BACKGROUND
Gen Z is known for its inclination towards independence and a goal-oriented mindset. Despite cooking being a common cultural reference among this group, it seems as though Gen Z is not engaged in learning cooking skills or investing in them for the long run.
RESEARCH
Learning about the current market players helped in identify common themes: recipe discovery, instructions and meal planning were top contenders
Hearing from Gen Z themselves about learning (and avoiding) cooking revealed issues with motivation and time management
Primary research included surveys and interviews with Gen Z folks to learn about cooking patterns, frustrations and motivating factors that shape their cooking journeys.
IDEATION
Journey mapping revealed that novice cooks may prefer step-by-step guidance and ingredient handling tips while seasoned cooks may find ingredient substitutions and opportunities for customization more useful
Mapping out key features: step-by-step recipe support, documentation of cooking process and user profile indicating cooking progress
The main question after having identified the key directions for the app was: How do we provide these features in a way that feels seamless and isn’t overwhelming to Gen Z users? The trick was to start with the basics.
TESTING
4 rounds of iterative testing were conducted to maintain an agile process
2 rounds were moderated — in the beginning, we aimed to record detailed accounts of users’ feedback — and 2 rounds were unmoderated.
Early findings indicated issues with documenting a recipe attempt
Given that both novice and seasoned participants were included in the usability testing, it was imperative to also measure the app's effectiveness through key UX metrics such as time on task and post-test ratings based on specific aspects of the app.
Using progressive disclosure to simplify the documentation process
01 "The posting part was a bit confusing"
Refining the onboarding + recipe flows led to a decrease in total time on task; modifying dish documentation flow resulted in a higher rating for the feature's use.
Introducing 'Cooking Tip Cards': an engaging way to learn cooking tips without trying recipes
02 "I feel like I'm thrown into cooking a dish without knowing enough about the recipe"
DESIGN
Yes, Chef! — a cooking app that encourages Gen Z to explore new recipes, track personal cooking growth and learn techniques to support long-term cooking habits
A brand crafted to weave in fun and exploration within the process of cooking…
Learn as you go
Use cooking tip cards to learn about cooking techniques that you can apply to your own experiments instead of just following recipes.
Find and follow recipes at your pace
No more pause, play, rewind or hold the way you would on social media recipes. View the step by step breakdown of a recipe, set timers and cook at your own pace.
Yes, Chef!
Try new recipes, curate your cooking journey and build lasting skills
Record skill and knowledge
through onboarding quiz
Browse through recipes and learn new cooking hacks
Make note of your cooking attempts to track your progress
Track your progress with cooking skills in real-time
Make notes and record your ‘secret sauce’ for your attempted recipes to create a treasure trove of personal hacks
Everyone shares core needs, but the details differ
Creating affordances for different user types
Clear communication for unmoderated testing is key
