Welcome To

jennahimel.com

View

MY WORK

Take A Look At

SKETCHBOOK ETC.

Learn

ABOUT ME

Welcome To

jennahimel.com

View

MY WORK

Take A Look At

SKETCHBOOK ETC.

Learn

ABOUT ME

PIT BOSS’S

PIT BOSS’S

GRILLING GAMIFICATION

GRILLING GAMIFICATION

GRILLING GAMIFICATION

A leaderboard system highlighting active grillers , grill models, and reward system.

A leaderboard system highlighting active grillers , grill models, and reward system.

Data Visualization

Data Visualization

User Flows

User Flows

Ideation

Ideation

Sketching

Sketching

My Role:

UI/UX Lead

In Collaboration With:

Ryan Minor (Lead Developer)

Mauro Minor (Back End Developer)

Jake Alexander (Front End Developer)

Timeline:

6 months

January 2024-June 2025

I joined the Mobile Product Team to do an overhaul of the current Pit Boss App.


Beyond the general UX/UI restructure, my work expanded to build app features expanding beyond basic grill control and recipe capabilities.

I joined the Mobile Product Team to do an overhaul of the current Pit Boss App.


Beyond the general UX/UI restructure, my work expanded to build app features expanding beyond basic grill control and recipe capabilities.

As of 2025, the Pit Boss app’s primary function is to allow it’s user to control their grill remotely from up to thousands of miles away.

There is a lack of engaging, community-driven features.

Users primarily interact with the app during major grilling occasions, such as holidays or social events, which results in inconsistent usage and low long-term engagement.

How might we create a more engaging experience that encourages consistent grill usage?

How might we create a more engaging experience that encourages consistent grill usage?

In ideation and brainstorming, i these questions in mind:

In ideation and brainstorming, i these questions in mind:

What can the app offer that our competitors don’t?

What can the app offer that our competitors don’t?

What encourages use?

What encourages use?

Motivation to keep using product?

Motivation to keep using product?

Access to visual themes on the app

Access to visual themes on the app

Reward System/Tiers

What could be rewards?

Reward System/Tiers

What could be rewards?

Recipe Competition

Recipe Competition

Game

Leaderboard

Game

Leaderboard

Product Discounts

Product Discounts

Jumping grill or pacman type game

Jumping grill or pacman type game

Fees like gyms

(no I don’t like this)

Fees like gyms

(no I don’t like this)

Weather and cook coordination/planning

Weather and cook coordination/planning

Merch

Merch

Fun, personal details

Fun, personal details

Grill Competition

Grill Competition

Secret recipes that only appear after a certain number of hours grilled

Secret recipes that only appear after a certain number of hours grilled

Grill/cooking word of the day, technique or fun fact of the day?

Grill/cooking word of the day, technique or fun fact of the day?

Virtual Community/recipe photo feed

Virtual Community/recipe photo feed

Grill “Horoscope”

That encourages recipes and a good day for grilling

Grill “Horoscope”

That encourages recipes and a good day for grilling

Make your own recipes and share them, earn points for how many people score it

Make your own recipes and share them, earn points for how many people score it

Follow each other, see what another using is doing

Follow each other, see what another using is doing

Joke of the day/grill puns

Joke of the day/grill puns

Sport team visuals/avatar photos to earn

Sport team visuals/avatar photos to earn

Take photo of food, scan and AI recommends how to cook it and a recipe

Take photo of food, scan and AI recommends how to cook it and a recipe

Compete with friends, lose to them?

Compete with friends, lose to them?

Shipping

Discounts

Shipping

Discounts

Calendar, add in birthdays and events and bookmark recipes for this later, will remind dyou

Calendar, add in birthdays and events and bookmark recipes for this later, will remind dyou

Introducing:

Introducing:

The Pit Boss Leaderboard

The Pit Boss Leaderboard

Turn grilling into a community game.

Turn grilling into a community game.

Encourages more grill use, creates friendly competition , and lets users see how others are using their grills.

Encourages more grill use, creates friendly competition , and lets users see how others are using their grills.

To earn points, a user can:

To earn points, a user can:

Grill

Grill

Refer Friends

Refer Friends

Leave Recipe Reviews

Leave Recipe Reviews

Grill Registration

Grill Registration

Submit Recipes (And Earn Points From Other’s Reviews)

Submit Recipes (And Earn Points From Other’s Reviews)

Product Reviews

Product Reviews

35

44

35

44

The primary age demographic of grill owners in the US is between 35 and 44 years old; I wanted to tap into the nostalgia of nineties and early 2000s arcade and video games.

In this spirit, I want playful, fun, tactile interactions.

However, the UI does need to be cohesive with the rest of the app visuals; too much stylization will make it alien to the rest of the app.

A compromise of pixel art stylization in small elements, and modern, streamlined overall UI.

Grill models are turned into stylized icons, adding a personal touch.

Grill models are turned into stylized icons, adding a personal touch.

An ode to Pit Boss’s sponsorship of Nascar:

Odometers.

An ode to Pit Boss’s sponsorship of Nascar:

Odometers.

The odometer adjusters provide a tactile interaction, break up the monotony of standard adjusters, and add visual interest.

The odometer adjusters provide a tactile interaction, break up the monotony of standard adjusters, and add visual interest.

In ideation and brainstorming, i these questions in mind:

What can the app offer that our competitors don’t?

What encourages use?

Motivation to keep using product?

Product Discounts

Access to visual themes on the app

Recipe Competition

Game

Leaderboard

Jumping grill or pacman type game

Fees like gyms

(no I don’t like this)

Weather and cook coordination/planning

Merch

Fun, personal details

Grill/cooking word of the day, technique or fun fact of the day?

Virtual Community/recipe photo feed

Make your own recipes and share them, earn points for how many people score it

Follow each other, see what another using is doing

Joke of the day/grill puns

Sport team visuals/avatar photos to earn

Take photo of food, scan and AI recommends how to cook it and a recipe

Compete with friends, lose to them?

Shipping

Discounts

Calendar, add in birthdays and events and bookmark recipes for this later, will remind dyou

Secret recipes that only appear after a certain number of hours grilled

Reward System/Tiers

What could be rewards?

Grill Competition

Take photo of food, scan and AI recommends how to cook it and a recipe

Grill “Horoscope”

That encourages recipes and a good day for grilling

Previous Project

Jenna Himel:

Designer, artist, and expensive hobby pursuer in Phoenix, Arizona.

Let's work together

LinkedIn

Jenna Himel:

Designer, artist, and expensive hobby pursuer in Phoenix, Arizona.

Let's work together

LinkedIn

Jenna Himel:

Designer, artist, and expensive hobby pursuer in Phoenix, Arizona.

Let's work together

LinkedIn