Cuisine Connect App
UI UX Design
Re-thinking India’s Food Heritage
A recipe app providing authenticate local and traditional recipes based on the user's current location. Aiming to reconnect users to the rich Indian Food Heritage.
This case study was done as a part of UI UX Design course.
Timeline: 12 Weeks
My Role: Sole UI/UX Designer
Tools Used:
View the final design of Cuisine Connect app through this interactive prototype, which is a result of a rigorous UX design process outlined below (toggle to full screen for a better experience).
Interactive Prototype
Here is a clickable link to the final prototype.
Industry: Heathy food
Platform: IOS
Project: UI UX Design
Location: India
What is Cuisine Connect ?
The app bridges the gap between individuals and their rich heritage of local and traditional Indian cuisine, by providing an access to a diverse and curated collection of local recipes.
Through personalized meal planning and educational content, 'Cuisine Connect' encourages users to make healthier, more sustainable food choices and reduce their carbon footprint, ultimately leading to improved well-being.
Problem and Solution Statements
There is a disconnect between individuals and their rich heritage of local and traditional cuisine which has contributed to health challenges and has a significant environmental impact. Currently there is no such platform or means that passes on the authenticate traditional knowledge in a practical form to the users.
Problem Statement
Solution Statement
To bridge this gap by providing a user-friendly platform that offers access to a diverse and curated collection of local recipes, nutritional insights, sustainable ingredient sourcing, and well rounded knowledge around fitness. The app should empower users to reconnect with their culinary roots. And foster a sense of pride in consuming and sharing the nourishing, sustainable, and culturally rich local fare.
Aim of the Project
Promote Local Food Wisdom
Encourage Health and Wellness
Empower Users
Provide Culinary Education
Reduce Carbon Footprint
Design Process
I took inspiration from Double Diamond design thinking method which included four distinct steps as empathize, define, ideate and design. By fostering both divergent and convergent thinking at different stages, it ultimately leads to more effective and user-centered solutions.
Empathize
Define
Ideate
Design
Test
"Because Health Requires... Healthy Food"
Target Audience
The Cuisine Connect app is specifically designed to cater to the needs of the Indian population, spanning ages 18 to 55. This age group was selected for several reasons, considering their cooking abilities, health concerns, and the unique challenges they face in today's fast-paced lifestyle.
Suhana
25 Years Old
Social Media Manager, Low Income
Neha
38 Years Old
Bank Manager, Average Income
Rajiv Patel
52 Years Old
Business owner, Average Income
Wants to become fit and healthy but finds it expensive and confusing to keep up with the latest fad diet trends.
Wants to adopt a healthy lifestyle and encourage her kids for the same, but finds it difficult to find options.
Wants to loose weight and manage his diabetes but does not understand the science behind fitness.
Nutritional Information
Practical Tips and Tricks
Recipe Videos
Meal and Shopping Planner
Varied Options
Educational Content
User Interview
About 20 users were interviewed using the Critical Incident Technique, allowing the participants to freely share their stories, emotions, and memories. As a result, main barriers and pain points of the users were identified.
40%
Lack of inspiration and not enough motivation due to past failed experiences and no company.
50%
Confused about how to start because of overwhelming amount of conflicting information available online.
90%
Unaware about the time tested local and traditional wisdom or were not sure if the information was authentic or not.
50%
Faced lack of time to understand the details of the meals and manage meals for a longer period of time.
I am so confused about making my meal and workout plans, I mean there is just too much information!
I am not aware about these hyper local cuisine... really how is it linked to my health and weight loss? I have no idea. I have never seen any such advertisements.
I am afraid to try because I don't know if the recipes are really authenticate or not.
Affinity Mapping
I grouped the responses given by the users during the interview as positives, negatives and suggestions to infer better insights through Affinity Mapping.
Interview Insights
Through the conversations with the participants in the interview and during the congnitive walk through of the existing competitor apps, Five key insights were identified.
Information
Personalization
Trust
Motivation
Awareness
Relevant authentic information about fitness
Tailored suggestions and collections
Providing facts along with references
Motivating users towards local cuisine
Short form content to aware the users
User Survey Insights
66%
70% of the candidates were reluctant in starting a new meal plan because of the lack of authenticity.
82%
51%
82% of the candidates were overwhelmed by the conflicting information and wanted a one stop solution.
51% of the participants wanted to know the nutritional information of the meals they were eating.
Competitive Analysis
I selected four currently existing apps which falls under the similar domains as the Cuisine Connect App to gain insights about their features, USP, subscription models, color schemes, UI experience, value propositions etc.
Healthify Me
MealPrep Pro
Fit Berry
Features
1. Filter By Diet
2. Search
3. Video Instructions
4. Written Instructions
5. Local Recipes
6. Shopping List
7. Meal Planning
8. Calorie Information
9. Macro Nutrient Info
10. Micro Nutrient Info
11. Educational Content
12. Meal Logging
13. Workout Suggestion
14. Personalization
15. Community Support
Nutri U
Key Observations
Simplicity
Users strongly indicated that they prefer a clean interface which is easy to navigate
Ingredients
Features
Health
Users who want to get fit, more likely also wanted to know the nutrient value of the meal.
Users indicated that they are looking for one stop solution and want more features as shopping lists, challenges etc in same app.
Users constantly expressed about their goal to become healthier even if some extra effort is required.
She/ Her
Social Media Manager
Works 8 hrs/day
Medium Activity
“I want to cook easy and nutritional food at home to stay healthy.”
Goals
Frustrations
Healthy meal options
Quick and easy recipes
Showing culinary skills
Variety and exploration
Lack of time
No proper nutritional info
Complex ingredients
Limited visual appeal
Suhana Nagdev, a 23-year-old digital marketer in Varanasi, India, embodies a tech-savvy urbanite lifestyle. She strives to balance her demanding job with a healthy way of living. Technology is her ally, aiding her quest for quick, nutritious, and visually appealing recipes for sharing on social media. Suhana's culinary enthusiasm isn't just about delicious food; it's about impressing loved ones and reflecting her dynamic lifestyle with Instagram-worthy dishes. Her journey revolves around embracing flavors while staying fit.
Suhana Nagdev
23 years old
Cooking Skills
Diet Type
Intermediate
Suhana doesn't have any allergies.
She/ Her
Bank Manager
Works 8 hrs/day
Medium Activity
“I want to get back in shape, and at same time be a role model to my kids”
Goals
Frustrations
Nutritious family meals
Time efficient cooking
Teach food culture to kids
Variety and adaptability
Lack of variety
Balancing health and taste
Complex interfaces
Limited Time
Neha Sharma, a 38-year-old professional and a mother in Ahemdabad, India, dedicated to providing her family with nutritious, culturally rich meals. Her goal is to balance diverse tastes and dietary needs while preserving tradition. In her busy life, efficiency is crucial, and she aims to create healthy, delicious meals. However, she struggles to find recipes that cater to her family's preferences and limited time. Neha values user-friendly platforms that simplify meal planning, making her culinary journey both practical and meaningful.
Neha Sharma
38 years old
Cooking Skills
Diet Type
Advanced
Neha doesn't have any allergies.
Says
Does
Feels
Thinks
Expresses the importance of nutritious and culturally rich meals for her family.
Talks about her busy life and the need for time-efficient cooking.
Mentions her desire to balance diverse tastes and dietary needs.
Discusses her frustration when she can't find recipes that cater to her family's preferences.
Thinks about how to adapt traditional recipes to meet her family's dietary requirements.
Considers the nutritional value of the meals she prepares.
Reflects on the challenges of balancing work, family, and cooking.
Considers the cultural significance of the dishes she cooks and their impact on her family.
Actively searches for recipes that align with her family's dietary requirements.
Cooks traditional dishes to preserve cultural heritage.
Manages her time efficiently to balance work and family responsibilities.
Tries various cooking methods to create healthy delicious meals.
Dedicated and responsible as she strives to provide nutritious meals for her family.
Frustrated when she can't find suitable recipes for her family's diverse tastes and dietary needs.
Proud when her family enjoys the meals she prepares.
Stressed due to her busy schedule but determined to make it work.
User Journey Map
To understand this service from the user's perspective, I made this User Journey Map which describes the visualization of the steps taken by the user to reach the destination.
Consider
Explore
Stay Consistent
Commit
Compare
Opportunities
Provide one stop solution for health and fitness.
Educate her via short term content so she can digest in small chunks.
Provide her with sustainable solutions rather then a quick fix.
User Persona
Ideation
After gaining insights from user research, the Ideation process was carried out by doing MoSCow Analysis, white board Brain Storming and Concept Sketches.
Must Have
Should Have
Could Have
Won't Have
Recipe Database
User Profiles
Search Filter
Nutritional Information
Meal Planner
User Support
Short Form Content
Personalized Suggestion
Interactive Guides
Offline Access
Long Form Content
Curated Collections
Language Customization
Reminders
Voice Commands
Premium Content
Integration with local markets
Smart Shopping List
Important Useful Tips
Online Community
Only Calorie Counting
Non- Indian Cuisine
Complex Social Networking
Excessive Adds
Information Architecture
User Flow
Task Flow 1: Signing In the App
Task Flow 2: Discovering a Podcast
Task Flow 3: Sharing a Recipe
Wire Framing
Mid-Fidelity Wire Frames
Grid
Column No.: 4 Columns
Margin Width: 16px
Gutter Width: 20px
Branding
Regular
Medium
Semi Bold
Bold
Typography
Inter
Color Pallet
Branding and UI Design
With help of color psychology and after numerous trials, I finalized on the Primary and Secondary brand colors as green and navy blue respectively which are associated with health and luxury. I consciously decided to make the UI design look simple and aspirational which helped me induce confidence in the user.
Brand Secondary
Liver Dogs
#BC6C25
R 188
G 108
B 37
Brand Tertiary
Prussian Blue
#173A1A
R 23
G 58
B 90
Brand Accent
Charleston Green
#262A2B
R 38
G 42
B 44
Brand Primary
Bud Green
#8AB94A
R 138
G 185
B 74
UI Design
Splash screen, Enable Location screen and Get Started screen goes after the end of Onboarding screens.
Welcoming Screens
Onboarding screens provide a Walkthrough of the app, educating users about the main Features and Benefits of the app.
Onboarding Screens
Sign up and Log in screens which lead to OTP verification process with phone number or email.
OTP verified screen appears after entering correct OTP.
Continue as a guest option if the user does not want to login or signup.
Sign Up Screens
Set up profile by adding a profile picture and name.
Answer a few easy questions to get customized suggestions and recommendations by the app.
Profile Setup Screens
Answer a few easy questions to get customized suggestions and recommendations by the app.
Personalization Screens
Home screen has one podcast recommendation, and collections of local recipes.
Home Screen
Recipe Screen
Curated collections of recipes as per users goals and concerns, leads to a recipe screen which has video recipe with nutritional information.
Planner Screen
This screen shows the meal plan and the shopping list created by the user .
Content Screen
The content screen has content divided into short form, podcasts and articles.
Rest of UI Designs
Podcast of the day appears on the top of the screen with a CTA of Play now, educating users about health.
Curated Recipes for the user according to their goals and preferences, with an option to star the recipe.
My favorites feature to view all the starred recipes.
Search bar to search recipes with filters such as time, ingredients etc.
Recipe Card suggestions specific to user below the search bar.
With Add to Planner users can add the recipe to their personal planner, on their choice of date and time.
Brief information about the recipe with like, star, share and download options.
Main Health Benefits of the recipe listed to educate the user as well as induce confidence.
Curated Recipes Collections for the user according to their goals and preferences, and location.
Days with Dates for the user to plan meals for a week in advance.
Recipe Card with add to shopping list CTA and a feature to choose number of servings .
Calendar to select day and dates for which the user wishes to play.
Select quantity manually and check it off the list once the users have shopped the item.
Top Podcast Recommendation with Play now CTA to educate the users about health.
Slider to switch between Short term and long term content.
Brief information about the podcast with like, star, share and download options.
Podcast Card suggestions specific to user under more like this category.
User Testing
To ensure the usability and effectiveness of the app, I conducted a comprehensive user testing session employing the Cognitive Walkthrough Method, which allowed me to evaluate the app's user interface and user experience through a systematic analysis of participants' interactions with the app. I selected 5 participants representing different age groups within the target audience. This approach allowed me to capture insights from a broad spectrum of potential users. for the testing.
Task Selection for Testing
1. Signing in to the App
2. Discovering a Recipe
3. Sharing a Podcast
Evaluation Parameters
Will the users try to achieve the right result?
Will the users associate the action with the result they are trying to obtain?
After the action is performed, will the users see the progress they have made towards the goal?
Will the users notice that the correct action is available?