Recipe Realm
Recipe Realm is an app designed to simplify discovering and sharing recipes. It helps users find recipes that match their preferences, dietary restrictions, available ingredients, time constraints, and preferred cuisines, making cooking more accessible and enjoyable for everyone.
My Role
Product Designer
UX Researcher
Industry
Lifestyle, food tech, wellness
Platform
Mobile App
Tools
Figma
Google forms
Timeline
Oct. - December 2023
Recipe Realm is a culinary app designed to help users discover, create, and share recipes tailored to their specific needs. Whether you're cooking with dietary restrictions, limited ingredients, or under time constraints, Recipe Realm offers an intuitive platform to find recipes that match your preferences and cooking habits. With customizable search options, users can easily explore a diverse range of cuisines and save their favorite recipes, making meal preparation simple and enjoyable.
I was responsible for the comprehensive design of the app's functions, which included everything from initial concept sketches to final user interface elements and the overall experience. I also conducted user research to gather insights and feedback, which informed and refined my design choices to ensure the app met user needs and expectations effectively.
Many people these days find it hard to find recipes that suit their specific needs , especially those with specific preferences, dietary restrictions, limited ingredients, time crunches, or cultural preferences.
Develop an app that simplifies the process of finding and saving recipes tailored to users' unique needs. The app would allow users to search for recipes based on preferences, dietary restrictions, available ingredients, time constraints, cooking habits, difficulty level, and preferred cuisines, making meal planning and cooking more accessible and enjoyable.
Create an easier experience for finding recipes
Allow users to filter recipes based on preferences, ingredients, time constraints, and diets
Allow users to create shopping list to keep track of their ingredients
Give user recommendations based on cooking habits
Allow users to easily save and access recipes for later
Have the ability to join different communities with others with similar taste, dietary restrictions, and favorite foods
Recipe Discovery
Browse through an extensive collection of recipes curated by cuisine, dietary preferences, ingredients, and more.
Discover trending and seasonal recipes to stay updated with the latest culinary trends.
Personalized Recommendations
Receive personalized recipe recommendations based on your personal cooking preferences, past cooked recipes and saved recipes.
Search and filters
Use powerful search functionality to find recipes based on keywords, ingredients, or dish names.
Apply filters such as dietary restrictions (vegan, gluten-free, etc.) and cooking time to narrow down your options.
Recipe Details
Access detailed recipe instructions, ingredient lists, and nutritional information
View high-quality images of each dish to know how it should look at each cooking stage
Shopping list
Add recipe ingredients directly to a shopping list within the app
Check off items as you shop to stay organized and avoid missing anything
Save and Collections
Save your favorite recipes to your profile for quick access
Create and manage collections of recipes for different occasions or themes
Community and Sharing
Connect with other food enthusiasts, share your own recipes, and see what others are cooking
Rate and review recipes, sharing your experiences and improvements
70%
of people surveyed have a hard time finding recipes
50%
of people surveyed have dietary restrictions that limit their options
70%
of people surveyed would want to have the ability to join communities with people with similar taste
95%
of people surveyed find it important to find recipes that align with their previous cooking experiences
Understanding the target audience and their challenges was my first priority. I created an online survey and shared it in different communities. The survey included both multiple choice and open ended free response questions, this allowed me to better understand the user. I applied my findings from this survey throughout my design process to ensure I was meeting the users goals and needs. Within my survey I asked the audience what challenges they face when looking for recipes and what features would be helpful when searching for recipes, their responses are below.
In order to design a user centered and intuitive experience, I developed user personas to encapsulate the diverse needs and behaviors of our target audience. Derived from a combination of surveys and ongoing data analysis, these personas serve as comprehensive representations of our users' goals, preferences, and pain points. By empathizing with the target audience, these personas guided my design decisions, ensuring that the resulting user experience resonates authentically with the user.
The Design Process
The design journey began with translating concepts into tangible ideas through sketches, allowing for creative exploration and rapid iteration. Grounded in user research and guided by personas, these sketches provided a visual framework that considered user needs and laid the groundwork for the subsequent designs.
Moving from conceptual sketches to a more concrete design phase, I created wireframes to establish the app's structure. These wireframes defined the layout, functionality, and content placement, emphasizing simplicity and usability. They served as a blueprint for designing a user-friendly interface that meets user needs.
In designing the app's user interface, my focus was on crafting a seamless experience that balances usability and visual appeal. Using insights from user personas and feedback, I chose design elements that enhance both functionality and aesthetics. My goal was to create an intuitive interface that meets user needs while offering an engaging experience.
Reflecting on this project, my design process was driven by a deep understanding of user needs and pain points. From the start, I prioritized user feedback, ensuring that each design decision addressed real concerns identified in my research. Moving forward, I aim to apply these same principles to future projects, consistently focusing on creating solutions that are both user-centered and effective.
Thank you for reading my case study!
I hope you enjoyed learning about my design and thought process.