Lista

The List

A smarter, calmer way to manage your grocery list — with less chaos, more clarity

Ux/UI design

Project

Self - initiated UX studie

Date

2025

Location

Malmö

Concept Summary

Lista is a self-initiated UX project designed for people who feel overwhelmed by grocery shopping — juggling notes, forgotten items, or messy group chats. The app focuses on one thing, and doing it well: creating and sharing clean, smart shopping lists.

It’s not a full recipe planner. It’s not another cluttered grocery app. It’s just… your list, reimagined.

01. The Spark

Every time I go grocery shopping, I either forget something or bring home duplicates. I’ve used messy Notes apps, tried to coordinate with housemates via WhatsApp, and even emailed myself lists — and it still felt chaotic.

Then I asked friends, and they all had similar habits:

“I always forget what’s already in the fridge.”
“My partner texts me random things during the shop.”
“We need a better system.”

That’s when I decided to design the grocery list app I actually wanted to use.

02. The Problem

Managing a shopping list sounds simple — but in reality, people struggle with:

Forgetting key ingredients
Duplicating what they already have
Sharing lists with others in real-time
Making last-minute changes on the go
Keeping it all organized but simple

Most existing tools are either too basic or too bloated.

03. Research & Discovery

I surveyed 25 people and ran interviews with 8 grocery “delegates” (the person who usually does the shopping).

Insights:

– Simplicity was valued over features
– People want real-time syncing with partners/family
– Grouping items by category (e.g. "produce", "dairy") reduces mental load
– Checkbox interactions matter: crossing off feels good!
– Some want optional reminders based on routines (e.g. “Fridays = shop day”)

04. Defining the Vision

How might we design a clean, shareable grocery list that supports real-life routines

— and reduces friction at every step?

Goals:

One-tap list creation
Smooth sharing and syncing
Auto-categorized items
Visual calm and order
Delightful interactions (small joys in small tasks)

05. Design Strategy

Core UX principles:

Input first: Add items fast, even mid-walk
Live sync: Any list, shareable with a tap
Smart sort: Items auto-organize by store sections
Tactile joy: Satisfying animations for checking off items
Memory assist: Suggests past items based on your habits

I kept the flow tight:
Home → Tap list → Add items → Done

06. High-Fidelity UI

The visual design emphasizes clarity and calm, with generous white space and soft pastel accents that create a light, focused environment. Thoughtful microinteractions—like gentle slide-and-fade animations when checking off items—bring a sense of flow and ease to everyday tasks.

Smart, recognizable icons (like 🥦 for produce and 🧴 for toiletries) help users scan lists quickly. A prominent floating “+” button ensures users can always add new items in just one tap, no matter where they are in the app. For night owls and parents planning after bedtime, optional dark mode offers a comfortable alternative.

Each shared list includes small avatars (e.g., “You + Sam”) and real-time syncing, so everyone sees changes live—meaning no more double buys or missed items.