01. User Centered Design: Pakwaan App
User Research - Questionnaire - Interview
design brief
Pakwaan: Recipe App in Vernacular Language
process followed
Literature Review - Task Analysis - Competitior Analysis - Trends UCD Canvas Product Requirement Document User Personas and User Scenarios Brainstorming Feature Affinity Mapping Task Model Interaction Flow Wireframes Cognitive Walkthrough
literature review Goal: Find a recipe for a dish to cook
Lets Cook Something
What Shall We Cook?
Look at a Recipe
If they are dissatisfied, they will revert back to searching for a recipe.
Unless they already know what they are searching for,they would browse in recipes. Cuisine? Time? Ingredients? Name/ What is it ? Taste? Requirements: Diabetes ? Kid friendly?
Recipe Ingredients Steps Difficulty Equipment Ease of understanding. Understand the steps
Decide what to Cook
Cook It
competitor analysis Analyzing the core competitors and how they position themselves in the market.
what is a recipe? a set of instructions for preparing a particular dish, including a list of the ingredients required. Can be relayed orally, through video, written instructions
trends in tier 2 and tier 3 cities - More consumption - Splurge on food, shopping, entertainment - Mediums for marketing restrictive - ‘Experience’ matters - Smart phone and internet penetration
Cookpad App Core functions available: search, publish, chat, share, bookmark Pros: like a cooking diary, social to see what friends are cooking Cons: you can only select one language and receipts shown are based on your choice, When you want to switch languages and explore homemade dishes from other countries, go to settings, log out, choose another language and repeat registration process. Pricing: ? In-app Products ₹ 196.05 - ₹ 230.02 per item
Yummly App Core functions available: search, collect, save, organize, creates a shopping list Pros: personalized diets, learns about likes and dislikes Cons: loosing internet so meals and recipes lost Pricing: free
Cookbook Recipe Core functions available: search, shopping list, cooking assistant, organise Pros: search by ingredients, based on cuisine, cook time & techniques, cooking assistant, voice search, 20 languages around the world, offline usage, Personalised diet plans with workouts Cons: too many ads Pricing: can upgrade to premium
user research A questionnaire was prepared gathering responses from people in tier 2 and tier 3 cities. Further telephonic interviews were done to get more insight into the process of finding a recipe and using a recipe to cook a dish.
EXPLORE - Age group - Which city do you live in? - Profession - What is your preferred language of communication? - Rate your cooking skill - How often do you cook? - Have you ever used a recipe to cook something? - How often do you used a recipe to cook? - What kind of cell phone do you use? ENGAGE - What was the last thing you tried to cook using instructions given orally or using a recipe? - How did you find the recipe for it? - Were you satisfied with the instructions given for preparing the said dish? - Understanding the Recipe- Possible Problems if faced - If the recipe was in a non-regional language or English language- Possible Problems if faced - Cooking the Recipe- Possible Problems if faced - Do you think the recipe lacked some required information? If yes, then what kind? - Were you satisfied with the result? If not, what did not go as planned? EXIT - Areas you would want the one who gave the recipe to improve? - If you had to teach someone a recipe,how would you do it differently? - Which medium would you prefer to teach this? - If you had to buy a cookbook,what is your preference - What kind of recipes would you want in it? - Time taken - Skill level
ucd canvas An initial UCD canvas was made which was then further revised with the inputs and insights gained from interacting with people in the research. The UCD canvas looks at the it from both user perspective and business perspective.
3. problems - Recipes have too many steps - Missing steps - Technical terms are used - Measurement Units are uncertain - Time not specified - Ingredient names not in the local language - Not that intuitive for everyone - Not in the language that they are fluent in - Couldn’t understand some of the words - Prefers recipe given orally or showed how to
4. motives - Better understanding of what is written - Wants to bring try something new - Wants to expand their recipe base
5. fears - Would be too complicated - Difficult to read and comprehend - Language constraint - Ingredients not available - Too Technical
1. business Recipe app in your local language
2. users - Average to Expert Cooking Skill User - Has limited knowledge of English - Preferred Language: Local - 18 and above
9. unique value proposition A recipe app which would be just like a person is showing and telling them how to in their everyday language
8. competitive advantages - Local language used not just in terms of translation of steps, but also recipes suggested from ingredients available locally - Also caters to people who are restrained by technology
7. alternatives - Youtube - Google - Ask someone else - Facebook - Cookbook
6. solutions - Recipes in local language - Alternatives names for ingredients given - Step by Step update of how its supposed to be - Minimum technical know how - Easy to understand
product requirement document PRD was prerpared with an overview, target users, user problems to be solves, core user stories, competitors. It was further updated on the go as the app took shape.
Target Users Who: People living in tier 2 and tier 3 cities with average to expert cooking skill What: They get a recipe suggested to them according to their preferences and in their own language When: Use on a daily basis during meal time. How: Online and Offline via an app.
Users Problems We Will Solve User Need 1: Pre-planning and finding a recipe Resolution: The product will allow user to search for whatever recipe based on ingredients, time, cuisine, nutrients, health problems, skill level. User Need 2: Deciding what to cook on the go Resolution: The product will suggests possible recipes based on skill level, what meal time, available ingredients. User Need 3: Recipe instructions not applicable in Indian context and too technical Resolution: Instructions given in the language of their choice, precautions, alternatives mentioned, celsius not fahrenheit, no complex measurement units, step by step with more detail given
Core User Stories - As a user I can search for a recipe by ingredients available - As a user I can search for a recipe based on time taken - As a user I can search for a recipe based on cuisine - As a user I can search for a recipe based on nutrients - As a user I can search for a recipe based on health problems
user personas and user scenarios User personas along with user scenarios were prepared for our user. - Average to Expert Cooking Skill User - Has limited knowledge of English - Preferred Language: Local - 18 and above Scenarios of the said users interacting with the app generated ideas for features of the app.
Soumil Pal
bio Soumil works a 9-8 job as an engineer where he hardly gets time. He is in for a promotion hence why working hours have been longer. He lives alone in Noida, His family lives Lucknow. His mother visits him a few times in the year and stay for a few days. His mum is always worrying if he is eating properly. He was educated in a Hindi medium school. He enjoys attending shaayari sessions in his free time. He cooks a few days in the week and eats out the rest of the days.
"Jaldi se kuch accha ban jaye"
Hard Working Ambitious
Age: 26 Location: Noida Work: Engineer Family: Single Tier: Average Archetype: Easy Going
goals
personality Introvert
Extrovert
Thinking
Feeling
Sensing
Intuition
Judging
Perceiving
- Wants something on plate fast - Misses home cooked food - Wants to eat healthier meals
frustrations - Limited cooking ability - Calls mum every time he wants to cook something elaborate - Does not have a lot ingredients
motivation
user scenario
Incentive
Soumil is a bachelor living in Noida. He is from Lucknow. His family still lives there. His mother is constantly worrying if he is eating properly. Soumil ordered italian and along with his food, he got this promotional recipe card prompting him to download this app Pakwaan along with the recipe . This app allowed him to cook food at home. He woke up a little late then his usual time, he had a notification of easy on the go quick recipes to make. He clicked it. App opened it had suggested him top 3 recipes to make according to what was in the fridge. He set it on voice command. As he got ready, he multi tasked making breakfast. He was auto suggested recipes that didn’t recipe his constant attention.
Fear Time Taste Social ‘New
preferred channels IT and Internet Software Mobile Apps Social Network
Vineeth Balaji
bio Vineeth runs a home run tiffin service restaurant with his wife. They supply home cooked food to nearby offices and shop keepers. His father was a rice farmer and he moved from that tiny village to the city with his family 15 years back. He did a hotel training course and utilizing it, he opened this restaurant . His son recently gifted him a smartphone. His clients demand new lunch menus every week.
"I don't know much, but I am open to learning new."
Ambitious Open to Learn Innovative
Age: 55 personality Location: Salem Work: Restaurant Owner Introvert Family: Married Thinking Tier: Expert Archetype: Straight Forward Reliable
goals Extrovert Feeling
Sensing
Intuition
Judging
Perceiving
- Wants to tired and trusted recipes - Wants to change menu according to season - Wants to expand his business
frustrations - Does not know technology but he is fascinated by it - Does not want to think much, experiment
motivation
user scenario
Incentive
Vineeth Balaji runs a home cooked food tiffin service with his wife. They supply lunch to nearby offices and shop keepers. Every week he has to change the week menu. He has done a course in hotel management. His son recently gifted him a smartphone. He also takes order on WhatsApp. His son works in Chennai. He found this app Pakwaan. Every Sunday, he opens the app. The app suggests him recipes according to what ingredients are in season where he lives and what is in his inventory. He makes a menu plan for the week which he shares it with his customers via whatsapp. Every morning, he feeds in the number of servings according to the number of orders that day and app gives him a shopping list with quantity. App has an inventory function. Whatever is not available with him, that is added the shopping list. He goes to the vegetable market and gets fresh supplies. App has linked him to a local ingredients sourcing app. Using the app, he gets discount of items. Sometimes he even places an order through the other app, through WhatsApp and the ingredients gets delivered for the day to his restaurant. He prefers seeing ingredients first and then buying but for always used commodities,he prefers placing an order through the other app. The ingredient sourcing and inventory function has made his work easier, now he only has to focus on cooking. According to whatever feedback he gets for the day’s meal, he writes down notes for each recipe. This helps him to modify it next time when he is cooking that dish. He rates each recipe, next week while making a meal plan, he can check up on the previous versions of the dish cooked and decide accordingly.
Fear Time Taste Social ‘New
preferred channels IT and Internet Software Mobile Apps Social Network
Sunanda Borade
bio Sudana is a house wife and mother to two, Rishabh, 15 and Ruhi, 13. Her husband is a shop owner. When she is not juggling with the kids, she spends her time watching Marathi soap dramas. Theirs is a family of six with her husband's parents. She likes cooking and adding her own twist to the dishes. She puts food on stove and goes on to multi task like a pro. She prefers to communicate in Marathi and is a bit overwhelmed by English.
"I love seeing that broad smile on the face of my boys as soon as they take the first bite" Age: 43 Location: Pune Work: House wive Family: Married has two kids Tier: Expert Archetype: Experimental
Traditional Nuturing Likeable
goals personality Introvert
Extrovert
Thinking
Feeling
Sensing
Intuition
Judging
Perceiving
- Wants to cook something which will be liked by all members of the house - Older members are selective about food - Make same type of dishes with a new taste - Wants to experiment with food
frustrations - Always confused what to make - Conflicting choice of food at house - Doesn't trust the internet - Is only fluent in Marathi
motivation
user scenario
Incentive
Sunanda is a house wife living in Pune. Traditional and family orient ed, she loves her family of six. She has the basic English knowledge but is not proficient in it. She prefers Marathi. She loves cooking for her family. It brings her immense joy when they enjoy what she cooked. Once a week, she tries to cook a special dinner with different dishes. She is always experimenting with ingredients and taste. At times, she even tries the recipes told by her friends at the ‘ladies club’. She does not trust the internet. Of lately, Sunanda has been itching to explore even more. On her friend’s suggestion, she down loaded this app called Pakwaan. She had been trying new dishes using that app. She doesn’t use it as a definitive guide rather she likes to tweak it and bring her own twist. The members of the ladies’ club share their favorite recipes found with each other over the app. One day, when she asked her kids what they want to eat, they said Italian. Not being that familiar with western cuisine, she took the help of the app. She selected her language as Marathi and got started. She didn’t know to translate pasta in Marathi, because of the Easy Identi fy Feature, app auto detected and understand and gave her recipe for pasta. Her kids are allergic to mushroom, recipes with mushroom were excluded. She opened the most recommended recipe. The ingredients were all that were easily available at her local market. She even knew their local names, so this made shopping easier. Serving sizes was all for her household of 6. Even though she was unfamiliar with how it should taste or look like, easy instructions given helped her. She cross checked at every stage with taste, smell and look. By know ing what is supposed to taste like, she even modified the recipe, adding more spice than given, as her family likes it. Her kids faces were all lighted up when she served them.
Fear Time Taste Social ‘New
preferred channels IT and Internet Software Mobile Apps Social Network
feature affinity mapping Further brainstorming was done for the features which were then organized through affinity mapping in the user journey.
discovery - Recipe Card that comes from ordering from a restaurant - Collaborating with a food sourcing app - Shared by a friend - Ads-”food”, “ingredient, ”another language”, ”recipe”
user enrollment - Variable Approach: Learn, Explore, Straight Forward - User Profile-Game?
transaction
engagement
- Shopping List - Link with Ingredient sourcing App - Discount on sourcing app - Inventory - Voice Search - Image Cards Instructions - Voice Commands - Games in waiting time - Step Based Accomplishment - Gestures for confirmation to move forward - Options to multitask in waiting time - Summarized, Quick take away - Alternatives Names
- Meal Menu Plan - Notification to try recipe popular based on season or festival - Notification based on search history. - Fun tips and Facts - Auto meal Suggestion
fulfilment - Notes - Rating recipe - Sharing recipe - Rating the app - Sharing pictures of what they cooked
task model
Goal: Find an app that gives me recipes in a way that is familiar to me in my own language
interaction flow
Final interaction flow was created for both a new user and a returning user
Interaction Flow: New User Onboarding
Interaction Flow: Returning User
wireframes 1. Splashscreen
2. Language
3.2 Introduction
3.4 Preferences
Preferences taken to suggest smarter recipes.
3.5 Preferences
3.6 Introduction
Simple - Straightforward interface for the technologically restrained user.
3.7 Introduction
Slide to the left for more auto-suggested recipes and swipe up to search.
4.1.a.1 Explore
Recipes suggested according to preferences, meal time, popular ingredients in the area/local markets,season and festivals as parameters for Smart Suggest.
4.1.a.3 Explore
4.1.a.5 Explore
Warnings like presense of nuts, meat/fish dish, contains garlic or onion, displayed upfront.
4.1.b.1 Explore
Keyw whic more
e
words to select ch w ill suggest e recipes.
4.1.c Explore
6. Recipe
Can change number of people to auto adjust the ingredients and the estimated cooking time.
6. Recipe
All quantities are pictorial, taking units of measurements as stand ard spoon, glass, number.
6. Recipe
Click on ‘Aur’ button to display names in other languages and alternatives to use.
6. Recipe
Cook Right button to s cooking.
t Now start
8. Cooking Now
9.1 Instruction Cards
Step B
A video demon curren
Voice o spoken over ca
Voice-b in the c Wake W Button repeat going t next st
Based Approach
o/gif is displayed nstrating the nt instructions.
over with text being n highlighted. Voice an be muted.
based Navigation cooking mode. Word is ‘Pakwaan’. ns can also be used for ting last instructions, to the previous or the tep.
cognitive walkthrough The task chosen was
Explore the recipe and Engage in Cook Mode The evaluation was done with 4 users from the target demographic - People above the age of 18 - From tier 2 and tier 3 cities - Preferred their local language - Different cooking experience - Varying levels of tech literacy Overview of app and its function was given and the a scenario was presented. Users were asked to think out loud as they interacted with the prototype. Their action and reactions were recorded and later analyzed.
What should the user know prior to performing the task? They have already found the recipe of the dish they wanted to cook. What should the user learn while performing the task? 1. Explore the recipe page 2. Understand the available functionalities 3. Learn how to successfully engage the cook mode Action Sequence for this Task Subgoal1: Open Recipe using Recipe card Subgoal2: Input Number of People Subgoal3: Check Ingredient List Subgoal4: Check Possible Local name s and Substitutes Subgoal5: Check Required Utensils Subgoal 6: Enter Cooking Mode Subgoal 7: Start Cooking Subgoal 8: Get Details of Recipe Step Subgoal 9: End cooking mode What can go wrong on the user's side? They may not be aware of all functionalities.
Suggestions - Aligning allergy information to the user’s mental model. Colour code the allergy icons for easy recognition. - Giving an overview of the ‘Aur’ function in the onboarding would familiarize the users. - Replacing ‘Aur’ with an appropriate phrase ‘See more’. Alternate icons, ‘?’ could also be tested out. - At the start of Cooking mode, most users were not aware of the tap to begin pattern. Add a second level of confirmation - maybe if they have gathered their ingredients and that they are starting. - Having a countdown would give required feedback that the cooking mode is starting.