Little Chef
Little Chef is a mobile recipe app designed to empower amateur home cooks by helping them find recipes based on ingredients they have. With guided video steps, users can confidently try new dishes and expand their culinary repertoire.
Role
User Research, Visual Design, Content Design
User Research, Visual Design, Content Design
Team
Dennis Limbo and Bill Violette
Dennis Limbo and Bill Violette
Duration
6 Weeks and Fall 2021
6 Weeks and Fall 2021
Problem Space
For many young individuals, particularly students and working professionals, cooking at home is a necessity due to budget constraints and health concerns. However, they often lack the culinary skills and experience to prepare meals that are both nutritious and satisfying. Moreover, their busy schedules and limited free time make it difficult to dedicate extensive hours to cooking.
Existing resources, such as cookbooks and online recipes, often assume a certain level of cooking knowledge and can be overwhelming or confusing for beginners. Additionally, the available options do not adequately cater to the specific needs and constraints of amateur home cooks, such as limited kitchen space, time constraints, and limited ingredient availability.
Existing resources, such as cookbooks and online recipes, often assume a certain level of cooking knowledge and can be overwhelming or confusing for beginners. Additionally, the available options do not adequately cater to the specific needs and constraints of amateur home cooks, such as limited kitchen space, time constraints, and limited ingredient availability.
Ideating
During the initial phase of the project, our team engaged in a domain ideation exercise that involved interviewing potential users within our target demographic. Through the "crazy 8" ideation technique, we generated 24 ideas, ultimately becoming captivated by the domain of "Cooking at home."
The interviews provided valuable insights into the goals, barriers, and activities of our target demographic, revealing a common challenge faced by budget-conscious or time-constrained students and workers who cook at home. Inspired by this, an idea that combines food delivery kit services with modern, guided cook-at-home videos. The result is an application that offers a user-friendly, step-by-step guide for cooking new recipes using ingredients readily available in the user's fridge.
The interviews provided valuable insights into the goals, barriers, and activities of our target demographic, revealing a common challenge faced by budget-conscious or time-constrained students and workers who cook at home. Inspired by this, an idea that combines food delivery kit services with modern, guided cook-at-home videos. The result is an application that offers a user-friendly, step-by-step guide for cooking new recipes using ingredients readily available in the user's fridge.
User Research
Goals
Users aim to save money by engaging in cooking activities.
Users have a desire to experiment with various cuisines and expand their culinary horizons.
Users recognize that cooking food is a significant component of their journey towards adopting a healthier lifestyle.
Users aim to save money by engaging in cooking activities.
Users have a desire to experiment with various cuisines and expand their culinary horizons.
Users recognize that cooking food is a significant component of their journey towards adopting a healthier lifestyle.
Barriers
Cooks are apprehensive about making errors that could result in unsatisfactory or unappetizing dishes.
Their current level of cooking expertise imposes limitations on the variety of dishes they can confidently prepare.
Users struggle with the challenge of deciding on suitable recipes and determining the necessary ingredients to purchase.
The cleanup after cooking is perceived as laborious and time-consuming, creating a barrier to engaging in regular cooking activities.
Cooks are apprehensive about making errors that could result in unsatisfactory or unappetizing dishes.
Their current level of cooking expertise imposes limitations on the variety of dishes they can confidently prepare.
Users struggle with the challenge of deciding on suitable recipes and determining the necessary ingredients to purchase.
The cleanup after cooking is perceived as laborious and time-consuming, creating a barrier to engaging in regular cooking activities.
Activities
Users view cooking as a way to bond and spend quality time with their social circle, including friends and loved ones.
Users engage in the activity of purchasing meal kits that provide pre-packaged ingredients and instructions for convenient cooking at home.urchase ready-to-make meal kits online
Users actively browse different websites in search of diverse and interesting recipes to try out in their cooking endeavors.
Users view cooking as a way to bond and spend quality time with their social circle, including friends and loved ones.
Users engage in the activity of purchasing meal kits that provide pre-packaged ingredients and instructions for convenient cooking at home.urchase ready-to-make meal kits online
Users actively browse different websites in search of diverse and interesting recipes to try out in their cooking endeavors.
"I have found that home cooking not only helps me save money but also provides an opportunity for me to cherish quality time with my partner."
User Flows
The team utilized feedback to ideate and create UI screens for the app. A focus was placed on establishing a logical user flow that would allow for seamless navigation within the app. This exercise ensured that the user flow aligned with research insights and qualitative data from user personas, making the app easy to use and suitable for users from various demographics.
Wireframes
During the third week of the design process, we initiated the user interface design phase, creating low-fidelity hand-drawn wireframes for the desired UI’s of the app. Here, doing a braindump exercise and experimenting with different micro interactions in attempt to create memorable user experiences. In the following week, based on another round of feedback, the team proceeded to develop medium-fidelity mockups. These mockups portrayed potential usability and user interaction flows within the screens.
Mockups
In the fifth week of the design process, the team incorporated critique and feedback to develop the final high-fidelity mockups for the app. A style guide was designed to ensure consistency and adherence to design standards. The final elements were exported to "ProtoPie studio," to simulate interactions and prototype the entire app. To conclude the project, a video presentation pitch was produced, with the objective of "Selling the App to a potential client,".
Reflection
Participating in this project was an invaluable opportunity for me as it marked my first full-scale UX/UI design experience. Throughout the journey, I applied my UX knowledge, from conducting interviews and brainstorming techniques to streamlining designs across various fidelity levels. The ultimate goal was to craft a user-centered solution.
I owe a great deal of gratitude to my team. Together, we recognized each other's strengths and collaborated efficiently, making steady progress week by week. The project wouldn't have been as successful without their support and dedication.
I owe a great deal of gratitude to my team. Together, we recognized each other's strengths and collaborated efficiently, making steady progress week by week. The project wouldn't have been as successful without their support and dedication.