TADKA
Home Cooked Indian Food Recipe App
Tadka is a mobile application will be developed to provide instant access to authentic home-cooked Indian recipes. This application aims to simplify the process of finding and preparing traditional Indian dishes, thereby easing the transition for Indians living abroad and enhancing their culinary experience away from home.
Overview
The goal was to design a platform that met two main user (student) concerns: time and availability of ingredients. This project was a design sprint so key design decisions needed to be taken rapidly with time constraints.
Project Goals
Phase 1: Discovery & Research
I conducted internal research and competitive analysis to understand the market for existing Indian food recipe applications. I also conducted user interviews with Indian students studying abroad to understand their needs, goals and pain points when looking for simple home-cooked Indian meal recipes.
Phase 2: Design, Test & Iterate
I initially developed wireframes and prototypes in greyscale while making key design decisions. Conducted a usability think-aloud on the prototype and then made iterations based on the feedback.
Time Constraints: Students have highlighted a significant challenge in managing their academic workload alongside cooking. They seek recipes that are not only simple but also quick to prepare, without compromising on nutritional value and taste.
Limited Ingredient Availability: There's a common struggle in finding specific Indian ingredients in foreign countries, or they are often expensive. Students expressed a desire for a solution that offers recipes adaptable to locally available ingredients while still maintaining the essence of Indian cuisine.
Lack of Cooking Experience: Many students have limited experience in cooking prior to moving abroad. They are in need of a guided cooking experience that includes basic recipes, cooking techniques, and alternatives for complex processes or hard-to-find spices.
Nutritional Balance: Students are becoming increasingly health-conscious. They showed interest in recipes that are not just easy and quick to make but also balanced and nutritious, reflecting a growing preference for meals that support a healthy lifestyle amidst their busy schedules.
Key Insights
Persona
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Problem Statement
Usability Think Aloud Test
The usability think aloud testing on the prototype revealed several hurdles in the task journey. One of them was that the users needed more feedback regarding their current location in the app. They also struggled to navigate their way back to the homepage due to certain colour choices of the navigation icon. Additionally, it felt like the user could use more help to make certain choices. Lastly, some alignment problems were also discovered.
PROBLEM IDENTIFIED
ITERATION
Added information regarding time taken to prepare the dish to help user make more suitable choices.
Dish names alone weren’t enough information for the user to make a decision.
PROBLEM IDENTIFIED
ITERATION
Added information regarding time taken to prepare the dish to help user make more suitable choices.
Dish names alone weren’t enough information for the user to make a decision.
