A Modified GV Design Sprint Case Study
Project Background
This project is the modified Google Venture Design Sprint that takes 5 days to execute. To learn the process, I chose one of the design challenges “Savr” provided by Bitesize UX that included the problems, user research highlights, and user persona.
Problem
Savr is a new startup that wants to make it easier for people to follow new recipes, and cook great meals at home. However, Savr recently received negative feedback involving users’ disappointment at how their meals turned out because it’s difficult to follow the new recipes due to too many steps, more advanced techniques, and unclear instructions.
Designer:
Nattamon Sitthiphisai
My Role:
UX Researcher, UX Designer,
UI Designer
Key Skills:
Content Design and Strategy, Visual Design
Tools:
Figma
Timeline:
5 days
Google Venture 5-Day Design Sprint Process
Goals
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To help users accurately and easily follow the cooking instructions.
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To help users enjoy cooking new recipes without stress and chaos.
Design Constraints
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Currently, recipes are written as text in ordered steps from start to finish.
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Solution should be designed as a feature for Savr recipes native mobile application.
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Focus on creating a better experience when users actually start preparing and cooking the meal.
Research Highlights: Participant’s Quotes
Learning from the existing user research provided by Bitesize UX, I was able to understand users frustrations when cooking new recipes for the first time.
Don’t know what kitchenware I need, or constantly need to wash hands so I can refer back to my phone”
-Maria
I don’t know if I’m on the right track halfway through…”
-Dan
A lot of times I make a few small mistakes, and everything goes downhill from there in term of timing and flavor”
-Anthony
I like to be as prepare as I possibly can before I start cooking things I can’t undo”
-Anna
Meet the User
Nick was a user persona that represent all interviewed users.
I can see what the finished product looks like, but I don’t know if I’m on the right track halfway through...Is it supposed to look like this? If not, it’s better to know sooner rather than later.”
-Nick
Day 1: Map
On the first day, After reviewing the existing research highlights, Nick’s pain points, and his goals, I was able to frame HMV questions that led to the possible solutions and diagram an end-to-end user experience. I envisioned Nick achieving his goal without any frustrations using this map.
How might we help Nick...
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Easily follow the cooking instructions ?
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Ensure that he is on the right track during the cooking process?
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Learn the advanced and new cooking techniques ahead of time?
Day 2: Sketch
Competitive Research: Lightning Demo
Before I began sketching some ideas, I spent time studying the mobile applications that have similar features to Savr to gain some insight. I focused on Tasty, Kitchen Stories, and Jumprope.
1. Tasty
Offers cooking video recipes and step-by-step instructions.
Insights & Features
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Ingredientes are written as text
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Instructions are listed step-by-step. Each step shows a video once clicked and can be in autoplay mode.
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Has an instruction video of all steps to show the overall process at the beginning
2. Kitchen Stories
Offers cooking video recipes and step-by-step instructions.
Insights & Features
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Has an instruction video of all steps to show the overall process at the beginning.
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Instructions are listed step-by-step with pictures. Each step provides list of ingredients and kitchenwares.
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Provides how-to videos of advanced techniques in each recipe.
3. Jumprope
Offers how to and DIY videos of various contents
Insights & Features
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Instagram-like format shows number of views on the top right of each thumbnail.
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Step-by-Step instruction is autoplayed with video and explaining at the bottom.
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Provide some tips to help users execute it better
Ideation: Crazy 8's Sketching
I spent 8 minutes to illustrate 8 possibilities to solve Nick’s frustrations. I chose the most critical screen for the solution sketch because this screen provides easy and accurate instruction by using videos and pictures to help users easily and confidently follow a new recipe.
Three Panel Board
After identifying the most critical screen, I expanded it into a three panel story sequence. The first screen is a before critical screen, and the third screen is an after critical screen.
Day 3: Decide
On day 3, to finish what I had been working on, I decided on the final solution and created the 6-panel storyboard to help illustrate Nick’s end-to-end experience using Savr to learn a new recipe.
By focusing on Nick’s goals to easily and accurately follow the recipe, I included pictures and videos to help guide Nick through the process. This will make Nick’s cooking new recipe experience enjoyable.
1. Find the recipe
Users select a recipe they want to cook
2. Check Details
Users check a recipe details and tips that they should know before start cooking
3. Get ready to cook
Users check the ingredients and kitchenwares needed, can adjust the serving size, then tap “Start Cooking” to begin the process
4. Step X
Users watch step-by-step video to easily follow instruction
5. Step X
Users can access the timer by tapping on amount of time
6. Done
Users can save this recipe, review, and share to the community
Day 4: Prototype
To bring my design solution to life and be able to quickly prototype it, I spent day 4 creating the High Fidelity screens.
To solve Nick’s frustrations, I included many visual guides from start to finish of the process such as video of the preview cooking process, pictures of all ingredients, Video tips to help Nick learn the advanced techniques beforehand, and the step-by-step video instructions.
Easily Learn new and unique recipes from hundred of choices
Know exactly what you need before start cooking with ingredients pictures
Confidently and accurately follow instruction with
step-by-step videos
Rate the recipe and share it with community
Try the prototype
Try the Figma prototype below or click here
Day 5: Test
On the final day of the design sprint, I conducted 5 usability tests to quickly test Savr’s learning new recipe feature. I recruited 4 participants online and one offline. All of them cook at home at least 2-3 times a week and like to learn how to cook new recipes just like Nick my persona.
Users' insights
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5 out of 5 users like the simple layout which make it easy to navigate
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5 out of 5 users like that there are various visual aids to help follow new recipes easily.
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5 out of 5 users like the step-by-step instructions with visual aids
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3 out of 5 users would like to see the preview of cooking process as text before following the step-by-step instructions
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2 out of 5 users would like to see the total cook time
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3 out of 5 users would like to see the save to my recipes button upfront so they can save it to cook later.
Final Iteration
Reflection & Learning
Based on the usability test results, users were impressed with a lot of visual aids provided to help users to learn cooking new recipes. However, one user mentioned that for an experienced cook like him, instruction video could be a distraction when cooking.
Reflected on that, I would concern about users with different cooking experience levels and try to implement the different features to suit each user cooking skills.
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