Cooking
App Design
Case Study
What's Cookin'
Summary
This project focuses on designing a user-friendly cooking app that combines curated recipe ideas with the ability to save and share recipes from external sources. With intuitive navigation, personalized recommendations, and community features, the app enhances convenience, discovery, and engagement for home cooks.
My Role
UX/UI Designer
Graphic Designer
Tools
Figma
Dovetail/Zoom
Maze
Project Timeline
4 weeks
The Problem
Most cooking apps offer either recipe ideas or saving features, but not both—often lacking intuitive design, personalization, and sharing options. This frustrates users and limits discovery, convenience, and community engagement.
The Solution
The solution is to design a user-friendly cooking and recipe-sharing app that combines curated cooking ideas with the ability to easily save recipes from external sources. The app will offer personalized recommendations, intuitive navigation, and seamless sharing features—making it easier for users to find, save, and share recipes they love.
Goals
Goal 1: Combine Recipe Discovery and Saving
Create a seamless experience that lets users both discover curated recipes and save content from external sources in one place.
Goal 2: Enhance Usability
Design an intuitive, user-friendly interface that simplifies navigation and reduces friction in the cooking and recipe-saving process.
Goal 3: Ensure users can easily find, save, and share recipes anytime, enhancing their overall cooking experience.
Research
User Interviews
Identifying Trends and Patterns
Figjam
Key Takeaways
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70% reported finding the Kampus Klothes website to be reliable
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40% of users expressed frustration with the website and found it difficult to use, especially the design workshop and contact form
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62% of users reported using the contact form and the design studio the most
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70% said they use be more likely to use a website that is easy to follow and makes it easier to place an order, without immediately calling a salesperson
Discovery
In the discovery phase, we learned more about our customers through their responses. New customers find it hard to use the website or to start the process to create their order.
User Personas
Name: Emily Chen
Age: 32
Occupation: Marketing Manager
Location: Seattle, WA
Tech Comfort Level: High
Family: Lives with partner, no kids
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Background
Emily works full-time in a fast-paced marketing role and enjoys cooking as a way to relax and eat healthier. She often browses food blogs, Pinterest, and Instagram for inspiration but finds it frustrating to keep track of recipes scattered across different platforms. She values convenience, organization, and personalization.
Goals​
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Save recipes from multiple sources in one place
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Get personalized meal ideas that suit her taste and schedule
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Share recipes with friends and her small online cooking group
Frustrations
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Having to screenshot or email herself recipes from different websites
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Recommender systems that feel generic or irrelevant
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Cluttered or confusing app interfaces
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Lack of social features in most recipe apps
Motivations
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Make weeknight cooking easier and more enjoyable
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Stay inspired with new meal ideas
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Connect with others who enjoy cooking
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Build a digital recipe collection tailored to her lifestyle
Name: Carlos Rivera
Age: 45
Occupation: High School Teacher
Location: Austin, TX
Tech Comfort Level: Moderate
Family: Married with two kids (ages 8 and 11)
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Background
Carlos enjoys cooking for his family and is always on the lookout for quick, kid-friendly meals. He prefers practical recipes with everyday ingredients and likes to save his favorites to revisit later. He occasionally finds recipes online but struggles to keep them organized or share them easily with his spouse.
Goals
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Find fast, family-friendly recipes that suit picky eaters
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Save recipes in an organized, easy-to-access way
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Share favorite recipes with his spouse
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Explore new meals without spending hours searching
Frustrations
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Recipe apps cluttered with ads or confusing layouts
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Difficulty saving recipes from outside the app
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Lack of clear instructions or prep time on many recipes
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No easy way to sync saved recipes with his spouse
Motivations
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Make mealtime less stressful during busy weekdays
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Cook meals the whole family will enjoy
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Save time on planning and prepping
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Discover fun new recipes to try on weekends
Wireframes
My Sketches
Low Fidelity
High Fidelity
Streamlined Design Process and Contact Form
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Updated Homepage Design
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Updated UX Experience
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The Final UI
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