Kulina, a meal delivery service, faced a challenge in understanding what kept users engaged and loyal to their platform.
While the service catered to a wide range of users, no clear patterns emerged to explain why customers continued to use the platform or which factors influenced their retention.
The team needed to uncover these ‘AHA’ moments to refine their offerings and enhance user satisfaction.
This led to the central question:
Which factors most affect users’ decisions to keep using Kulina’s services?
Using JTBD framework in the interview.
Company
Kulina
Duration
1 month (2019)
My Role
Researcher
Responsibilities
Research Plan, Analyze Data, Interview, Mind Mapping
Impact
The research and resulting improvements had profound effects:
User Classification: Clear segmentation of users into actionable groups (New, Regular, and Loyal).
Retention Factors: Identification of key elements, such as meal variety, nutritional transparency, and reliable delivery, that influence loyalty.
Service Enhancement: Tangible updates, including refined menu sorting and detailed nutrition information, were implemented to better meet user expectations.
Approach
We framed the work as understanding why people keep “hiring” Kulina. We first defined three user classes based on behavior: New, Regular, and Loyal. Then we used the Jobs To Be Done framework to learn what each group expected from the service. The plan was to translate those drivers into clear improvements.
Defining user classes based on user transaction behaviour.
Journey/ Process
We began by defining three groups; newcomers, frequent buyers, and loyal users based on their order history: how many meals they bought per week, how often they repeated, and when they stopped. Each pattern revealed a stage in loyalty.
From each group, we took 7 participants as a sample with the total of 21 participants. Then, using the Jobs-to-Be-Done framework, we asked them why they “hired” Kulina in their daily routines. Instead of abstract answers, we focused on the small details: what problem did Kulina solve for them, and when did they feel most satisfied?
During interviews, users explained they didn’t want to spend energy on planning meals. They liked when food was reliable and consistent. Some said they became loyal only after a smooth post-order experience; delivery on time, meals as promised.
We mapped these insights into a journey that covered awareness, ordering, eating, and reordering. Pain points appeared in variety (menus felt repetitive) and delivery (sometimes too early or too late). But users lit up when they found a favorite dish they could trust.
Mapping user journey based on JTBD result.
With this story in hand, we suggested clear next steps: add more menu variety, show nutrition details up front, and fine-tune delivery times.
Using insights as based knowledge to do design sprint.
Result
The project delivered a clear understanding of user motivations and needs, leading to:
Enhanced Features: Improved sorting of menus by popularity and ratings, along with nutritional transparency.
Streamlined Communication: Better outreach through Instagram and targeted promotions.
Operational Adjustments:: Addressing delivery timing issues to enhance meal freshness.
These outputs not only addressed existing pain points but also positioned Kulina as a user-centric meal service, driving loyalty and long-term satisfaction.
