how a dish aligns with your preferences, in plain language.
Gentle Warnings
Gentle Warnings
When a dish may not suit your preferences, we’ll let you know without blocking your choice.
When a dish may not suit your preferences, we’ll let you know without blocking your choice.
