GoodFish
GoodFish is a consumer-facing web app created by the Australian Marine Conservation Society. It helps Australians make informed, ethical seafood choices by providing science-backed sustainability ratings for over 90 species. The goal of this project was to redesign the experience so it better served chefs, home cooks, and retailers—making it easier to look up seafood quickly, understand sustainability ratings, and feel confident in their decisions.
Product Designer
Australian Marine Conservation Society
7 Weeks
Native & Web App Responsive
Challenge
While the existing app offered a wealth of valuable information, users often struggled to find what they were looking for or understand how sustainability ratings applied to specific seafood types. The UX needed to balance scientific credibility with everyday usability, especially in high-pressure environments like commercial kitchens. The challenge was to redesign the experience to improve searchability, visual clarity, and user trust—without overwhelming users with dense content.
Results
The new design launched successfully and received positive feedback from both users and internal stakeholders. Early user feedback indicated that chefs found it easier to verify seafood during ordering, and everyday consumers felt more confident using it at markets and supermarkets. The client noted improved engagement and a stronger foundation for future educational outreach.
My Approach
We started by reviewing the existing GoodFish app to understand how it was currently being used and where users were getting stuck. This surfaced several key usability issues and gaps in clarity. From there, we developed a set of design concepts to address the most pressing pain points and added new features to make the experience more helpful and actionable. While the client didn’t have the budget for ongoing user research, we were able to validate our concepts through lightweight testing with selected users — ensuring our solutions aligned with real-world behaviours.
What I did:
Conducted a full review of the existing GoodFish app to identify usability issues and user experience gaps
Synthesised findings into key themes and opportunities for improvement
Developed and iterated on concept designs focused on simplifying seafood sustainability choices
Facilitated lightweight concept testing with selected users to validate early ideas
Collaborated on feature enhancements — including the addition of suggested sustainable alternatives for any “avoid” category fish
Delivered updated UI and interaction patterns designed for clarity, approachability, and on-the-go use
The Solution
The redesigned app put species search and sustainability ratings front and centre. A restructured layout made it easier to browse or search for seafood by name or category. Ratings were colour-coded (Red = Avoid, Amber = Some Concerns, Green = Better Choice), and content was structured for quick scanning. We also added cross-references to better alternatives and contextual info for chefs and wholesalers. The design strikes a balance between trust, clarity, and speed.
Reflection
This project was a reminder that the most powerful design often comes from simplicity. By removing friction and making sustainability easy to understand, we helped more people feel empowered to make better choices. If I were to revisit the project, I’d push for more observational research in real-world kitchens and markets to better capture environmental context.