Ladle
Mobile App Prototype for recipe discovery and usage
Introduction
Ladle is an iOS mobile app prototype developed as part of the Interaction Design 1 course at Kennesaw State University. I collaborated with three classmates to create a high-fidelity prototype centered on recipe discovery and utilization, using an adapted Goal-Directed Design (GDD) process.
This page highlights the project workflow and provides insight into the design choices made throughout development.
Executive Summary
Ladle is a Mobile app prototype that helps users gain and maintain healthy eating habits, discover new recipes and overall obtain more knowledge and cooking skills for themselves, friends and family.
Beginning stages...
Method
We applied the Goal-Directed Design (GDD) methodology to guide the development of this prototype. Coined by Alan Cooper, GDD is a user-centered approach that focuses on understanding user goals and designing experiences that help achieve them efficiently. Rather than prioritizing features alone, this method emphasizes creating purposeful and goal-driven interactions.
Research Phase
Kickoff Meeting
The first step in our process was a hypothetical kickoff meeting, using a template provided by our instructor to simulate a real-world project launch. This meeting served as an opportunity to align our team and begin understanding the landscape we were designing for. My three teammates and I discussed a range of assumption statements to explore potential user behaviors, attitudes, and needs. This collaborative discussion helped us begin shaping a clearer picture of who our users might be and what goals they were trying to achieve.
We developed a problem statement that captured the current landscape of our domain and outlined key opportunities for innovation.
Lit Review
In this step our team did extended research of reviews, blogs, journals, websites and different social media opinions mainly on struggles individuals might have with cooking or finding recipes. This new knowledge and insight from the research really helped understand what our users struggle with the most, and what we could do to improve that.
Competitive Audit
Competitive audits are a process of evaluating and assessing the strengths and weaknesses of competing apps or companies in this field.
It involved gathering and analyzing certain information such as different features an app has.
This process helped us gain insight into their strategies and performance. For example, I reviewed the popular recipe app Tasty, and went over what they were super successful at, but also what could use improvement.
User Research Interviews
Our last step in this phase was the user interviews. We were able to interview 5 different people to gain more personal insights on our products domain. After each interview, our team members discussed what we heard and performed a affinity map to help organize our findings better. Throughout this process, we were able to understand the needs and struggles real people face while cooking or planning a meal on a daily or weekly basis.
Modeling Phase
The next phase in this process is the modeling phase. This phase helped us Identify behavioral variables andIdentify significant behavior patterns. Through this process we synthesized characteristics & defined goals of our user types as seen below. We had two different persona types; A primary persona and a secondary persona.
Our personas
Primary persona
Our main user , Joel Jackson, is designed to embody individuals who have limited cooking experience. Through our research, we identified other interviewees who share similar traits to Joel and expressed a desire to cook more often. However, they feel dissatisfied with existing recipe websites and applications as these fail to cater to their specific requirements. Drawing insights from our primary user persona, we determined that our app should prioritize meal planning, and recipe discovery. Furthermore, we recognized that it is crucial to address the needs of users seeking a balanced approach to their eating habits, based on the life goals reflected in our primary persona .
Secondary persona
Our secondary user, Emily Myth, embodies individuals who have sporadic engagement with the app. This persona was constructed using data from interviewees who indicated that they already have cooking experience and primarily seek recipes when preparing meals for their families. The main objective for this persona is not only to uphold a healthy lifestyle, similar to the primary persona, but also to explore a wider range of recipes. After identifying the desired outcomes, we concluded that the life goal for this persona should revolve around empowering users to unleash their creativity in the kitchen.
Research Report
Once we completed the modeling phase, we created a research report that detailed our work so far.
Requirements Phase
The following phase in this process is the requirements phase. In this phase we were able to create problem/Vision statements, identify persona expectations and construct context scenarios.
During this phase, we underwent a process of refining our problem statement based on extensive research and persona development. Subsequently, we crafted a comprehensive vision statement for our app Ladle, outlining its purpose and how it would accomplish the objectives of achieving balanced diets, and efficient kitchen/pantry management. The vision statement emphasized that our goals would be fulfilled through features enabling culinary exploration and structured eating habits
Following this, we engaged in brainstorming sessions to construct a context scenario—a narrative roadmap illustrating how users would interact with our product. To create the context scenario, we drew upon brainstormed ideas to determine the specific use cases and integration of our app into users' daily routines.
Having completed the vision statement and context scenario, the next step was to generate ideas on the visual design and functionality of our app. These ideas were divided into two categories: data needs and functional needs. In the data needs category, we identified the necessary features to store and retrieve specific types of data.
Frameworks Phase
Wireframing
During the creation of our wireframes, our team deliberated on the essential user journey based on the Context Scenario we had established. Since our context scenario revolved around a user scheduling a meal, our main focus was on designing the navigation flow to the scheduling page and enabling the addition of a meal. During this, we were able to identify our key path scenerio and our valadation scenerios.
Prototyping
After finalizing our wireframes and mapping out key user scenarios, we moved into the prototyping phase using Figma. The work was divided among team members, with each person responsible for designing specific screens. We then came together to review and refine the designs as a group, ensuring consistency and alignment across the prototype.
Refinement Phase
Usability testing
The Refinement phase marks the final stage of the GDD Process, during which we conducted usability testing on our prototype and gathered feedback to enhance our app.
For the usability testing, we invited select interviewees to participate in person, closely observing their interactions with the app and noting areas for improvement. Participants were directed to follow specific pathways within the prototype. We carefully analyzed any challenges or insights that arose during the testing session. We came across a few changes that needed to be done, such as the community feature and the navigation bar.
Final Prototype
The final version of Ladle is a high-fidelity prototype of a mobile app designed for recipe discovery and exploration. It encourages healthier eating habits by helping users bring more structure and intentionality to their meals.
