CookEase
Cooking can be easy.
Team
Problem and Design Overview
The number of Gen Z and Millennials who cook is declining compared to previous generations. According to Morning Consult, only 40% of Gen Z and 50% of Millennials prepare meals from scratch each Sunday, compared to higher percentages in older generations. Some of the reasons why the disparity is so high is because of lack of time, insufficient skills, or the sheer convenience of alternatives, such as food delivery services. Shockingly, the average American spends around 37 minutes per day cooking according to AgCon, so what if those 37 minutes can be used to master and learn valuable cooking techniques? This is where CookEase, a next-generation Augmented Reality (AR) cooking application, comes in. By leveraging AR capabilities, CookEase transforms the meal preparation experience by seamlessly integrating digital instructions and assistive features into the user’s kitchen space, thereby reducing the time and skill barriers associated with meal preparation. This innovative solution aims to rekindle the joy of home cooking, making those 37 minutes spent in the kitchen not just more productive, but also a delightful learning experience.
Design Research Process and Key Insights
In our design research, we aimed to explore the cooking experiences of diverse participants, focusing on individuals with varying skill levels, dietary restrictions, and preferences to better understand the needs of our customer base. We conducted two contextual inquiries in the participants' own kitchens to gain deeper insights into their cooking routines, recognizing that this method offers a deeper understanding than traditional interviews. Additionally, we carried out a survey with 30 individuals from the Millennial and Gen Z demographics to broaden our perspective. Our mixed-method research covered their entire cooking process, from how they find recipes to their preparation and actual cooking techniques. This approach was intended to provide a comprehensive view of cooking behaviors, addressing both specific user experiences and broader trends.
Our questions started out with broad questions about their cooking background. From there we asked the following questions involving their kitchen experience.
- Could you please guide me through how you find a recipe?
- Could you please guide me how your preparation process is before starting to cook?
- Could you please guide me through how you cook?
Dealing with Unfamiliar Techniques
Most of our participants reported being intimidated and lacking confidence in certain cooking techniques, which can significantly hinder their willingness to try new recipes. Addressing the challenge of unfamiliar cooking techniques, CookEase focuses on demystifying key culinary methods like boiling and frying, which are foundational yet often misunderstood by many home cooks. The unfamiliarity with such techniques can be a significant barrier, leading to hesitation and reluctance in trying new recipes. CookEase aims to bridge this gap by providing clear, accessible guidance on these valuable techniques, ensuring users understand not just the 'how' but also the 'why' behind each method. By mastering these core techniques, users can unlock a vast array of recipes, transforming their cooking experience from daunting to delightful. CookEase's approach is designed to build confidence and competence, encouraging users to explore a broader spectrum of culinary possibilities with ease and enthusiasm.
Buying Single-use Ingredients for a Recipe is Highly Inefficient
The inefficiency of purchasing single-use ingredients for recipes is a common frustration among home cooks, as highlighted by a participant who questioned the practicality of buying turmeric powder for a one-time use. This sentiment underscores a broader issue where individuals are deterred from trying new recipes due to the impracticality of accumulating rarely used items. To address this concern in our design, we developed a feature that combines both automation, including voice and haptic touch responsiveness, and manual checklists for efficiency. For ingredients often considered niche or single-use, like turmeric powder, CookEase intelligently suggests ingredient alternatives, thereby maximizing the utility of every purchase. and encouraging culinary exploration without the wastefulness or inconvenience of accumulating unused ingredients. This approach not only enhances efficiency and sustainability in the kitchen but also broadens users' culinary horizons by integrating diverse ingredients into their cooking.
No Real-time Guidance When it Comes to Cooking
The lack of real-time guidance in traditional cooking instructions, such as the ambiguous directive "salt to taste," often leaves users uncertain and can detract from the overall cooking experience. This ambiguity was highlighted by a participant who found such instructions particularly challenging, underscoring the need for more precise, interactive guidance. Addressing this, CookEase introduces an innovative solution through its augmented reality (AR) feature, which bridges the gap between virtual instructions and real-world cooking. CookEase AR provides users with real-time, interactive guidance, offering clear visual cues and step-by-step assistance tailored to the dish at hand. This advanced feature eliminates guesswork, allowing users to make adjustments with confidence and achieve the desired flavor profile. Many individuals struggle with understanding the specifics of new methods, fearing the possibility of failure or wasted ingredients.
Iterative Design Process and Key Insights
Our iterative design process was centered around the following tasks:
- Guidance During Exploration of New Culinary Techniques
- Recipe Flexibility with Possibility for Ingredient Alternatives
We decided to pursue these tasks as they were goals the users wanted to achieve when it comes to cooking, especially for the beginner level cooks we had a chance to survey and hold contextual inquiries with. We incorporated these into an initial paper prototype, which was then revised based on the feedback received from the 3 Heuristic Valuations and 4 Usability Tests that we performed with a diverse group of users who come from different age groups, varying cooking levels and have varying diets with and without dietary restrictions. Throughout this process, we revised the flaws of our design as well as opened our imagination to new and optimized features which would extend the usability of our prototype to larger groups of people and make our design more intuitive to first time users. Following the adjustments that were made in our final paper prototype led us into converting our prototype to digital form in Figma. In this step, we had to come up with ways our app would be convenient inside AR settings, which meant revising the design elements which would otherwise negatively impact user safety, usability and comprehension of available features. Throughout the entire iterative design process, the three major insights which changed the course of our AR app for the better are captured below.
Simplifying Two Design Workflows into One
Prior to narrowing down from two design workflows into one, the design was split into two modes: “Preparation” and “Start Cooking”. These were separate workflows addressing two different tasks and the user had to make a choice between which one they wanted to use after the “Welcome” screen and the cooking technique, difficulty and recipe selection. The choice to narrow down to one workflow from here came during the usability testing. Throughout our 4 usability tests, 2 of the 4 participants appeared to be confused when reaching the “Select Mode” tab. When asked to think out loud on the step, one of the participants stated that “[they] don’t know the difference between those two so [they] will just pick the first one”. This led to a realization that first time users have no background knowledge of what each mode does, making it difficult to choose between the two. To remove this roadblock, we decided to streamline navigation of the AR app by having one longer workflow instead of the two. Since the users tend to have an ingredient and tool preparation process (“Preparation” mode) before cooking (“Start Cooking” mode) in majority of cases, the single workflow would just cut out navigational troubles, simplifying the completion of both tasks as a result.
Before: Two branch workflow, splitting at the “Preparation” and “Start Cooking” modes.
After: Single branch workflow encapsulating both preparation and cooking process.
Moving Away from Automation in Favor of Assistive AR Features
Prior to moving away from automation, the design included a “Cooking Preparation” tab which included a mandatory fridge scanning tool for determining whether the user has ingredients mentioned in the recipe. Our original line of thought was that this feature would allow for hands-free automatic cooking preparation, leaving the user with less manual work. However, during the usability testing, 2 of the 4 users found this tool to be unnecessary and cumbersome, preferring manual checklists for efficiency and accuracy. From here, we made a choice to switch to a manual checklist as half of our users preferred this method of cooking preparation for our final paper prototype. But what about the other half? To accommodate the users who prefer automation, we decided to introduce AR assistance during our switch to the digital mockup. The assistive AR feature would navigate (using blue arrows) the users to the ingredients & equipment it detects in their POV, however, it would be up to the user to make use of that feature. As a result, the introduction of this assistive AR feature would serve as a compromise between fully automatic mandatory AR scanning and fully manual ingredient selection.
Before: Mandatory fridge scanning tool for ingredients.
After: AR assistance to accommodate both manual and automated cooking preparation preferences.
Removing Assumptions Regarding User Cooking Motivation
Throughout the majority of our prototyping and usability testing, we unintentionally assumed that the participants were cooking for themselves. Following that logic, we designed our interface to automatically avoid the ingredients that the user is allergic to or has other dietary restrictions that prevent them from consuming a certain ingredient. However, after conducting usability testing with one of the participants, we stumbled across another viewpoint that contradicted our assumption. The participant, although lactose intolerant, often cooks with his girlfriend, who does not have any dietary restrictions. When they cook, the favorite culinary technique they particularly enjoy is baking. Since baking usually involves milk, the participant often cooks recipes with his girlfriend which at the end of the day he is not able to consume. When asked why, the participant answered: “It’s mainly a way to connect with my girlfriend and food is just what comes out of it”. Therefore, to make our app more inclusive, we decided to give all users an option to override problematic ingredients (using the “Edit” button) so they can still cook a meal with them if they desire. Afterall, we don’t know if the user is cooking for themselves or for others and it should be in their control to make final ingredient choices.
Before: ‘Avoid’ section includes ingredients removed from the recipe based on user’s dietary restrictions.
After: Users have the ability to override avoided ingredients.
Resulting Design
Digital Mockup Overview
Digital Prototype Workflow
Before reaching the tasks workflow, the user selects a technique, difficulty and recipe from option menus appearing one after another. Note: Buttons are voice and haptic touch responsive.
Welcome Tab.
Tab for Selecting Technique to Learn.
Recipe Flexibility with Possibility for Ingredient Alternatives
Next, the selected recipe will be displayed. Users can individually check off gathered ingredients and equipment or use the "Check All'' option for faster selection. Additionally, AR goggles will guide the user on any tools or ingredients it detects in the user’s POV using blue arrows. To override the “Avoid” category ingredients, the user can use the “Edit” button. Replaceable ingredients are underlined. Users can hover over them to find alternative ingredient suggestions, if desired.
Preparation Tab Showcasing Recipe Equipment and Ingredients List.
Preparation Tab Showcasing Customized Ingredients List Through Inclusion of Alternatives.
Guidance During Exploration of New Culinary Techniques
After preparing for the cooking process, the users will be guided to start cooking. By default, users enter AR 'Assist Mode.' With “Assist Mode” turned on, “Step” tab would display. Additionally, AR goggles will guide the user through the steps using blue arrows in the user's POV.
If a step could benefit from a kitchen timer (e.g., frying), a suggestion to use the built-in timer feature will appear.
If AR glasses sense unusual rapid motion (indicating mistake) or any sizable deviation from the recipe, the “Helpful Tips” button would appear in the user's POV.
After going through all the steps, the “Steps” tab would display a complete message.
Our AR design encapsulates the essence of our mission, "Cooking Made Easy," and directly addresses our goal of bridging the culinary gap between Gen Z and Millennials and other generations through our CookEase AR application. By integrating interactive, real-time guidance and offering solutions for recipe flexibility and ingredient substitutions, we make cooking more accessible and enjoyable. This approach aligns perfectly with the lifestyle and needs of younger generations, aiming to reduce the intimidation of culinary exploration and empower them with confidence and creativity in the kitchen.