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FRIDGE MATE

Passion Project

My Role

UX/UI Designer

UX Researcher

My Responsibility

Concept
Research
Visuals
Interaction

Design Tools

Figma
Adobe Photoshop
 

Duration

2024

  • Overview

This app is designed to empower frequent home cooks by helping them use their ingredients more efficiently and streamline the cooking process. Tailored for individuals who cook at home multiple times a week, the app focuses on reducing food waste, optimizing meal preparation, and simplifying the management of ingredients. By providing smart tools and personalized solutions, it ensures users can make the most out of what they have while enjoying a seamless cooking experience. This could be the software inside an IoT (internet-connected) refrigerator, or an app that works with hardware features built-in to a refrigerator.

  • Hightlights

  • Discover

BACKGROUND RESEARCH

Why is it an important opportunity?

Managing food efficiently is increasingly important as rising costs, busy schedules, and environmental concerns make meal planning a challenge, often leading to waste and frustration. Addressing this issue reduces food waste, saves money, and simplifies meal preparation, giving home cooks better control over their kitchens while supporting sustainability. For solution providers, it builds trust, promotes responsible living, and fosters long-term user loyalty by delivering practical and meaningful value.

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UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM

  • USER RESEARCH - SURVEY

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  • USER RESEARCH - INTERVIEWS

Interviews with three home cooks revealed common challenges: Meng forgets ingredients in shared spaces and finds cooking frustrating, Coco enjoys trying new dishes but struggles with leftovers and wants better cost awareness, and William sticks to a strict diet but gets bored with repetitive meals and simple recipes. Key opportunities include better stock management, cost tracking, and more diverse recipe suggestions.

  • Define

LONG-TERM GOAL

This project is aimed to help home cooks use their ingredients efficiently and streamline the cooking process.

TARGET USER

People who cook at home several times per week (or more).

OPPORTUNITY SOLUTION TREE

This solution tree identifies three key opportunities to help home cooks use ingredients efficiently: using ingredients they already have, providing quick and simple recipes, and avoiding boredom from repetitive meals.

The first opportunity encourages users to prioritize existing ingredients by offering easy stock management, cost tracking, and expiration monitoring. Users can visually track ingredients or save data digitally, making inventory management accessible while reducing waste. The second opportunity provides quick, simple recipes with fewer ingredients, minimal preparation time, or one-pan options. Lastly, the app can suggest diverse recipes using the same core ingredients to avoid meal repetition

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For the initial phase, the primary focus will be on helping users use ingredients they already have to build a solid foundation for efficient and enjoyable home cooking.

  • Ideation

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First Sketch

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Refined Sketch

At first I sketch a large scope of how could this app help people to utilize their foods with recommended recipes. There are already many apps and websites where people can search for recipes and too many features to quickly build a prototype and test. With the scope narrowed, the "input the ingredients" part of my flow is possibly the most differentiating. Therefore, I refined my sketch for how to manage stock easily.

  • Usability Testings

1ST USABILITY TESTING

After building the prototype I conducted user tests to validate the opportunity and solution. The test aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of scanning ingredients and categorizing them in managing inventory. The prototype integrates two key features: input ingredients and check ingredients with categories.

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RESULTS

The results confirmed the opportunity and solution. There are 5 participants did 1st round user testing. All participants find difficult to remember what they have at home if they don’t check the fridge frequently, it will help users to manage their inventories.

  • ABOUT FEATURE

3 participants chose to scan ingredients first and other 2 chose to manually type in foods. Although there is more preferences of scanning ingredients rather than input manually, It is not a huge difference between them. Therefore, the idea of two ways to input the ingredients are all required. Also, sort categories in ingredients helps users find what they need quickly and easily, enhancing navigation and usability.

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  • IMPROVEMENTS

I have received a lot of feedback from participants regarding the features and UI, and I will focus on improving them with a cleaner design, including visual hierarchy, intuitive navigation, and a consistent layout.

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2ND USABILITY TESTING

This round of usability testing focuses on the UI refinements and change positions of input ingredients. The test aimed to determine whether the new design and layout hierarchy improve users' ability to access their desired features.

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RESULTS

This round of usability testing focuses on the UI refinements and change positions of input ingredients. The test aimed to determine whether the new design and layout hierarchy improve users' ability to access their desired features.

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  • Revision

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SEAMLESS INGREDIENTS SCANNING WITH PHOTO CAPTURE

Allowing quick and effortless addition of ingredients to users’ inventory, reducing manual input and saving time while ensuring accuracy.

USER-FRIENDLY STOCK PAGE WITH
CLEAR ICONS & INTUITIVE LAYOUT

Providing a visually appealing and easily navigable interface, enabling users to quickly locate and manage their stock efficiently.

QUICK MANUAL ENTRY WITH EXPIRY DATE SETUP 

Offering a convenient way to add items and track their expiry dates directly from the homepage, enhancing inventory management and reducing food waste.

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  • Next Steps

Concept Validation

  • Develop an MVP Prototype: Create a functional minimum viable product, either as a standalone app or integrated with IoT-connected refrigerators.

  • Conduct a Two-Week User Trial: Test the prototype with a diverse group of frequent home cooks to gather real-world data.

  • Collect Feedback: Collect qualitative feedback on usability, intuitiveness, and user satisfaction, alongside quantitative data on reduced food waste and improved inventory management.

  • Iterate Based on Insights: Use trial results to refine the product, addressing user pain points and enhancing its effectiveness.

  • Validate Core Assumptions: Ensure the product delivers measurable value and aligns with the needs of the target audience.

Enhancing Manual Ingredient Entry

  • Barcode/QR Code Scanning: Simplify adding ingredients by scanning their barcodes or QR codes.

  • Voice Input for Ingredient Entry: Allow users to add ingredients by speaking, speeding up the process.

Visual Solutions for Quick Ingredient Overview

  • Quick Summary: Provide a summary section (e.g., "5 items expiring soon" or "20 pantry items available") for a high-level overview.

  • Shelf Layout: Mimic a virtual pantry or fridge shelf, organizing items by storage type or frequency of use.

Notification of Expired Foods

  • Timely Alerts: Send push notifications or in-app alerts when ingredients are close to their expiry date (e.g., 2-3 days before).

  • Batch Notifications: For multiple expiring items, group them in a single notification for convenience, such as “3 items are expiring soon.

  • Recipe Suggestions: Pair notifications with recipe ideas to use up expiring ingredients, helping users act immediately.

  • Takeaways

Mapping the Opportunity Space

To achieve my desired outcome, I start by mapping the opportunity space, taking inventory of what I know and setting a strategic scope. I create visual maps individually to avoid groupthink, then co-create a shared map with diverse perspectives. By adding context about customer thoughts, feelings, and actions, I deepen the insights. Before solving problems, I map the problem space, identify opportunities, compare their impact, and break complex issues into smaller, actionable parts.

Continuous Interviewing

To better understand my customers, I ask them to share specific stories about their experiences. I know people often don’t fully understand their own behavior, so these stories help reveal their true needs, pain points, and desires. I talk to customers weekly to uncover new insights and reflect during retrospectives by asking, “What surprised me this sprint?” and “How could I have learned that sooner?” This regular practice helps me sharpen my understanding and improve my design decisions.

Start Small & Iterate

I focus on what I can control and take small steps to advance in human-centered design. Rather than overthinking strategies, insisting on “the right way,” or waiting for approval, I take action by engaging with people who resemble my customers. I learn from these interactions, iterate, and adapt. I remind myself that progress doesn’t require perfection—growth comes from starting, learning, and refining through ongoing customer feedback and engagement.

Portfolio Showcase
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