About the project
Sometimes cooking is like a travel of discovery. Fancy to cook can you inspire with recipes around the world, you can get to know new products or simply search for a recipe according to your preferences and cooking style. Fancy to cook uses technologies makes fun to cook by it‘s step by step instruction via voice control.
Purpose & Context
This project was completed as part of CareerFoundry’s UI Design course. Create a responsive web app.
Problem Statement
Find recipes quick according to your preferences and cooking style.
Tools
Sketch, InVision, Keynote, Usability Hub, Adobe CC, Pen & Paper
Competitor Analysis
Kitchen Stories
Millions of users around the world are already cooking with Kitchen Stories, the winner of Apple’s Design Award. You can be inspired by thousands of free recipes, HD instructional videos, and articles about cooking and baking. It’s easy to use and offers a variety of irresistible recipes that appeal to beginners and experts alike.
Jamie Oliver
Every week it offers super tasty seasonal dishes that you can cook directly from your iPhone or iPad. Every Monday, the content is updated with 15 of his best seasonal recipes, from dinner party hits to turbo-charged dinners, from healthy everyday dishes to sinful wolf-feeling classics. You can cook like Jamie Oliver, there is something for every taste and occasion. Each recipe will be given with the genius shopping list.
User Experience Research
User stories & requirements
After making interviews with four persons in the target group, aged between 25 - 65, I made three user stories and requirements in order to develop MVP objectives.
User research & interviews
I conducted user interviews with four persons in the target group and I wanted to proof my hypothesis. I got some good insights and interesting details that will have an impact on the design of the app. Because cooking should be fun and experimentation with fresh and healty ingredients.
User personas
A user persona is a semi-fictional character based on a current or ideal customer.
User personas are extremely useful to grow and improve a business: they help uncover the different ways people search for, buy, and use products, so you can focus your efforts on improving the experience for real people and use cases.
Features and needs from my analysis leads to three user personas, which represent the target group.
“I love to cook, and it should be healthy.”
Cooking style
Simple cooking style. She does not have time for elaborate meals. Her partner has specific preferences, meal should contain a lot of vegetables and protein, because of his diabetes.
“I like to eat,
but cooking should be quick.”
Cooking style
She goes groceries shopping almost on weekend and organises her weekly meals. She do not like cooking very much, therefore it should be simple, but healthy recipes.
“I like to cook, because I love to create.”
He loves to eat and is a passionate cook. At the weekend he likes to invite friends and cook for them. Therefore he also likes to try out extraordinary ingredients.
When he cooks according to instructions, it is important to him to have a step by step instruction with pictures, does not necessarily have to be a video.
Moodboard
Preference Test.
I conducted a Preference Test (usabilityhub.com) on few Screens to see how users react on certain design.
Screen Design
User Testing
The goal of this usability test is to recieve feedback from users how they interact with the app for the first time. I want to observe how they navigate through the pages to use the key features and if everything is understandable and useable. I want them to complete basic tasks so that I can identify any weak points in the user flows, like searching for a recipe, following cooking instruction.
Reviewing & Critiquing
Critiquing is part of the design process and help a lot to grow and optimise the app.
UI Style Guide
Final Design
What did not go well?
I understand the responsive layout grids, but I did not place the elements in the proper way into the layout grid. Also I struggeled a little with primary and secondary action buttons.
Skills
Sketch, layout grid (setting elements)
Primary and secondary action
Process
Placing elements in a layout grid in Sketch
Make clear primary and secondary action button
Skills gap
Placing elements in a layout grid in Sketch
Make clear (color & look) primary and secondary action button
Solution
Articles about layout grids and review examples.
Also practice, practice, practice.
Read articles as well, examples
What can be improved?
I struggled a little with conducting a user interview. Second, I realised that I could have come with better follow up questions. It was not always easy to be neutral and ask open questions. Not all participants were suitable for the interview.
Skills/Skills gap
Conducting user interviews, reaching out the right participants
Process
Conducting interview
Selection of suitable participants
Solution
Learning question techniques, practice
Reaching out online for people that fits better into the target group
