Intro to Interaction Design

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My name is Jared Braun and I’m currently a broke college kid living at home. It’s hard to find something quick to eat that is also a healthy choice and I often have a hard time planning meals due to a lack of funds and inability to manage my own time properly.


Design Problem:
Nowadays, people have crazy busy lives with little time to themselves and finding a chance to prepare healthy meals becomes harder and harder every day. Some apps provide recipes to their users, but they require lots of time scrolling through endless lists of ingredients you may not even have, and not everyone can afford to go to the store every night to get new items. No one app provides a simple way to take a photo what is currently in your fridge and give you step by step instructions on how to make a delicious meal while also allowing you to have fresh ingredients delivered right to your doorstep.

Design Alternatives:



Competitor Analysis:


Postmates
Uber Eats
Delish
PixFood
Description
24 delivery service for all goods
Food delivery service from restaurants
Turns food photos into a recipe
AI suggested recipes instantly
Pros
-        Clean interface
-        Web/mobile
-        Clear notifications
-     Communication
-        Broad Radius
-        Delivers most goods 
-        Built in tip function
-        Web/mobile
-        Simple communication
-        Fast delivery times
-        Tracking 
-        Easy to navigate
-        Pic2Recipe functionality
-        Allows favorite / sharing recipe
-        Fast results
-        Personally tailored intelligent selections
 
Cons
-        Redundant selections
-        Vague delivery information
-        Lengthy wait
-        No camera integration
-        No sharing / favorite features
-        Drop of locations (not delivery)
-        Limited hours
-        Not as widespread
-        No camera integration
-        Pricey
-        No social media implementations
-        No delivery options
-        Does not provide location for ingredients
-        Cannot combine multiple photos
-        Mobile only
-        Still in beta
-        No ingredient delivery
-        Need pictures to generate results
-        Not international
Threats
-        All hour delivery services
-        Offers delivery for food, goods, and beverages
-        Wide delivery radius
-        Fast delivery times
-        Allows for completely cashless transactions
-        Multi-platform order 
-        Intuitive design
-        Widely available
-        Instant results 
-        Most accurate AI results for the (food from pic) app market
Bugs
-        Not retain delivery info
-        Unstable / crashes
-        Random order canceling
-        Disappearing drop zones
-        Android lag
-        Results not always accurate
-        Too many subjects may skew input
-        Camera can be fooled
-        Feedback section disabled
 

Design Synthesis: 

Camera/AI
-       Specific recipe search
-       Product picture -> ingredients used
-       Ingredients pictures -> recipe
-       Barcode scan -> alternative choices
-       AI voice activated cooking assistant
-       Expiration date warning
-       Daily meal suggestions
-       Personalized diet plans
-       Ingredient locations
-       Reminder alerts to go shopping

Social Media
-       Food sharing
-       “Go Fish” but for food
-       Recipe sharing
-       Food bartering
-       Recipe reviews
-       “Tinder” but for food
-       Watch cooking videos
-       Step by step instructions

Delivery
-       Automated delivery
-       Order a personal chef
-       All hours food/meal delivery
-       Complimentary product ordering


I decided could summarize features into 3 main categories for most food related apps and services. My research revealed that most of these had 1 – 2 of the features built into their experience. Either the app had AI paired with Social Media, or Delivery paired with either of the two. I couldn’t find any research showcasing apps having functionality based around all 3 features and because of this I decided to take that approach. I believe implementing AI would allow for searches and seamless interactions, while delivery would provide a convenient way to enjoy the service itself, and social media aspects would allow for easy sharing and saving favorite recipes with friends and family.


Personas: 






Scenario 1: Tyler works with a girl named Sadie. Tyler fancies her and wanted to surprise her with something nice to get her attention. Casually, he asks her what her favorite foods are attempting to make small talk. She informs him that she adores breakfast foods. Tyler takes note of that on his phone and pays to have a 5-star breakfast buffet delivered right to their work.

(This approach allows the shopping aspects to come in to play. Ordering food (or ingredients) is as easy as adding it to your wish list and our new partnership with Amazon ensures you'll have your food in a matter of minutes.)

Scenario 2: Ralph is hosting a party in his dorm room and wants to make sure his friends have a good time. Ralph was unaware that his roommate, Chad, had eaten most of their food during one of his late-night binges. Ralph is annoyed, but he doesn't have time to go shopping because the guests will arrive in a few hours. Ralph pulls out his phone and takes a photo of what little ingredients he has left in the fridge. Ralph is then presented with a full list of recipes he can make with the ingredients, saving him a trip to the store and allowing him to continue tidying up his house before his company arrives.

(This approach allows for the AI in Chow to shine. All Ralph has to do is snap a picture and he is instantly provided with a bunch of choices that his guests are sure to love.)

Scenario 3: Rachel's 3 kids just got home from soccer practice and they're hungry. The family has been eating leftovers the past few days and the children want something different. They all decide that they want to try to make a new Chinese chicken dish they saw while watching Food Network. Rachel pulls out her phone and searches the name of the dish and she is provided with a full list of ingredients she needs to prepare the dinner, as well as a location for a reputable sore where she can find any ingredients she may not have.

(This approach allows for the social media influences to come into play. Finding a new recipe is as easy as typing in a few key words and once the dish is found, Rachel can favorite or share it for easy access in the future.)
Paper Prototype: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYUkZqNlX6g&feature=youtu.be

XD Wire frame: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDGviQy5J_E&feature=youtu.be

          

Final decision: I wanted Chow to be the perfect digital cooking buddy designed to help. Want to get creative with what’s in the fridge? Snap a picture or just ask Chow to search. Want to order a few ingredients or an entire meal? Our recent partnership with Amazon makes it easy as adding it to your wish list. Found a recipe your mother would love? Have Chow send her step by step instructions. I combined AI, shopping, and social mediaesque interactions to provide a natural feel that would be comfortable to whoever uses it. Chow was created to help all the foodies, broke college kids, working mothers and everything in-between find variety and healthy choices.

 Final look: 

Key features:
  •  Minimalist layout reduces clutter
  • AI integration to help whenever needed
  • Simple camera features
  • Custom search results
  • Delivery functionality with options
  • Easy sharing between many social media platforms

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