Her landmark cookbook, "Ana Dolores Cocina con Usted" (Ana Dolores Cooks with You), features over 500 iconic Cuban recipes. This case study outlines the transformation of this invaluable text into a digital, interactive mobile application.
The focus is on providing an exceptional user experience while preserving the cultural and culinary richness of the original work.
Bringing the art and beauty of Cuban cuisine to the modern age.
The ANA DOLORES COOKING APP
ROLE
User Experience (UX) Designer, Interaction (IxD) Designer, User Interface (UI) Designer, and Visual Designer
TIMELINE
April - July 2023 (Three Months)
TOOLS
Figma, Illustrator, Photoshop
Overview
One of the most essential components of culture is food. When we think of Italians, we think of pizza and pasta. When we think of Greeks, we think of gyros or hummus.
What food comes to mind when you think of Cubans? Please don’t say tacos. There are misconceptions about Hispanic food. Hispanics may speak the same language but don’t necessarily eat the same foods.
People have assumed that since Cubans speak Spanish, they must know how to make tacos. Cubans like Picadillo, Ropa Vieja, and Pan con Bistec have their dishes—iconic sandwiches like Medianoche, Cubano, and Elena Ruz.
Cuban cuisine isn’t the same as Mexican, Peruvian, or Chilean cuisine, but equally as delicious.
Challenges:
Public Perception: A prevalent misconception equates Cuban cuisine with spiciness, often mistaken for Mexican food.
Lack of Awareness: Most people have limited or no understanding of the distinct characteristics that define Cuban culinary arts.
Health Concerns: A widely-held assumption suggests that Cuban food lacks nutritional benefits, which can discourage prospective users.
Strategic Interventions:
Visual Storytelling: Employ high-quality photography and immersive video content to capture Cuban cuisine's rich diversity and unique flavors, thereby correcting misconceptions.
Data-Driven Personalization: Utilize user-specific account data to curate recipe recommendations, ensuring relevance and engagement dynamically.
User-Centric Search: Implement advanced filtering and search algorithms that adapt based on individual user preferences, offering a more personalized and intuitive browsing experience.
With a single app that integrates Instacart and healthy food substitutions, a home cook can effortlessly order ingredients for a decadent Flan de Leche one week and then quickly switch to a Vegan-based alternative, Croquetas de Jamon the next while managing their grocery deliveries seamlessly.
Market & User Insight Methodology
My investigative approach initially zoomed in on the competitive landscape to gauge how existing cooking apps tackle similar user challenges. Utilizing a data-driven method, I gathered insights from over 100 user surveys to quantify both customer value propositions and unmet needs. Finally, individual interviews served as a qualitative lens, providing nuanced insights into user experiences and pinpointing particular challenges that our app should address.
User & Market Insights
Competitive Analysis: Although no direct competitors exist in the subscription-based model, various online blogs and websites offer analogous content.
User Engagement Metrics: On average, users engage with one recipe annually, suggesting a prevalent uncertainty about what to cook.
User Concerns Spectrum: Concerns varied widely, ranging from basic indecisiveness ("I'm unsure of what I'd like") to targeted nutritional needs ("I wish to explore vegan-friendly recipes").
Recipe Selection Challenge: Universal struggles exist in selecting the appropriate recipe to cook, but the underlying motivations differ among users.
Zeroing in on User-Focused Design
Unpacking User Drives with Persona-Based Analysis
At first glance, one might assume that all users are guided by the universal time and cost efficiency objectives. However, more profound user research revealed nuanced motivations that couldn't be ignored.
By crafting targeted personas, we illuminated these varying user drives, establishing them as pivotal guideposts for feature development.
As the project unfolded, my focus narrowed to two distinct personas. These personas were critical as they spotlighted two vital app functionalities: an in-depth analysis of dietary-based substitution choices and reliance on the app's discovery features—trending recommendations, browsing, searching, and filtering—for recipe selection.
Alex Johnson dislikes the over-simplification of traditional recipes and the lack of 'chef-level' recipes.
Sofia Martinez struggles with lack of time intimidating traditional recipes.
Carlos Rivera has difficulty finding authentic recipes and the lack of ingredient availability.
Emily Thompson sees the difficulty in finding vegan Cuban recipes and the unfamiliarity with Cuban vegan ingredients.
Mark Lee is concerned about cross-contamination limited recipe options.
Linda Willams struggles with traditional Cuban recipes' high-caloric nature and lack of nutritional info.
A Framework for Design Decisions
The site map serves as an organizational tool that visually represents the key task streams. It's informed by user insights gathered from surveys and interviews to ensure a user-centered design approach. The framework provided by this site map, combined with the user feedback and insights, will serve as a cornerstone for design decisions. This ensures that the app remains intuitive, meets user expectations, and offers a seamless experience from onboarding to recipe exploration.
Key Task Streams:
Onboarding and Registration:
User Sign-up
User Login
Profile Setup
Preferences and Dietary Restrictions
Scanner:
Ingredient Scanning: Scan an ingredient and receive potential recipes.
Manual Ingredient Input: Input details of an ingredient if scanning isn't feasible.
Voice Input: Users can voice out the ingredient names to search for recipes.
Recipe Suggestions: Based on scanned or inputted ingredients.
Programming and Search-Related Functions:
Recipe Search
Ingredient-based Search
Tutorial Videos
Community Shared Recipes
Advanced Filters (Cuisine Type, Cooking Time, etc.)
Crafting an Intuitive, User-Focused Interface
Quick sketching techniques enabled me to delve into prevalent design patterns observed across competitive applications. This exercise was instrumental in pinpointing essential features that should be integrated into the app to maintain user familiarity. Additionally, it shed light on versatile screen types and intuitive touch gestures, optimizing user interaction and functionality.
Evaluating the Ingredient Scanner Experience
Using high-fidelity prototypes was instrumental in assessing the primary user tasks derived from my in-depth research. Upon full deployment of the UI, it was clear that while most tasks were inherently intuitive, specific features, like the "Ingredient Scanner," needed further scrutiny.
This feature, reminiscent of Google Lens, empowered users to leverage their phone's camera within the app to capture an ingredient or a set of ingredients. They could also employ voice dictation or manual typing to list items. The core functionality aimed to identify potential recipes within the app based on the input or even inspire users to craft a novel recipe. This new recipe can be saved, shared, and found under the "Your Recipes" section.
However, feedback indicated that while the concept was appreciated, certain aspects of its implementation required refinement.
Progress Summary: An Ongoing Journey in Culinary Exploration
As our project advances, continuous user testing has been a cornerstone in shaping our direction and refining our offerings. This hands-on approach has provided pivotal insights into how users interact with the technology, ensuring we align our features with genuine user needs and preferences. The feedback has illuminated a clear trend: users strongly desire to make the most of ingredients they already have at home, and there's a growing interest in discovering healthy alternatives.
With its spotlight on Cuban cuisine and a rich repertoire from an existing cookbook, our app has resonated deeply with our audience. They're not merely looking to prepare meals but are keen to dive deep into the authentic flavors and culinary traditions of Cuba. Furthermore, the emphasis on health-conscious choices underscores a broader shift towards mindful eating.
The journey thus far has underscored the invaluable role of user-centric design. By prioritizing user feedback and understanding their interaction with our app, we're poised to deliver an experience that truly resonates, celebrating the vibrant world of Cuban gastronomy while addressing contemporary dietary preferences.
