Smart Fridge: Designing an In-Fridge App for Meal Planning and Recipe Generator
The Fridge App, seamlessly integrates into your fridge to create recipes based on the ingredients you already have. It also generates personalized shopping lists and meal plans, making kitchen management smarter and more efficient.
Role
UX/UI Designer
Year
08/2021 - 12/2021
Developing the Fridge App
Introducing an innovative fridge app designed to simplify meal prep and grocery shopping. Using advanced scanning technology, the app tracks your fridge’s contents in real time, helping you monitor what’s inside and reduce waste effortlessly. It creates personalized grocery lists by identifying items running low and anticipating your needs based on your shopping habits. For busy adults, this app takes the stress out of cooking by generating recipes from the ingredients already in your fridge. Unlike other apps, it automatically inputs items through fridge scanning, saving you time and effort, while also offering meal planning features to keep you organized and stress-free in the kitchen.
The goals are…
Make Cooking at Home Stress Free
Simplifies meal prep by offering recipe suggestions based on what's in your fridge, removing the guesswork from cooking.
Easy Search for Recipes
Generates recipes using only the ingredients you have, making meal decisions quick and easy.
Reduce Ingredient Waste
Tracks ingredients in real-time, prioritizing recipes that use items before they expire.
Streamline Meal Planning
Saves recipes and creates shopping lists, helping you stay organized and prepared for future meals.
User personas
Working Mom
Age: 35
2 Kids
Located: NYC, New York
DANIELLE
Goals: Balancing work and family is a top priority, making sure both are well taken care of. It’s also important to find time for herself, so she can recharge and relax.
Danielle is a dedicated working mom at an accounting firm, balancing a demanding job with her family life. Her busy schedule leaves her with little time for cooking, as she often arrives home late and prioritizes spending quality time with her kids. Consequently, their meals are mostly takeout, but Danielle longs to prepare homemade dishes without making things overly complicated.
College Student
Age: 20
Single
Located: LA, California
jonah
Jonah is a college student fully embracing the college experience. His biggest stressors are balancing his heavy coursework with his part-time job. In his limited free time, he enjoys having fun and hanging out with friends, leaving him little time for cooking. As a result, he often relies on quick and easy meals like cereal or pasta, since he doesn’t have the time to prepare a more elaborate dinner.
Goals: Enjoy college life to the fullest while balancing social activities with academic responsibilities. Manage work commitments to cover expenses while maintaining this balance.
Ideation
While sketching the Fridge app as a mobile application, I realized it would be even more convenient if it were integrated directly into the fridge. This would eliminate the need for users to manually open their phones and scan items, as the fridge could automatically handle the process, enhancing both user experience and convenience.
Main Features
Scan your Fridge
Automatically scans and tracks all the ingredients inside your fridge using an advanced scanning system, saving time and effort.
Manually Enter Missed Ingredients
If any items are missed during the scan, easily input them manually to ensure accurate tracking of all ingredients.
Make the Meal
Follow the step-by-step recipes generated from your ingredients to create delicious meals, simplifying the cooking process.
Recipe Search Based on Ingredients
Search for meal ideas based on what’s in your fridge, along with your preferences, ensuring you can always find a recipe that suits your needs and available ingredients.
User Flow
Low-Fidelity Wireframes
Finalized Designs
In conclusion, the Fridge App has the potential to transform kitchen management by making it easier and more enjoyable. With its ability to track fridge inventory, create personalized grocery lists, and suggest recipes based on available ingredients, the app aims to simplify meal planning and reduce food waste. The goal is to help users spend less time worrying about meal prep and more time enjoying meals with loved ones. As the concept progresses, addressing key challenges will be essential to turning it into a tool that genuinely enhances the kitchen experience.