Cupboard Cuisine
Software:
Year:
A UX Design case study on the app that uses your online or in-person grocery shopping to make meals out of whats in your fridge.
Figma, Adobe Photoshop
2023
How did it start?
Being a college student and new to cooking, I found it difficult to look in the fridge and come up with a meal. This being a daily occurrence, I thought to myself, what if I could just use an app that would tell me what I could cook based on what’s in my fridge?
Overview
My goal was to design an app that simplifies grocery shopping and meal planning for users, by offering a range of features including online grocery ordering, inventory tracking, and recipe suggestions. I conducted research to understand users' needs, preferences, and dieting when it comes to grocery shopping and cooking.
Initial Research
I began by conducting a literature review and online survey to gather information about users' grocery shopping habits, cooking preferences, and attitudes towards technology. The survey helped me to identify the key wants and needs of users when grocery shopping and cooking, and the features that they would find most valuable in an app.
Competitive Research and Findings
Competitor research and findings from competitive research
I also conducted a competitive analysis to identify existing grocery and recipe apps in the market. Through this analysis, I discovered that many apps offered either online grocery ordering or recipe suggestions, but very few integrated both features in a user-friendly way.
Interviews and findings
Next, I conducted in-depth interviews with a select group of participants to gain a deeper understanding of their needs, motivations, and behaviors when it comes to grocery shopping and cooking. Through these interviews, I discovered that users were often overwhelmed by the amount of choice available when ordering groceries online, and struggled to come up with new and interesting meal ideas based on the ingredients they had available.
Design Phase
With these insights, I began the design phase of the project. I started with low-fidelity wireframes, which I tested with a group of participants to gather feedback on the overall user flow and functionality of the app.
Low-Fidelity Wireframes
What can users do on the app?
The app offers a range of features, including:
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Online grocery ordering from popular websites such as Amazon Fresh
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Inventory tracking, which allows users to keep track of what they have in their kitchen and fridge
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Recipe suggestions based on the ingredients that the user has available
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Meal planning and scheduling, which allows users to plan their meals for the week and receive reminders when it's time to start cooking
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Dietary information on ingredients and meals
User Testing
Before developed a high-fidelity prototype, I conducted usability testing with a group of participants. I asked them to complete various tasks, such as ordering groceries, tracking inventory, and finding recipe suggestions. I used a combination of think-aloud protocols and observation to gather qualitative data about their experience and identify areas for improvement.
Final UI Design
Based on the feedback I received from usability testing, I made several changes to the design of the app, including simplifying the user flow and adding more intuitive navigation options. I also refined the visual design to make the app more visually appealing and easier to use.
Conclusion
Through my research and design process, I was able to create a user-friendly app that simplifies grocery shopping, cooking, and meal planning for users. The app integrates with popular online grocery ordering websites, allows users to track their inventory, and provides recipe suggestions based on what they already have in their kitchen and fridge. By conducting usability testing, I was able to identify areas for improvement and ensure that the final IU design met the needs of the target audience.