Downtown Döner
How the VisionTranslate team won first place in a product strategy and design competition with an idea I developed, inspired by my experiences in Germany.
April 2024
Overview
Timeline
a few hours
Project Strategist
Role
Type
Product competition
Project Context
Description
Downtown Döner is a fictional Turkish food truck targeting University of Michigan students with authentic Döner kebabs, late-night hours, and an innovative Pokemon Go-style loyalty app called "Kebab Quest" for customer engagement.
Goal
Create a creative, viable digital solution that meets the competition criteria.
Problem Statement
University of Michigan students lack convenient access to authentic late-night food options on campus, with existing choices limited mostly to American and Mexican cuisine.
Product Analysis
Work
Prompt
The competition required teams to develop a strategic plan for a fictional company, incorporating marketing strategies, competitive positioning, and a creative element to make the concept stand out from competitors.
I conducted a detailed, frame-by-frame audit of the onboarding flow, content creation process, chatbot, and settings interface—identifying layout issues, design flaws, bugs, and usability roadblocks throughout.
Competitive Positioning
We identified a market gap in ethnic cuisine on campus and positioned Downtown Döner as the only authentic Turkish food option. This allowed us to leverage international student communities and curious foodies, differentiating from saturated American and Mexican offerings with a culturally distinct and mobile solution.
Market Strategies
Our marketing approach centered on mobility and convenience. We positioned the Downtown Döner food truck at high-traffic campus hubs while operating extended hours to serve late-night student demand.
Creative Element
Our idea for the creative element was to implement a gamified loyalty app called “Kebab Quest”—a Pokémon Go-style experience where students hunt for virtual food characters hidden around campus. Players who find the avatars receive discounts on matching menu items.
Reflection
Creative Constraints Drive Innovation
Starting with no clear product direction challenged our team to think creatively under pressure. Rather than being a setback, this open ended prompt became an opportunity to explore unconventional ideas. It taught us that ambiguity can be a powerful catalyst for bold, original thinking.
Understanding the User Matters
By recognizing students’ desire for late night food options and their daily reliance on mobile apps, we designed a product that felt both relevant and exciting. This clear alignment with student needs stood out to the judges and strengthened our pitch.
Clear Storytelling Wins
While the product idea was important, the way we communicated it made a huge difference. I opened our pitch by sharing how I first discovered Döner kebab in Germany and was struck by how delicious and accessible it was, something that did not exist in the same way back in the United States. This personal connection grounded our concept in a real experience and immediately captured attention. One of the judges, who had also experienced Döner in Europe, resonated with the story, which helped build credibility and emotional engagement.
Results
We won 1st place with the unique concept and the "Kebab Quest" feature.
