NYT COOKING: MYFRIDGE
Introduction
*You are attending a UX Design Team meeting for the New York Times Cooking App
It has been brought to our attention by an avid app user that our product search feature is not accurate enough. They have been using the app for over three years and are still experiencing problems regarding the way we tag our recipes. Multi-ingredient searches have proven to be especially difficult.
The user enjoys searching by recipe type, author, and most importantly, ingredient. Avoiding food waste is a crucial sustainability and financial goal for this user when cooking. They have shared that they wish there was a way to have recipes recommended based on what they have in their fridge and pantry.
Starting today, we will be developing a brand new feature within the app that will serve as a new way to search our recipe database. We will be prioritizing metadata, user data input methods, and search refinement within this tool.
Mobile App Added Feature
End-to-end Product Designer
May - July 2024
USER INTERVIEWS
AFFINITY MAP
I organized my findings through an affinity map which brought my most prevalent user attitudes and concerns to the surface.
In regards to moving, my users identified pain points that included feelings of overwhelm and fatigue in regards to picky eaters, meal variety, and food waste.
It was brought to my attention that people are motivated by meal type, specific ingredients, cook time, as well as the visuals used to explain a recipe.
It was clear that users needed recipes based on currently owned ingredients, recipe driven grocery lists, and help sticking to a budget.
The Task at Hand:
With these themes in mind, I set out to ease the average home cook’s experience in putting meals on the table, all while reducing food waste.
Research
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
Following an in-depth evaluation using the SWOT method, I concluded that the select competitors all provide recipe and food-related solutions with a strong focus on technology integration. They emphasize refined search features, personalization, and accessibility, catering to different audiences from beginner cooks to tech-savvy and high-income users. Additionally, all three have a growing focus on sustainability and responsible practices, particularly around food waste reduction.
Each app faced challenges such as Tasty's reliance on pop-up ads and mixed reviews, Epicurious's ads and negative PR, and Family Hub's high cost, exclusivity, and security concerns.
Over a series of interviews targeting adults of various ages, I focused on…
Knowing what obstacles people have have faced while using the New York Times Cooking App.
Discovering what is important when selecting recipes, meal planning, and cooking
Understanding the user’s needs when it comes to cooking and sustainability.
Define
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Problem: Many home cooks feel confident in browsing recipes before grocery shopping, but are unsure how to use their leftover ingredients after these recipes have been made. Time after time, these cooks will find spoiled goods in their fridge and pantry, only to get tossed in the trash after minimal use. NYT Cooking App users are left feeling guilty of food waste and drained of their finances.
How might we incorporate a step into the user's recipe search that takes into account the ingredients they already have, enhancing both sustainability and cost-effectiveness?
PERSONA
With my problem in mind, and considerations on how to solve for it, I personified my users’ voices in an identity called Claire.
Idea Exploration
FEATURE SET
As a designer, I consistently strive for quality over quantity. After a thorough brainstorming session resulting in many ideas for the app’s added feature, I carefully broke down and prioritized my concept into four clear categories:
Must Have, Nice To Have, Surprising and Delightful, and Can Come Later
Information
Architecture
USER FLOWS
After running a user card sort, I analyzed my results via dendrogram, participant centric analysis, similarity matrix, and standardization grid. I then fleshed out two supported user flows that focused on searching by fridge contents and a multi-ingredient refined search.
Wireframes
LOW & HIGH FIDELITY
From just a few simple low fidelity wireframes, the MyFridge feature was embedded into NYT Cooking’s current design. Seamless brand and UI integration was my top priority when building these wireframes. As you can see, the bridge between the old and new is nearly indistinguishable.
Usability Testing
COMMON THEMES
New Feature Visibility: Most users noticed the new search feature due to the red "new" tag on the bottom right. It successfully drew attention.
Feature Understanding: Users generally understood that the new feature helps search for recipes based on ingredients they already have, with some thinking it helps reduce food waste.
Usefulness: Many respondents said they would use the feature, though not solely for reducing food waste. Some saw it as a fun and helpful tool for meal planning.
Skip Option: Some users felt restricted by the “Additional Ingredients” step and suggested having a clear “skip” button for flexibility.
Recipe Page: Users appreciated the '“Recipes with Similar Ingredients” suggestions at the bottom of the page.
Ingredient Highlighting: Bolded ingredients needing purchase were praised, but some users wanted more control, like grouping or selecting which items to add to a grocery list.
REVISIONS
Usefulness: Users vocalized that they were not just interested in preventing food waste with this new feature, so I adjusted the verbiage here to be broader.
Skip Option: Users didn’t realize they could skip a step, so I added a simple, gray button in the top right corner. While I wanted the option to be available, I also wanted to encourage full use of the feature.
Ingredient Highlighting: Some users vocalized desire for flexibility when viewing bolded ingredients they needed. I swapped the asterisk for a toggle that un-bolds the bolded ingredients when tapped.
Final Product
PROTOTYPE
FINAL THOUGHTS
MyFridge addresses an essential step currently missing in the NYT Cooking App’s search process. Through comprehensive user research, iterative prototyping, and detailed usability testing, the added feature was tailored to home cooks looking for recipes they already owned the ingredients for, through a multi-term search tool. Now, search results are sorted by best match in regards to owned ingredients. By incorporating a bolded ingredients toggle, users can easily view the ingredients they still need, with the option to turn this feature off. Recommended recipes are now suggested with overlapping ingredients in mind. The final solution not only helps users avoid food waste, but supports keeping grocery bills on and under budget.
Moving forward, the app has potential for further growth. This would include the exploration of further result sorting, and designing info-graphics such the Venn diagram to clearly highlight meal selection efficiency and sustainability week to week.
