Nelio
Designing a refined delivery experience for food lovers.
UX
UI
BtoC
Timeline
Sept. 2018 — July 2019
Platform
iOS & Android App, Web
My role
Product Designer
Scope
France
Introduction
Founded in Lyon in 2016, Nelio set out to redefine food delivery by offering high-quality meals from local, handpicked local food artisans — delivered by cargo bike in Lyon and Paris.
After launching an initial version of their mobile app with an external design studio, the team needed a more refined, conversion-focused user experience aligned with their premium positioning.
This project was a turning point — both for the product and for the team. For the first time, the company brought a designer in-house, which opened the door to new ways of working, deeper user insights, and bolder product decisions.
My role
I was the lead product designer in this company. I collaborated directly with the CEO, the CTO, and with the core team: product owners, marketing division and developers.
Assumption
Problem 1
Visual misalignment
The app’s look and feel is misaligned with the product’s values.
Example
The visual design: colors, typography, and iconography resembles standard food delivery apps (Deliveroo, Uber Eats, 2Good2Go) and fails to convey Nelio’s premium, curated positioning.
Impact
Confuse users about Nelio’s unique value proposition, reduce the likelihood of attracting and retaining discerning customers.
Problem 2
Lack of guidance
Users receive no personalized suggestions or guidance during their ordering journey.
Example
After adding an item to the cart, users aren’t guided toward related or high-value items — and search doesn’t effectively support discovery.
Problem 3
No contextual relevance
The experience does not feel timely and connected to real life.
Example
There is no integration of seasonal or event-based product offerings (e.g., Christmas, Mother’s Day, Easter), which disconnects the experience from customers’ real-world needs and occasions.
Impact
Without seasonal or event-based content, the service misses key emotional and commercial moments — reducing its resonance with users and limiting opportunities to drive engagement.
Defining the problem
“How might we create a food delivery experience that feels premium,
helpful, and relevant to users’ everyday lives?”
Goals
Business
Increase customer retention and boost average basket size
Reinforce brand identity
Maximize key commercial moments
Users
Increase customer retention and boost average basket size
Reinforce brand identity
Maximize key commercial moments
Impact
The redesigned features rolled out in business-priority phases over the year.
Web and mobile releases were coordinated in parallel, ensuring both platforms evolved together for a seamless cross-device experience.
+35%
Improved onboarding process
+25%
Increase in user retention
+18%
repeat purchase rate
+22%
orders per active user
+24%
30-day retention rate
+84%
Increase in time spent on website
Our users
To understand real needs beyond assumptions, we ran user interviews with frequent customers and a guerrilla test in the streets of Lyon. This mix of in-depth and spontaneous feedback helped us spot patterns, refine hypotheses, and reveal why someone would (or wouldn’t) choose our app over others.
Why would users choose to buy from our platform instead of others?
Process
A/B testing
Key design decisions were validated through A/B testing, giving the team objective data to back creative choices. This approach not only secured stakeholder buy-in but also boosted confidence in the final direction.
Handling closed artisans for “as soon as possible” delivery
Integrating design into Core team practices
As the first in-house designer, I introduced collaborative workshops, design thinking methods, and UX-centered improvement cycles. The result: design became part of the team’s DNA, not just a deliverable.
Final designs
What we learned
This project reinforced three key lessons:
Start small to improve fast
Prioritizing and addressing design needs in manageable, focused batches is essential to drive efficient and continuous improvement.
Collaboration goes beyond the core team
Meaningful progress only happens when everyone is involved, not just designers and developers, but also stakeholders, end-users, and teams working on related physical products.
Clarity before perfection
Aiming for pixel-perfect UI components from the start can be counterproductive. Making the interface clear and usable should come first. Refinement can follow once the user need is met.
This is hands down one of my favorite projects — not just for the impact on the product, but for the team journey.
We went from “design as decoration” to “design as a driver,” and that transformation was incredibly rewarding.
Thank you for reading. Don’t hesitate to take a look at my other works!