Case study - MICA master’s thesis
OpenKitchen
bringing people together with a cooking & recipe sharing streaming platform
Overview
It’s 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic is in full swing. Disconnect between people has been increasing in this time of change and uncertainty, and there is a desperate need for avenues to increase empathy and understanding between people on a large scale. Historically, one of the core ways humans have connected with each other is through cooking and sharing meals together. When a pandemic comes in and people can’t meet, and the restaurant industry is in crisis - I decided to explore a solution that might provide an opportunity to fill the void and create connections over food again.
OpenKitchen is a live streaming platform that seeks to provide a space for people to come together and experience recipes and culinary knowledge during a time when in-person experiences aren’t safely sustainable due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The platform is focused on both public and private live streams that have recipes and ingredient lists built into the interface- allowing an easily shared experience that can be savored forever.
Project details
Timeline
8 weeks beginning from planning to high fidelity designs
Roles
UX design, UX research, project management
Format
Desktop application, browser-based
Tools
Figma, Miro, Canva
Project Gantt chart
Project phases determined with overlap where appropriate to accommodate a condensed timeline.
Deciding what to tackle: mapping out the problem space
I began exploring with a mind map, focusing on areas where people come together over food. Branching into so many different aspects of sharing meals brought about one standout question in light of the ongoing pandemic:
Problem statement
How might we enable people to come together over food when they can't safely meet in person?
Research
During my early research, I honed in on three major areas to investigate that would help define my potential solution:
The effect of the pandemic on the restaurant industry - the COVID19 pandemic has had one of the greatest economic impacts on restaurants and food services- leaving many workers without jobs or at least with severely reduced hours.
The growth of the digital sharing economy - especially as a source of supplemental income, people turned more than ever to sharing resources they already have (such as ride sharing, rentings space, etc.) - and this includes knowledge sharing.
Popularity of food content in social media (from 2021 research) - More than 70% of adults use social media for recipes instead of cookbooks, and food videos are by far the most popular video content on Facebook. 46.7 million people follow the top 5 cooking-related channels on YouTube.
The demographics of potential users - is there an overlap of people who interact with all of the above regularly? It’s easy to say “everybody has to eat” - but was important to determine a target audience to define the look, feel, and functionality of the core solution. My research revealed that millenials in general tended to spend the most money historically on culinary experiences and food-related travel -
Macro forces driving user needs and business opportunity
The Pandemic
- In-person experiences haven't been sustainable. (Socio-cultural, economic forces)
Expense
- The experience must be "worth it" - baseline cost and the experience should be accessible and reasonable. (Economic forces)
Food Safety
- Food handling and cooking safety is paramount for our hosts and guests, and is required for our business to operate. (Political forces)
Internet Access
- Internet access isn't freely available to everybody, but a mobile solution may reach more people. (Technological forces)
Competitors
I narrowed down the area of opportunity - defining missing pieces that would make the solution differentiate itself from other potential solutions by researching competitors and similar digital spaces that might offer similar methods for people to achieve similar outcomes. This helped me determine which features might make the most impact for my potential users.
Ideation + iteration
I did a series of rapid ideation on a few views that would make up the core of the solution, considering which information might be most important in the moment - working with informed assumptions from my research.
I continued sketching a flow to sign up, select topics of interest, start watching and following a recipe. I then created wireframes and added branding and content to get this idea in front of users as soon as possible. Their feedback would determine if my assumptions would be validated or if I’d need to make some adjustments.
User testing with the prototype
I set up a mixed-method qualitative and quantitative survey to gather insights from potential users. From the pool of 18 respondents, I was able to recruit 7 people to conduct user testing on the first prototype. The feedback they provided was then consolidated and arranged into an affinity map to determine common themes to help distill insights on what was most important to them. I then created personas based on the themes that arose from the interviews. These gave me a lens through which refine the experience for them- considering their goals and the context in which they might be using the platform.
Personas - solidifying responses into insights to validate features
I then created personas based on the themes that arose from the interviews. These gave me a lens through which refine the experience for them- considering their goals and the context in which they might be using the platform.Personas were created after user interviews were conducted, after it was clear there were multiple use cases and sets of expectations that arose from the interviewees.
High fidelity + next steps
Incorporating user testing insights into the final product. I adjusted features in my prototype to fit user needs after creating personas from the main themes that I found in my user testing. Users had a lot of input on recipe features, and how they would utilize recipe videos live and after streams were over. I noticed a divide between wanting to cook along with streamers live and just watch the streams for entertainment while saving the recipes and videos to watch later. I also noticed a divide between buying groceries online via OpenKitchen, and wanting to save the ingredients to a list to take to the grocery store in person. Building features based on user persona needs enabled me to consider multiple uses for OpenKitchen beyond just sharing recipes in a live stream format.
OpenKitchen has now become a tool for users with key features that allow multiple ways to interact with the content:
• Share recipes and the stories behind them, live
• Save recipe streams for later, with step markers linked in the video timeline - and in the written steps below the video
• Have private "kitchens" where anybody can start a live stream and share it privately
• Have bookings available for private sessions or even classes
• Have access to interact hands-free if they’re cooking along and have messy hands
• Have the ability to save recipes or grocery lists for later
Defining successful outcomes + risk assessment
As part of the project, business risks and successful outcomes were defined and considered to determine feasibility of the solution - looking at features and benefits holistically, rather than hoping everything goes well, what happens if it goes wrong? This includes considering the triggers, consequences, and mitigation strategies for potential issues arising from failures if the successful outcomes are not achieved.
Explore the prototype for yourself!
Connect with me on LinkedIn
Case study - MICA master’s thesis
OpenKitchen
bringing people together with a cooking & recipe sharing streaming platform
Overview
It’s 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic is in full swing. Disconnect between people has been increasing in this time of change and uncertainty, and there is a desperate need for avenues to increase empathy and understanding between people on a large scale. Historically, one of the core ways humans have connected with each other is through cooking and sharing meals together. When a pandemic comes in and people can’t meet, and the restaurant industry is in crisis - I decided to explore a solution that might provide an opportunity to fill the void and create connections over food again.
OpenKitchen is a live streaming platform that seeks to provide a space for people to come together and experience recipes and culinary knowledge during a time when in-person experiences aren’t safely sustainable due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The platform is focused on both public and private live streams that have recipes and ingredient lists built into the interface- allowing an easily shared experience that can be savored forever.
Project details
Timeline
8 weeks beginning from planning to high fidelity designs
Roles
UX design, UX research, project management
Format
Desktop application, browser-based
Tools
Figma, Miro, Canva
Project Gantt chart
Project phases determined with overlap where appropriate to accommodate a condensed timeline.
Deciding what to tackle: mapping out the problem space
I began exploring with a mind map, focusing on areas where people come together over food. Branching into so many different aspects of sharing meals brought about one standout question in light of the ongoing pandemic:
Problem statement
How might we enable people to come together over food when they can't safely meet in person?
Research
During my early research, I honed in on three major areas to investigate that would help define my potential solution:
The effect of the pandemic on the restaurant industry - the COVID19 pandemic has had one of the greatest economic impacts on restaurants and food services- leaving many workers without jobs or at least with severely reduced hours.
The growth of the digital sharing economy - especially as a source of supplemental income, people turned more than ever to sharing resources they already have (such as ride sharing, rentings space, etc.) - and this includes knowledge sharing.
Popularity of food content in social media (from 2021 research) - More than 70% of adults use social media for recipes instead of cookbooks, and food videos are by far the most popular video content on Facebook. 46.7 million people follow the top 5 cooking-related channels on YouTube.
The demographics of potential users - is there an overlap of people who interact with all of the above regularly? It’s easy to say “everybody has to eat” - but was important to determine a target audience to define the look, feel, and functionality of the core solution. My research revealed that millenials in general tended to spend the most money historically on culinary experiences and food-related travel -
Competitors
I narrowed down the area of opportunity - defining missing pieces that would make the solution differentiate itself from other potential solutions by researching competitors and similar digital spaces that might offer similar methods for people to achieve similar outcomes. This helped me determine which features might make the most impact for my potential users.
Ideation + iteration
I did a series of rapid ideation on a few views that would make up the core of the solution, considering which information might be most important in the moment - working with informed assumptions from my research.
I did a series of rapid ideation on a few views that would make up the core of the solution, considering which information might be most important in the moment - working with informed assumptions from my research.
User testing with the prototype
I set up a mixed-method qualitative and quantitative survey to gather insights from potential users. From the pool of 18 respondents, I was able to recruit 7 people to conduct user testing on the first prototype. The feedback they provided was then consolidated and arranged into an affinity map to determine common themes to help distill insights on what was most important to them. I then created personas based on the themes that arose from the interviews. These gave me a lens through which refine the experience for them- considering their goals and the context in which they might be using the platform.
Personas - solidifying responses into insights to validate features
I then created personas based on the themes that arose from the interviews. These gave me a lens through which refine the experience for them- considering their goals and the context in which they might be using the platform.Personas were created after user interviews were conducted, after it was clear there were multiple use cases and sets of expectations that arose from the interviewees.
High fidelity + next steps
Incorporating user testing insights into the final product. I adjusted features in my prototype to fit user needs after creating personas from the main themes that I found in my user testing. Users had a lot of input on recipe features, and how they would utilize recipe videos live and after streams were over. I noticed a divide between wanting to cook along with streamers live and just watch the streams for entertainment while saving the recipes and videos to watch later. I also noticed a divide between buying groceries online via OpenKitchen, and wanting to save the ingredients to a list to take to the grocery store in person. Building features based on user persona needs enabled me to consider multiple uses for OpenKitchen beyond just sharing recipes in a live stream format.
OpenKitchen has now become a tool for users with key features that allow multiple ways to interact with the content:
• Share recipes and the storieaas behind them, live
• Save recipe streams for later, with step markers linked in the video timeline - and in the written steps below the video
• Have private "kitchens" where anybody can start a live stream and share it privately
• Have bookings available for private sessions or even classes
• Have access to interact hands-free if they’re cooking along and have messy hands
• Have the ability to save recipes or grocery lists for later
Defining successful outcomes + risk assessment
As part of the project, business risks and successful outcomes were defined and considered to determine feasibility of the solution - looking at features and benefits holistically, rather than hoping everything goes well, what happens if it goes wrong? This includes considering the triggers, consequences, and mitigation strategies for potential issues arising from failures if the successful outcomes are not achieved.
Explore the prototype for yourself!
Connect with me on LinkedIn
Case study - MICA master’s thesis
OpenKitchen
bringing people together with a cooking & recipe sharing streaming platform
Overview
It’s 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic is in full swing. Disconnect between people has been increasing in this time of change and uncertainty, and there is a desperate need for avenues to increase empathy and understanding between people on a large scale. Historically, one of the core ways humans have connected with each other is through cooking and sharing meals together. When a pandemic comes in and people can’t meet, and the restaurant industry is in crisis - I decided to explore a solution that might provide an opportunity to fill the void and create connections over food again.
OpenKitchen is a live streaming platform that seeks to provide a space for people to come together and experience recipes and culinary knowledge during a time when in-person experiences aren’t safely sustainable due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The platform is focused on both public and private live streams that have recipes and ingredient lists built into the interface- allowing an easily shared experience that can be savored forever.
Project details
Timeline
8 weeks beginning from planning to high fidelity designs
Roles
UX design, UX research, project management
Format
Desktop application, browser-based
Tools
Figma, Miro, Canva
Project Gantt chart
Project phases determined with overlap where appropriate to accommodate a condensed timeline.
Deciding what to tackle: mapping out the problem space
I began exploring with a mind map, focusing on areas where people come together over food. Branching into so many different aspects of sharing meals brought about one standout question in light of the ongoing pandemic:
Problem statement
How might we enable people to come together over food when they can't safely meet in person?
Research
During my early research, I honed in on three major areas to investigate that would help define my potential solution:
The effect of the pandemic on the restaurant industry - the COVID19 pandemic has had one of the greatest economic impacts on restaurants and food services- leaving many workers without jobs or at least with severely reduced hours.
The growth of the digital sharing economy - especially as a source of supplemental income, people turned more than ever to sharing resources they already have (such as ride sharing, renting space, etc.) - and this includes knowledge sharing.
Popularity of food content in social media (from 2021 research) - More than 70% of adults use social media for recipes instead of cookbooks, and food videos are by far the most popular video content on Facebook. 46.7 million people follow the top 5 cooking-related channels on YouTube.
The demographics of potential users - is there an overlap of people who interact with all of the above regularly? It’s easy to say “everybody has to eat” - but was important to determine a target audience to define the look, feel, and functionality of the core solution.
Macro forces driving user needs and business opportunity
The Pandemic
- In-person experiences haven't been sustainable. (Socio-cultural, economic forces)
Expense
- The experience must be "worth it" - baseline cost and the experience should be accessible and reasonable. (Economic forces)
Food Safety
- Food handling and cooking safety is paramount for our hosts and guests, and is required for our business to operate. (Political forces)
Internet Access
- Internet access isn't freely available to everybody, but a mobile solution may reach more people. (Technological forces)
Competitors
I narrowed down the area of opportunity - defining missing pieces that would make the solution differentiate itself from other potential solutions by researching competitors and similar digital spaces that might offer similar methods for people to achieve similar outcomes. This helped me determine which features might make the most impact for my potential users.
Ideation + iteration
I did a series of rapid ideation on a few views that would make up the core of the solution, considering which information might be most important in the moment - working with informed assumptions from my research.
I continued sketching a flow to sign up, select topics of interest, start watching and following a recipe. I then created wireframes and added branding and content to get this idea in front of users as soon as possible. Their feedback would determine if my assumptions would be validated or if I’d need to make some adjustments.
User testing with the prototype
I set up a mixed-method qualitative and quantitative survey to gather insights from potential users. From the pool of 18 respondents, I was able to recruit 7 people to conduct user testing on the first prototype. The feedback they provided was then consolidated and arranged into an affinity map to determine common themes to help distill insights on what was most important to them.
Personas - solidifying responses into insights to validate features
I then created personas based on the themes that arose from the interviews. It was clear there were multiple use cases and sets of expectations that arose from the interviewees. Creating personas out of these themes gave me a lens through which refine the experience - considering the user goals and the context in which they might be using the platform.
High fidelity + next steps
Incorporating user testing insights into the final product. I adjusted features in my prototype to fit user needs after creating personas from the main themes that I found in my user testing. Users had a lot of input on recipe features, and how they would utilize recipe videos live and after streams were over. I noticed a divide between wanting to cook along with streamers live and just watch the streams for entertainment while saving the recipes and videos to watch later. I also noticed a divide between buying groceries online via OpenKitchen, and wanting to save the ingredients to a list to take to the grocery store in person. Building features based on user persona needs enabled me to consider multiple uses for OpenKitchen beyond just sharing recipes in a live stream format.
OpenKitchen has now become a tool for users with key features that allow multiple ways to interact with the content:
• Share recipes and the stories behind them, live
• Save recipe streams for later, with step markers linked in the video timeline - and in the written steps below the video
• Have private "kitchens" where anybody can start a live stream and share it privately
• Have bookings available for private sessions or even classes
• Have access to interact hands-free if they’re cooking along and have messy hands
• Have the ability to save recipes or grocery lists for later
Defining successful outcomes + risk assessment
As part of the project, business risks and successful outcomes were defined and considered to determine feasibility of the solution - looking at features and benefits holistically, rather than hoping everything goes well, what happens if it goes wrong? This includes considering the triggers, consequences, and mitigation strategies for potential issues arising from failures if the successful outcomes are not achieved.
Explore the prototype for yourself!
Connect with me on LinkedIn
