SAVR Recipes
Redesigning the recipe experience using a modified
Google venture design sprint
Client: Savr Recipes | Role: UI/UX Designer | Team: 1 UX Designer, 1 Springboard Mentor | Timeline: 5 Day Sprint
The Challenge
Savr, a mobile application for recipes, encompasses a collection of dishes, cooking insights for home preparation, and a feature allowing users to rate and review recipes for the community.
The Problem:
Their recipes have garnered unfavorable feedback, particularly concerning advanced recipes with numerous steps and complex techniques. Consumers expressed disappointment with their results, attributing it to unclear instructions and difficulty in execution.
The Process & Solution:
I created and trialed Savr Recipes, a mobile cooking app, within a condensed, solo five-day design sprint. The project was based on a challenge presented by Bitesize UX, encompassing research findings, a persona, and a brief user interview recording.
During this sprint, my aim was to develop a step-by-step video tutorial feature, aiming to enhance user comprehension of each recipe step and simplify the cooking process.
Day 1: Understanding the Problem
Reviewing Research:
The research and interviews offered insights into the initial experience of preparing a new recipe, emphasizing the user's overall satisfaction and the ease of the cooking process.
Problem Overview:
Users consistently struggle with understanding if they're accurately and efficiently following a recipe. They desire clear and succinct timeframes for each recipe and more explicit step-by-step guidance, particularly for complex recipes. Another frequently mentioned concern is determining in advance whether they have all the necessary ingredients.
Upon examining these materials, I formulated a set of "How Might We" questions and subsequently distilled them into three main ideas that surfaced.
How Might We . . .
Help users prep for the recipe and use their time efficiently?
Make users feel confident while trying a new recipe?
Reduce the need to physically interact with their phone?
User Map:
With the issues in mind and the HMW question thought out, I sketched out a few maps to find an end-to-end solution that provides a simpler cooking experience creating a final version of the user map.
In this solution, I wanted a screen where users could watch or listen to a short narrated video of the current step to feel confident that they were on the right track. At the same time, I wanted users to be able to preview upcoming steps on the same screen to give them the opportunity to think ahead.
I also wanted to include a prep check list for both ingredients and kitchenware supplies needed. Setting the user up to be as prepared and successful as possible.
Day 2: Competitors, Ideation & Sketches
Lightning Demos:
I examined various cooking apps to analyze their approaches to crafting recipe summaries, detailed step-by-step guidance, and the integration of video instructions and ingredient lists.
Crazy 8 Sketches
I used the Crazy 8s method to come up with possible solutions. I decided to focus on sketching the screens incorporating the previously mentioned pain points; such as step-by-step videos and shopping and supply lists.
Focused Sketch
I went with the second sketch the sketch that focus the most on the video tutorials as well as the shopping list as these were both big pain points for the users as stated in the research portion.
Day 3: Storyboard & Wireframes
Transforming my initial sketches into low-fidelity wireframes. The refinement phase rendered the wireframes sufficiently defined for preliminary user testing. I implemented several alterations before progressing to develop high-fidelity prototypes.
Note: Since the concept project did not provide any additional screens, I took the liberty of synthesizing a login process, a home page, a search page, in addition to the recipe page for the sake of having a full route.
However, usability tests were solely focused on getting feedback on the recipe experience.
Storyboard Sketches:
Wireframes:
Day 4: Prototype
With the storyboard complete, I created a mid-fidelity prototype to test the usability of my solution. For the visual design, I based this on the Savr Recipes logo. I tried to keep the overall design as minimal and simple as possible.
Day 5: Usability Test
Usability Test(s):
I conducted one round of moderated remote testing with five in person participants.
Recruited Participants:
Amy - STHM Cooking for a family of 5 Olivia - College student cooking for one
Julie - Working mom cooking for a family of 8 Denise - Retired teacher cooking for two
Ryan - First year lawyer cooking for one on a busy schedule
The goal was to determine the ease with which users were able to follow a recipe with this initial prototype. I asked users what they would do when trying out a recipe for the first time.
Positive Feedback:
Intuitive recipe overview. Order of presenting the information (i.e., ingredients, kitchenware, instructions) aligned with the way users normally prepare to cook.
Video tutorial. Participants liked the video tutorial option verses just pictures to see if they were making things correctly
Clean layout. None of the participants felt that the screens were cluttered.
Supply and Ingredients. The participants appreciated having a supply and ingredient page, but felt it could be expanded upon.
Needs Work:
Supply and Ingredients. Participants inquired if the could be a shopping list page, and an option to add an kitchenware supply to the shopping list.
Pictures + Video. Some of the participants asked if both step-by-step pictures could be incorporated as well as the video tutorial.
Reflection & Takeaways:
In general, this solution proved successful in simplifying the recipe-following process. All participants highlighted the significance of visuals (both videos and photos) in aiding their success, and the inclusion of a comprehensive supply list streamlined their preparation.
Completing the five-day design sprint contributed significantly to my confidence in designing and testing ideas. It presented unique challenges that pushed me beyond my previous experiences and reaffirmed the continual importance of considering the user's needs throughout the entire process.
