Personalizing sustainable cooking with image recognition
A recipe AI that saves money and time for health, eco-friendly individuals
Chefie
Product Designer
End-to-end iOS app design
Concept
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UX
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UI
3 weeks
Less food waste, more yumminess
By recommending recipes based on available ingredients, Chefie reduces food waste, leading to fresher meals, a positive impact on the environment, and less money spent on groceries. Additionally, the easy-to-use image recognition saves users time on recipe selection. Chefie is targeted to
80%
Food waste at household level
80%
Time to select ingredients
30% of food wasted annually
Food is inevitably a major part of our lives. For those who are fortunate, they eat a wide variety of foods, multiple times a day. However, for those unfortunate individuals, food can sometimes be a luxury. There are millions and millions of people suffering from hunger and undernourishment every year. Food waste is not just an environmental issue, it is a societal problem.
HMW make it easier for young adults to cook more sustainably and smoothly?
For young adults like myself, who are often navigating newfound independence and budget constraints, minimizing food waste becomes a personal challenge too. We strive for healthy, cost-effective home cooking, but good intentions often clash with reality.
Through interviews with young adults, I discovered a common theme, inconsistent cooking skills and poor planning resulted in frequent food waste and feeling guilty. 6 out of 6 participants reported throwing away ingredients at least once a week due to impulsive purchases, bulk buying, and forgetfulness, and sometimes, just the spontaneity of life.
Final design of key screens: onboarding, image recognition, and recipe selection
Differentiating tool with personalization and image recognition as USP
Tools with recipe finders, meal planners, and pantry trackers are everywhere. However, young adults need a flexible tool that adapts to the ingredients they already have at home. No more strict meal prep or unnecessary grocery trips. What if they can simply take photos of the ingredients with their phone and instantly get recipe recommendations?
By introducing personalization and image recognition to a recipe tool, users save time and effort getting tailor-made recommendations that fit their taste buds while also using every last bits of their available ingredients, ultimately, reducing food waste. This combination not only makes cooking more sustainable but also more enjoyable and convenient.
Selected midfi wireframes of key screens
Back-of-house look at the branding and component library
Chefie's design language reflects the guiding principles of fun and excitement for a mobile app, and green for a sustainability solution. The app boasts a bright, playful color palette with cheerful illustrations throughout. This creates an inviting and engaging experience for young adults, making sustainable cooking feel less like a chore.
Logo
Colors
Positive concept validation with potential users
During usability testing with young adults, Chefie made a strong first impression. Users found it fun and easy to use, particularly appreciating its intuitive interface and image recognition technology. They recognized the tool's value in helping them reduce food waste and discover new recipe ideas. However, some suggested adding onboarding tips for first-time users and enhancing the interaction of specific components for a more engaging experience. These feedback were incorporated into the next iteration.
Visuals enhancing tweaks based on feedback from user testing
Snap. Cook. Enjoy.
Chefie is an AI-powered tool that scans users’ fridge and pantry, suggesting suitable dishes based on their exact ingredients. No more wasted groceries or endless recipe searches. With each use, Chefie learns the users’ preferences, recommending dishes they will enjoy.
Onboarding with personalizing by creating a Chefie profile
User select skill level and preferences in onboarding flow for personalization
Eliminate the need to input pantry staples for every recipe search
Second half of onboarding prompts users to enter pantry staples
Recipe results based on what is available and preferred
Recipe finder: users find recipes based on the ingredients they inputted for recipe recommendations
Strategic value-add features on the product roadmap
While the MVP focuses on the recipe finder, the product roadmap includes additional features to further improve the user experience. Considering the user feedback in the initial testing, I will likely explore and prioritize incorporating cooking demo videos and recipe ratings and reviews and introducing Mix, an online community for Chefies to connect, share recipes, and possibly cook together.