Objective
RecipeMe was designed to allow users to easily search for simple, quick, and hassle-free homemade recipes that walk them through each cooking step with instructions via videos and images. Along with visually pleasing videos and ingredients to make cooking enjoyable, the app provides carefully thought-out and organized ingredients lists to let users prep for recipes seamlessly. My recipe app aims to complete the following tasks:
1. Searching for simple meal ideas by ingredients, cooking time, meal categories (breakfast/lunch/dinner/snacks), or different cuisines.
2. Following cooking instructions via visually pleasing videos and pictures.
3. Prepping ingredients in a stress-free manner.
4. Making cooking a fun experience while learning to cook efficiently.
My Approach: Design Processes
Understand & Observe: Competitor Analysis + User Research
Cooking is such an imperative part of our lives. Whether you enjoy the process or not, almost every one of us needs ideas and instructions when it comes to cooking up a meal. Recipe apps are one of the most helpful tools for both cooks and non-cooks, and that is why I decided to create RecipeMe, to allow my users to have a great time and feel confident about creating easy and delicious homemade meals, even when feeling uninspired and lazy about standing in their kitchen.
To further understand users’ problems surrounding recipe apps, I first performed competitor analyses on two different recipe apps, Cookpad and Kitchen Stories, to ensure I understood not only what I was creating, but the landscape I was going to be creating it in. I then conducted user research (user interviews) where I observed my potential users and determined their needs and goals.
Point of View (PoV): User Personas
In order to “see” my product from the users’ point of view, I created design personas based on my findings from the user research. My user personas helped me get closer to my potential users and increase my chance of fulfilling their needs.
Ideate: User Flows + Low and High-Fidelity Wireframes
User Testing: Preference Testing
In testing and improving my prototypes, I performed a preference test by comparing one of my design screens side by side with two different styles and had a number of testers make a choice based on the criteria I set for them. This stage enabled me to select the designs my users prefer, as well as develop my visual style for the app. With a greater understanding of how my target audience thinks and reacts to my product, I was able to make better and more user-centric design decisions.
