Design Sprint
Savr Recipes
Savr wanted to make it easier for people to follow new recipes and make delicious meals at home. Users have praised the quality of the dishes and the variety of recipes. However, recipes received criticism for using complex techniques or extensive steps. People were disappointed in the meal’s outcome when instructions were complicated or unclear.
My task was to conduct a modified GV design sprint to enhance the user experience during the cooking process.
Map
User Interviews
The insights from the interviews showed most pain points surrounded poor timing expectations, lack of visuals, and not knowing what ingredients, materials, or techniques are needed in advance of cooking.
User Persona
The persona helped to define the scope of the work. The improvements needed to focus on the main issues- the user not receiving visual feedback while cooking and not having the ability to move between cooking steps with ease. This led to the following questions:
How Might We:
Help users better prepare and maximize efficiency for a recipe?
Affirm for users that they are completing the steps correctly?
Eliminate the need to interact with their device while cooking?
User Journey
Tackling the "How Might We" questions, this approach offers users a concise video showing the recipe overview alongside the necessary ingredients and tools. Following this, step-by-step preparation instructions are provided to simplify the cooking process. Visual aids are incorporated at each stage to confirm users' progress. Finally, guidance on plating and serving ensures that the final dish matches the recipe in appearance and flavor.
Sketch
I explored 8 options for the main recipe page- the heart of any cooking app. The challenge was to inform users with clear and concise directions for the current step while also helping them prepare for upcoming steps. Visuals, time estimates, and the required supplies and ingredients needed to be reflected in each step to address users’ pain points from the previous version.
The three pivotal screen designs integrate solutions to address the top concerns. The overview page provides a breakdown of ingredients, utensils, and the required skill level and time for the home chef. Additionally, it features a video presenting background information and essential details about the dish, eliminating the need for interruptions while cooking.
Decide
All the necessary interactions were considered and included in the storyboard to enable a user to choose, cook, and celebrate a certain recipe.
Clicking the "start cooking" button directs users to each step separated onto individual screens. A progress bar tracks the chef's completion of steps while allowing users to swipe to prepare for upcoming steps. Each step includes time estimates and specific ingredients/utensils required, alongside written instructions. A prominent photograph at the top and a helpful hint at the bottom of the screen provide users with reassurance that they're on track to create the anticipated delicious meal.
Prototype
I proceeded to make a mid-fidelity prototype to evaluate the usability of my solution. Drawing inspiration from the Savr Recipes logo, I tailored the visual design accordingly. My aim was to maintain a sleek, clean aesthetic, which was achieved by delineating sections with subtle backgrounds and adding splashes of orange.
Test
I conducted one round of moderated testing with five participants. These sessions were done with people similar to the provided persona: at-home chefs who cook a few times during the week and enjoy trying new recipes.
The goal was to determine the ease with which users were able to follow a recipe with this initial prototype. The feedback was useful to validate the step by step mode was intuitive and displayed the information users thought was most pertinent to a stress free cooking experience.
Positive Points
Time Savr Tip was very helpful
Voice Command feature with the easy directives explained
Progress bar was intuitive for a manageable step by step recipe
Needs More Work
Confusion if step by step mode had begun
Unsure why access was needed to the microphone
General UI edits for hierarchy and readability
“Being in a curiosity mindset means being fascinated by your customers and their reactions.”
Learnings
I found the rapid process of defining, sketching, and testing solutions really enjoyable. The daily focus on advancing towards a solution was particularly appreciated. The value in running these sprints is evident to me, especially in aligning team members from different departments and quickly producing a viable product.