Role
UX/UI Designer
Timeline
12 Weeks (2025)
Tools
Figma, Google Workspace, Otter, UXtweak, Zoom
Focus
Recipe discovery, food waste reduction
Problem
Finding recipes can feel overwhelming when they don’t match users’ schedules, dietary needs, or available ingredients. Savœr makes the process simple and enjoyable through a personalized, intuitive experience.
Research
The research phase explored the disconnect between available ingredients and everyday meal decisions. Through stakeholder interviews and competitive audits, I identified key friction points in recipe discovery, decision fatigue, and food waste, shaping the foundation for Savœr’s design direction.
Methods
For Savœr, I used a mixed-method research approach to better understand cooking behaviors and decision-making. This included interviews with 10 home cooks, a competitor audit of 5 recipe platforms, and a quantitative survey to validate key insights and usage trends.
Participants
Savœr’s research participants were home cooks ages 25–45 who regularly prepare meals and use digital tools for inspiration and planning. While comfortable with digital-first discovery, many struggled with meal variety and efficiently using ingredients already available at home.
Synthesis
To synthesize Savœr’s research, I used affinity mapping to identify patterns across user feedback. Findings revealed that users often feel overwhelmed by recipe options while struggling to find meals relevant to ingredients they already have, highlighting a need for simpler, more intuitive meal planning.
Key Insights
Users often start cooking with the ingredients they already have, but most recipe platforms are designed around searching for meals first, creating a disconnect in the experience.
Too many recipe options can lead to decision fatigue. Users prefer a smaller set of relevant, curated suggestions that feel manageable and personalized.
Cooking decisions are often made quickly and in the moment, making speed and clarity essential to a seamless user experience.
Wireframing & Iteration
The process began with low-fidelity wireframes focused on an ingredient-first experience that quickly generates relevant recipe suggestions. Through iteration, the layout, hierarchy, and navigation were refined to reduce friction and create a faster, more intuitive experience.
Visual Identity & Accessibility
As the design moved into high-fidelity, I developed a clean, approachable visual system centered around clarity and ease of use. A cohesive color palette, consistent styling, strong contrast, and accessible touch targets helped support readability, usability, and seamless interaction throughout the interface.
Design System
Defining the visual language of Savœr through a cohesive palette and readable typography.
Color Palette
Buttons/Export Pop-Up
#1B7F5D
Background/Button Text
#FAFCFB
Icons
#2F4F44
Search/Navigation Bars
#E4EFEA
Text
#0F1F17
Typography
Gelasio
Headlines / Bold / 36px
Geologica
Body Text / Medium / 16px
Savœr’s typography was chosen to support legibility, quick recipe reading, and a clean, modern aesthetic. A simple, highly readable typeface helps reduce visual noise while keeping the focus on key content like ingredients and instructions.
Final Solution
Ingredient substitutions
Recipe video
Grocery list
Core Features
USER STORY: AS A HOME COOK WHO OFTEN RELIES ON WHATEVER INGREDIENTS ARE AVAILABLE…
Ingredient-First Discovery
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CONTEXT: Users often start cooking with available ingredients rather than a specific recipe in mind.
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CONSTRAINTS: The experience needed to feel quick, simple, and low-effort while still generating relevant recipe matches.
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EXPLORATION: I explored ingredient-first flows that made adding pantry items fast and intuitive.
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TESTING: Wireframes were tested for input speed, clarity, and discoverability, leading to fewer steps and a more seamless flow.
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FINAL DESIGN: A streamlined ingredient-entry experience that instantly generates personalized recipe suggestions.
USER STORY: AS A BUSY USER TRYING TO DECIDE WHAT TO COOK QUICKLY…
Simplified Decision Flow
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CONTEXT: Users often experience decision fatigue when faced with too many recipe options.
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CONSTRAINTS: The interface needed to provide variety without overwhelming users or increasing cognitive load.
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EXPLORATION: I explored different filtering and curation methods to create a more manageable decision-making experience.
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TESTING: User feedback showed that curated recipe sets improved confidence and reduced decision time.
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FINAL DESIGN: A simplified, curated recipe flow designed to support faster, lower-friction decisions.
USER STORY: AS A USER MISSING ONE OR MORE INGREDIENTS…
Ingredient Substitution Support
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CONTEXT: Users often abandon recipes when they’re missing a single ingredient, even when suitable substitutes exist.
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CONSTRAINTS: The solution needed to support quick decisions without adding complexity to the experience.
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EXPLORATION: I explored ways to surface simple, relevant ingredient substitutes within the cooking flow.
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TESTING: Users felt more confident continuing recipes when substitute suggestions were clearly integrated into the experience.
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FINAL DESIGN: A real-time substitution feature that helps users adapt recipes without interruption or unnecessary abandonment.
Impact
Improved decision-making for meal planning
Encourages use of existing ingredients
Reduces food waste through smarter suggestions
Reflection
Designing Savœr reinforced the importance of simplifying decision-making rather than adding more options. By focusing on real cooking behaviors, I shifted the experience from traditional recipe search to an ingredient-first approach centered around what users already have.
Through iteration and testing, I strengthened my ability to identify friction points and design intuitive, efficient solutions. Moving forward, I would continue refining personalization and ingredient flexibility to better support a wider range of cooking habits.