What the Fork Recipes App

THE PROBLEM

People don’t like wasting food, but are often left with food in the fridge that gets thrown away because they don’t know what to do with it.

THE SOLUTION

To create a responsive recipes web app that will allow users to use up their leftover food and ingredients and reduce food waste.

THE PROBLEM

People don’t like wasting food, but are often left with food in the fridge that gets thrown away because they don’t know what to do with it.

THE SOLUTION

To create a responsive recipes web app that will allow users to use up their leftover food and ingredients and reduce food waste.

design process

DISCOVER: COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS

To begin my research, I started to look at similar platforms, analysing user experience and key features.

FORKS OVER KNIVES

Forks Over Knives’ website states that they are committed to changing the way the world sees and approaches nutrition. They have released a documentary film and published books, have a mobile recipe app and maintain a website filled with the latest research, recipes, and tools to help people at every phase of their plant-based journey. Their offering has grown to include a cooking course, a meal planner, a line of food products, and a magazine.

Strengths

Their responsive website and apps are beautifully designed and easy to navigate.
They have a very strong misson that is clearly communicated throughout all media.
Offers users the ability to completely embrace a plant-based lifestyle via all their media channels.
No ads in the app.
The recipes are simple.

Improvements that could be made

Screen lock to offer users a seamless experience when following a recipe.
Make the recipes app available for iPad.
Filter for removing certain ingredients (i.e. for allergies).
Allow recipes to be reviewed and commented on to show potential problems for users.
Combine recipes and meal planner apps into a single app.

BBC GOOD FOOD

BBC Good Food is a global food media brand, with a monthly magazine, website, app, live events and series of books. It is the biggest food brand in Europe with millions of users accessing its extensive collection of over 13,000 curated recipes every month.

Strengths

More than 13,000 recipes.
Brand new recipes every month.
How-to videos and masterclasses.
Ask experts questions.
Comment on and rate recipes.
Keep the recipe on-screen with Cook Mode.
Ad-free experience.
Free 3-month trial.
Users can bookmark recipes.
Users can turn their favourite recipes into a unique personalised cookbook.

Improvements that could be made

Tiered pricing for different levels of access.
Improve search feature.
The ability for the app to learn what a user likes based on previous searches.
Improve syncing app between website and app.
Share fuction.

DISCOVER: USER INTERVIEWS

The second step of my research was to conduct user interviews to learn about people’s cooking habits, and what they currently do with any leftover food. To find out if they already use any recipe apps or websites, and if so, what features they’d most like to see.

Three participants were interviewed, selected to cover a range of demographics. The interviews were conducted over the telephone and included six non-leading questions about their cooking habits and current use of leftover food.

Patterns that emerged from the answers:
Potential users don’t like to waste food if possible.

Noteworthy quotes
“We really don’t like wasting food.”
“Clear instructions that are easy to follow.”
“I like to see reviews, or a star rating to see what other people think of it.”

Frustrations mentioned:
American measurements are often shown on recipes, it would be good to be able to convert them. Having to scroll back up to see the ingredients when in the middle of cooking a recipe.

Needs or goals mentioned:
Filter recipes by time – only see the ones that are quickest to prepare and cook.
Instructions that are clear and simple to follow.
Ability to filter out certain ingredients.
Would like to see reviews, or a star rating, on recipes to see what other people think of it.

“we really don’t like wasting food”

DEFINE THE PROBLEM

I created an affinity map to combine my research findings and identify key insights.

Can you tell me how do you decide what to cook each week?

Participant #1

I try to do a meal plan, but that often goes out the window when I’m working or if I don’t have enough time (or can’t be bothered!). If I’m late home from work, I’ll often grab something easy out of the freezer.

Participant #2

We just look in the fridge to see what’s close to going out of date and have that.

Participant #3

We have a weekly shop delivered, so we have to decide what we want to cook before we order it. We usually discuss what we’re cooking that week, before doing the order.

What do you do with any food that’s leftover in the fridge?

Participant #3

It depends what it is. We do try to use it up. We are trying to only buy what we need or hold it over to use the next week if it’s still in date, otherwise it does get binned. We are getting better at it.

Participant #1

Sometimes we eat it the next day, we try to use it up if we can. If it’s left over roast meat, then we’ll have it as cold meat and salad. Mostly we seem to fall back to soup! It gets a bit boring having the same old thing every week.

Participant #2

We really don’t like wasting food. I can’t say we always save it and use it though. We might have it for lunch the next day

Participant #1

We try not to waste food if possible.

What’s the one feature you’d most like to see on a recipe app?

Participant #2

Clear instructions that are easy to follow. And definitely no American measurements, I have no idea what 2 cups means!

Participant #3

The main thing I like to see is a picture of the finished dish. I really don’t like apps or websites that only show the text. I need to see what it’s supposed to look like! I like it to be straightforward with the ingredients, method and a picture, simple.

Participant #1

I would like to see recipes without cheese because I hate it! It would be good to be able to filter out certain ingredients.

Participant #3

I like to see reviews, or a star rating to see what other people think of it.

DEFINE: USER PERSONAS

Based on the findings in my research, I defined three main user personas that I would create my solution for.

DEFINE: USER FLOWS

DEFINE: EXPLORATORY SKETCHES AND RAPID PROTOTYPING

IDEATE: MID FIDELITY WIREFRAMES

Based on the feedback from the usability tests of the paper prototypes, mid fidelity wireframes were created to give a more accurate depiction of the layout, and detail around how things will work.

DESIGN: MOOD BOARD

DESIGN: BRANDING / LOGO VARIATIONS

Full colour logo

Mono logo

App icon

The logo is a graphic comprised of the wordmark (logotype) and figurative mark (symbol). The hand-drawn style has been created to make it feel unique and free-spirited. It is essential to the brand that the logo always be applied with care and respect according to these guidelines.

DESIGN: COLOUR PALETTE

DESIGN: ICONOGRAPHY

DESIGN: TYPOGRAPHY

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