SanChef Case Study App - Concept
Usability Testing
UX Research
Prototyping
Wireframe
Brand Identity
Visual Design
End-to-End Product Design
What:
SanChef is an app that allows you to save, organize, categorize, and share your recipes from one central place; perfect for cooking lovers.
Goal:
Create a recipe organizer app that makes keeping and organizing recipes easy, simple, and accessible.
My Role:
I created user surveys, product scoping, user flows, wireframes, rapid prototyping, and branding. I created and conducted moderated usability testing and synthesized research findings to produce viable ideas.
Project Duration:
August 2022 - October 2022
App in Use
Navigating the app (Video)
Finding a recipe and making a change to the recipe
Users can do the following:
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See quick facts when they hover over a recipe option
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Make the text bigger
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The metrics of the measurement can be changed to; ounces, grams, or cups
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Change the serving size
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Check off the ingredients they completed
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Add a video or an image
Navigating the app (Video)
Adding a recipe 3 different ways
Users can upload recipes in the 3 following ways:
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Manually add: Users can input the details manually or while on that same screen it will allow them to speak into the app if that is easier. - perfect for users who are saving a recipe from scratch.
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Scan: Scan a recipe and the AI will translate the image into text - perfect for users who have old family cookbooks or recipes on cookbooks.
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Import: Users can paste a link or upload a document - perfect for users who follow online recipes or have recipes written on a document file.
Problem Discovery
People do not have a central place to keep their recipes, organized, and easy to access.
While analyzing the user surveys of potential users (people who cook and like to follow recipes), many expressed difficulty in organizing, saving changes to recipes, and keeping them in an accessible place. This sparked a potential solution -
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Create a recipe organizer app that makes keeping and organizing recipes easy, simple, and accessible.
User Research: Summary
I utilized Google forms to prepare a survey aimed at people who cook and like to follow recipes. A total of 17 people took the survey and interviewed 5 people. Through my research I found:
Primary Group
Users find recipes online and alter them but have no time to organize the recipe in one central place.
Secondary Group
Users that have old family-written cookbooks or are trying to save old family recipes.
In their own words - how are users keeping track of the changes they make to a recipe:
"I make notes on my phone notes section of the changes but most of the time I do not and I am never able to remake the recipe."
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"Usually I just remember them. Sometimes I print it off and make changes on the paper and store it in my spice drawer."
User Personas
Research Discovery
Following the research
personas were created to help drive decision-making and communicate research findings. Through the interviews and persona-building, it was determined that having multiple ways to save a recipe and a no-hassle organizing system would be the driving forces when building the product experience.
User Journey Tables
Research Findings
Following the user personas
User journeys were created using the personas to imagine: difficulties users face when organizing, finding, and keeping recipes using the methods they wrote about in the survey. This will allow me to find areas of improvement to help them achieve their goal as quickly and easily as possible.
User Pain Points
Opportunity for Service
After the User Journey Map
To move closer to solving users' needs I narrowed the user's pain points to three that could become areas of service the app can include.
Mapping and Developing
Flow Chart
Site Map
Simplifying the journey
After the User's Pain Points
To break down the possible navigation of the app a user journey and site map were created. During this process, I developed ideas for the main functions that would be beneficial to users. I found that the user journey is very complex and could benefit from artificial intelligence like automated categories and scanning an image and turning the text digital.
Wireframes
Process Iteration
Usability Testing Informed
There was a total of 2 rounds of usability testing during the iteration process. Every version of the app was based on real-life feedback from users.
Design & Sticker Sheet
Accessibility Considerations
Takeaways
What I learned
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While designing the SanChef recipe app, I learned to keep an open mind to change. The first ideas for the app are only the beginning of the process. Usability studies and peer feedback influenced each iteration of the designs.
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But most important to keep testing and keep learning!
Impact
The app is easy to use and meets the needs of the users.
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One of the quotes from usability testing:
“I think the app is straightforward and easy to use with many useful features I would use it!”