SAVR Cooking APP

Google Ventures Design Sprint

SAVR Recipe cooking APP provided recipes for users. Feedback highlighted issues with instructions, including unclear techniques, a lack of preparation guidance, and not knowing which kitchenware is needed. Users want to feel fully prepared and have clarity on their progress throughout the recipe.

Duration: 5 days
Location: New York, NY (REMOTE)
Key Skills Utilized: I synthesized research, ideated, prototyped, and tested.

My Role

UX/UI Designer

Client

SAVR

Year

2022

Tools

Sketch, Figma, Invision

Challenge

Savr is a cooking app with great recipes but it has been getting complaints about the setup, delivery, and knowing if the recipe is correct.

Solution

Reducing the pain points by creating a better experience for a user who has chosen a recipe and is in the kitchen - ready to start cooking and following instructions.

Project Summary

I used the Google Design Sprint method to update the app that would make it easier for users to plan, shop for, and cook meals at home.

Below are the tasks I outlined to focus my attention on to accomplish our goals quickly.

Release and update, letting users know we strive to meet their needs for the best cooking experience.
Upon logging in, the current users will be prompted to update their user profile to allow Savr to align the best recipes with the users' knowledge, desire to learn new techniques, and kitchen type.
Connect Savr with the user’s online food cart like; Instacart, Peapod, FreshDirect, Amazon, PriceChopper, Costco, KeyFood, Target, Walmart, etc.
Have video clips that repeat to show the user what they are supposed to do within the step.
When the user is in cooking mode, the application will increase the font size, so no detail within the recipe is missed.
Savr will use voice recognition so the user can navigate hands-free.

Day 1: Understand

For the first day of the Sprint, I took notes on the information I was given and categorized similar ideas and thoughts. From this beginning research, I was able to formulate a better understanding of the users and their troubles. Most users are frustrated with the process of cooking the recipe and feel the current app makes the process more stressful and can lead to mistakes in the cooking process.

Notes from user interviews.

“To follow the recipe, I constantly wash my hands and touch my phone; it’s a pain.”

“Some of the recipes are too hard for me to follow.”

“I want to know what it should look like.”

“Small mistakes ruin the experience.”

"I don't know what kitchenware I need, or constantly needing to wash my hands so I can refer back to my phone."

Flows of pain issues the users seem to behaving.

Day 2: Lighting Demos

Before sketching on the second day, I took time to look at other cooking apps to see their recipe process. I downloaded and demoed a few apps, including Tasty, Kitchen Stories, and Yummly. I focused on the recipe page functionality and thought about how my users would interact with the application. I made the standard pros and cons list and noted aspects of the applications that Savr could utilize that users would benefit from. The reviews and my design notes are below.

Tasty Food Review 4.9/5 on Apple Store Pros Simple Instructions *Includes videos to watch Tells ingredients before cooking Cooking tips and tricks section Has a comments section for users to share thoughts, tips, etc. The “what's in your kitchen” feature is interesting. Cons Some users needed clarification why they deleted people's comments in the second, as it is for the users to share. The time is only sometimes accurate for the recipes. (This might be adjusted based on the user's experience in the SAVR app.) Which I feel should fall under the user's profile.

• Includes videos to watch

• Ingredients allows users to see what they have and what is needed for a recipe

• Tells ingredients before cooking

Yummly Review 4.8/5 on Apple Store Pros The shopping list feature is strong. Progress bars are helpful to know how far along you are in the recipe Simple and easy to read and follow instructions Seamlessly connects recipe items with your Instacart (PeaPod, Amazonfresh, Key food, Price Chopper, Target, Walmart) Cons You have to keep stopping to touch your phone. The app needs to be more accurate with the recipe times. A 20-minute recipe should not have an item that needs to marinate for at least 30 minutes and less than 8 hours. Very misleading. Too many ads and requires multiple clicks to get to the heart of a recipe Great app for finding new recipes, but it is not so friendly when you want to save and compile recipes that you have already used The search function is glitchy and does not recognize certain recipes No function to either import a missing recipe or manually enter a recipe that might not be online. Be nice to have all your recipes in one place, and the application does not seem to have this feature available currently.

• Asks users about their cooking knowledge

• Allows users to filter search results for recipes

Kitchen Stories Review 4.8/5 on Apple Store Pros Simple Instructions and how-to videos with every recipe Has an easy-to-find recipe listing and a way to add recipes to your list Tells ingredients prior to cooking along with utensils and kitchenware needed Easy-to-follow instructions and videos of how to cook or fillet the item selected Has a comments section for users to share thoughts, tips etc. Has a section so the user can easily add ingredients to their shopping list. The various skill levels are a great addition. The app is extremely useful for recipe inspiration and supporting all home cooks. It is also great for creating shopping lists, collecting recipes, and converting measurements in the kitchen. Cons The user's profile page setting needs to be more detailed and hold the information like other apps reviewed, which might help the user navigate the application as they attain more cooking knowledge. Once again, the users have to constantly touch their iPad or phone to go follow the recipe. Something hands-free would be more appealing.

• Simple Instructions and how-to videos with every recipe

• Has an easy-to-find recipe listing and a way to add recipes to your list

• Tells ingredients prior to cooking along with utensils and kitchenware needed

• The various skill levels are a great addition.

Crazy 8’s Sketches

After completing three lighting demos and reviews for each, we transitioned to producing some designs. For this project, I used the Crazy 8 methodology to see what design would fit the significant issues users were having with the application.

The issues many users seem to have is time and knowledge of what the recipe steps need to look like. But again, the one main issue appears to be finding the right recipe that will fit the user's specific amount of time to start and finish a recipe without any major problem that would make the experience daunting.

CRAZY EIGHT SKETCHES TO EVALUATE PAIN ISSUES AND THE STEPS TO SOLVE THEM.

"I can see what the finished product looks like, but I don't know if I'm on the right track halfway through ... is it supposed to look like this? If not, it's better to know sooner rather than later."

-DAN

Solution Sketch

After reviewing some pain points with our crazy eight’s sketched, we confirmed that sometimes issues are as simple as knowledge in the kitchen, not having the correct type of kitchenware, and not knowing if they have the ingredients to fulfill the recipe and focusing on the onboarding(and or profile settings if the user already has an account will allow users to edit their user profile section to get a better idea of the user's knowledge as well as what kind of kitchen they have will enable the application to present the best recipe options for the user.

I would also like to test editing a user's profile so they can update aspects of their knowledge, tools, and time along with other features from other sketches that fix pain points and allow for the best cooking experience when they get started in the kitchen.

Due to time restraints, we had to make a few cuts to keep the focus on time and knowledge.

PICTURE OF SOLUTION SKETCH

Day 3: Decide and Create a Storyboard

The Decision, User Story and User Flows

After reviewing some pain points and looking over my solution sketches, I decided to focus on allowing the users to update their profile or upon downloading the application during the onboarding process allows us to better understand what our users need. We will also add a few additional features from other sketches and secondary research that I felt would improve the experience.

1. The users will start from the home screen where they can login using facebook, Google or have a SMS text sent to verify it is them.
2. Then when they login they will receive a message:

“Completing your profile will allow SAVR to give you the best recipes that will fit your cooking knowledge, kitchen, time and desire to learn more about cooking. You don't have to be crazy to do this but it does help. You are only limited by your imagination.

3. Then they will be congratulated on taking the time to fill out their profile, while being informed that they will only have to answer four simple questions which will help their cooking experience.

User Task Flow

Full Storyboard

Because wireframes are a quick and easy way to map out the layout and functionality of a website or app I used them to design prototypes quickly for my design sprint. They allowed me to focus on the essential elements of the design and make sure that all the necessary information and features were included. By starting with wireframes, I was able to quickly iterate and make changes to the design without spending a lot of time on visual details. This allowed me to move quickly through the design process and focus on creating high-fidelity prototypes that accurately reflect the final product. Additionally, using wireframes as a foundation for my high-fidelity prototypes helped to ensure that the design is functional and user-friendly, which is crucial for a successful design sprint.

VIEW WIREFRAME PROTOTYPE

Day 4: Prototype

The fourth day of the sprint was spent designing the prototype. I started by creating a consistent color scheme and typography style that would be used throughout the app. Then, I began designing each individual screen, paying attention to the layout and user flow. Using my sketches and wireframes as a base I designed the app in Sketch. Since the designs needed to be completed in a short amount of time.

I focused on creating a clean and intuitive design that would make it easy for users to navigate and find the information they need. I set up the main screen first using a UI kit for parts of the design to speed up the process. I also incorporated various interactive elements, such as buttons and menus, to enhance the user experience. I focused on making the onboarding/profile updates and then moved on to the design of recipe screens.

As I worked on the design, I constantly referred back to my sketches and wireframes to ensure that I was staying true to my original vision for the app. I also sought feedback from colleagues and conducted user testing to gather insights and make any necessary adjustments. Once the essential pages were designed I used InVision to create a clickable prototype to test with users the next day.

Day 5: User Testing

On Day 5 of a Google Design Sprint, I focus on testing our solutions with potential users to get feedback. This is an important step in the design process as it allows us to gain insights into how our solution works and how it can be improved. I used user testing and feedback to make sure that our solution meets the needs of our target audience.

I also use this day to identify any areas where further research is needed or any changes that need to be made before I moved forward with the product. By gathering feedback from actual users, I can ensure that the end product will meet their expectations and provide them with a great experience.

Each user was pleased with the design of the app saying it looked like others they were familiar with. They were all happy with the layout of the recipe page and liked the ability to see the ingredients and steps immediately without having to scroll down. Multiple users expressed interest in the cookware list saying it wasn’t something they saw in other apps.

Here are some of the notes collected from the low-fi prototype user interviews.

They all liked the idea of updating a profile to better fit their time, capabilities, and knowledge.
They also felt that the sharing option was not as necessary on every page of the app. See image 1.1
Where the hands-free option was something that they felt should be accessible at all times even if there were not in the middle of cooking they liked the idea of having the option at all times. See image 1.1

Image 1.1

Conclusion:
Insights & Next Steps

Design Sprints are a great way to quickly and efficiently solve complex problems. By bringing together a diverse team of experts, the Design Sprint process allows for rapid prototyping and testing of ideas. Through this process, teams can gain valuable insights into their product or service that would otherwise take months or even years to uncover.

After completing this Design Sprint, the following steps are to focus on hands-free testing and prototyping with an iPad layout. This will help me refine the design ideas and ensure that I create something that meets the users' needs. In the future, I would like to complete another round of usability testing and interviews with working prototypes.

iPad & Mobile

After reducing the pain points by having users update their profiles to allow Savr to better serve them with the experience they wanted. During user testing, many users preferred having the app completely hands-free. I want to dive deeper into the idea of having users utilize voice recognition to navigate recipes. The users also mentioned that they were likelier to use a tablet when looking at a recipe. This led to a redesign of the app for tablet use.