Savr
5 Day Solo Design Sprint
The Problem
Savr is a new start-up that wants to make it easier for people to follow new recipes, and cook great meals at home.
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Recently they received negative reviews about recipes that involve many steps, or more advanced techniques.
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These Users ended up disappointed after trying the recipes because they felt the instructions were unclear and hard to execute.
Day 1 - Map, Monday
On Day 1, I spent the majority of my time reading through and researching the problem space, then I drew a map of what I envisioned my prototype to look like. SAVR already provided user interviews and a Persona.
User Interviews
Interview Highlights
Anna
“It’s fun! If I have time, I’m up for a challenge..and I think it’s the best way to learn to cook when I have the time. There are some parts I don’t enjoy though, like emptying my cabinets because I don’t know what kitchenware I need, or constantly needing to wash my hands so I can refer back to my phone.”
Maria
“Sometimes I feel like steps are sprung on me..and that turns an enjoyable experience into a stressful one. I like to be as prepared as I possibly can be before I start cooking things that I can’t undo.”
Persona
Nick Smith
29 | Los Angelas, CA
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Nick is a home cook that likes to try new recipes but doesn't like surprises. He wants to know what to prep before starting a new recipe.
Behavior
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Nick cooks about 3 nights a week, usually for himself, but sometimes for he and his girlfriend.
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Most of the time, he enjoys cooking and trying new recipes. He thinks following a recipe is the best way to learn some of the most basic cooking techniques.
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Nick likes tweaking or improving certain recipes, but he doesn’t feel comfortable improvising until he has cooked it “by the book” once.
Frustrations
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Sometimes Nick is unsure that he’s “on the right track” halfway through preparing the meal.
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Nick isn’t always clear on “what’s next” and how he can prep a few steps ahead. This often leads to mistakes, or a lot of time wasted.
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If a dish doesn’t come out as expected, he doesn’t really know where he went wrong, and he feels disappointed in the meal, and that he didn’t really learn anything for next time.
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Nick gets stressed out trying to refer back to his phone every time a new technique or step in introduced.
Mapping
Next, I started mapping out what I visualized the beginning to end experience will be like for the user.
Day 2 - Define, Tuesday
On Day 2, I used the Lightning Demo method to compare 2 companies, that would relate to my problem space. From there I sketched a couple screens using the Crazy 8's method.
Lightning Demo
I found ideas and inspiration from TWO companies that are solving (or have solved) a similar problem.
Crazy 8's & Solution Sketches
Since the users are having the most issues with understanding the recipes, my most critical screen would be the “STEPS SCREEN” (Crazy 8's is a fast sketching exercise that challenges people to sketch eight distinct ideas in eight minutes.)
Day 3 - Ideate, Wednesday
On day 3, I choose pieces I liked from the screens I drew and formed a storyboard.
Storyboard
For my storyboard, I didn’t have many screens because it’s a recipe app but I wanted to create a good flow of directions to help make it easier for users to learn new recipes without getting too distracted or overwhelmed.
Day 4 - Prototype, Thursday
Day 4 is design day! I created some screens from the sketches I made, then I made a prototype to prepare for testing.
Screens
I created 2 different recipes with 4 screens each, to make it less crowded and easier to read for the users. In my own experience, I hate having to scroll down a whole page before I actually get to the recipe and having too many ads is even more distracting.
Day 5 - Test, Friday
On Day 5, I began contacting my 5 participants, and used the 5-Act Interview method to test them. I did one in person and the other 4 were virtual using Skype & Zoom. After testing, I decided to make subtle changes that my interviewees advised.
Interview Highlights
Jennifer, 28
“I love the simplicity of the app, great colors, fonts and photos! Very easy to read and easy to use! Only thing I would change is the order of the navigation. Switch Ingredients and Prep, because you will need the ingredients before prepping!”
Nina, 30
“I like the look of the app but feel the Prep screen isn’t needed and to include more details of how to prep and cook in the Steps screen instead.”
Kelvin, 31
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SUMMARY
Before I began the Design Sprint, I was a bit overwhelmed by how fast the process was but after actually working through it, I found it to be a very effective and quick way to minimize time wasted.
I think this process would be better working in teams than alone and plan to use it for any of my future projects.