How do people know what to make for dinner? Where do they get their inspiration? How does context play a role? ITo be able to design for a digital cook book experience I need to know more about what drives people behind these choices. When do people turn to the convenience of digital recipes and when do they sit down and open a classic cook book Two questions were on my mind:

1. What drives users to choose between physical cookbooks and digital recipe alternatives?

2. What essential features would make a digital cookbook both functionally superior and emotionally satisfying?

High-level themes from the interviews

To find out, I talked to ten people, aged between 25 and 65 in a semi-structured interview setting. This means that while, I had a script prepared, I also left space for unexpected topics. Each of the participants had their own unique cooking backgrounds. With each of them, I spent about 45 minutes to an hour diving into their cooking habits, what they like and dislike about their cookbooks and their digital counterparts.

I recorded every conversation, transcribed them, and dug into the data to spot delights and pain points.

Aesthetic appeal

Another reason for getting a physical cookbook is that they usually look and feel great. Users love to experience great cookbook design and show them off as a centerpiece in their kitchen.

Online recipes tend to lack the beautiful design and visual appeal that make physical cookbooks attractive. While they offer customisation options, such as adding notes and modifications, their overall presentation is generally considered less polished than that of professionally designed cookbooks.

Practical considerations

The interviewees feel they underuse their cookbook collection. Reasons for this vary but are mostly practical; they're clumsy in the kitchen, take up a lot of space on the kitchen counter, and become dirty (although opinions were mixed about whether this added to their personality or not).

"It's always in the way. Takes up a lot of space. If it's thick, it falls shut.”

When I asked them why they would use a cookbooks or turn online recipes specifically, almost all interviewees mentioned search as the differentiator between cookbooks and online recipes.

If you want to quickly search for a recipe based on, say, one or two ingredients you have laying around, just type them into Google and there they are.

Online recipes are also seen as more practical and functional, offering features like adjustable measurements, instructional videos, and efficient ingredient-based searches. They are convenient for quick access and sharing, and they include interactive elements like comments, reviews, and video tutorials, which enhance their usability.

It's very easy to access recipes online, have a quick look at them while you’re in the grocery store, and if you like it, use it. If you don't like it, well, there's thousands more.

Try bringing your twenty cookbooks in your backpack.

Credibility

My interview participants seem to turn to cookbooks first and foremost because they feel like they are a source they can trust. The authors are often renowned chefs who spent a lot of time refining their recipes. They connect their reputation to the books, and users trust the quality will be good and unique.

"The new Jamie Oliver just has to be bought.”

However, they are often described as less inspiring and more utilitarian compared to physical cookbooks. There are concerns about the reliability of online recipes. They are often created by less professional sources, which can affect their quality. Ads can also be quite annoying and distracting, cluttering the page and disrupting the user experience. This makes it harder to focus on the recipe itself, adding to the frustration of navigating through online recipes.

Meet the personas

To create more focus in the insights from my interviews, I designed three personas that will help me empathise with the user in the next phases of this project. A persona represents distinct user groups, helping me maintain a user-centered focus throughout the design process by capturing their unique needs, behaviors, and pain points.

Persona card for Johanna, the optimiser.

Persona card for Joaquin, the book lover.

Persona card for Jan, the home cook.

So what do these personas tell us?

Reading through these three personas, we find some interesting opportunities to create a more integrated and satisfying digital cookbook experience. These

Personalisation

Taking inspiration from Jan's need to find lactose-free recipes for his granddaughter, I will ideate personalisation features like dietary preferences, filtered recipe organisation, and project management capabilities.

Reading experience

While online recipes provide good legibility and functionality, they fail to preserve the artistic quality of cookbook designs, which is a critical concern for Joaquin. To address this, I will look for ways to combine original cookbook layouts with standardised recipe views, satisfying both design enthusiasts and those who prioritise functionality.

Navigation and annotation

To address Joaquin's need for personalisation, the app will require comprehensive annotation features including smart bookmarking, notes, recipe adjustments, and ratings. For users like Jan who want better recipe discovery, the app should include powerful cross-library search capabilities that work across collections and within individual books. Finally, the design needs to accommodate Johanna to easily share recipes with her girlfriend, and help Jan combine multiple recipes for meal planning through an intuitive project management system.

Next up: Explorations

In the next phase, I will look to address these opportunities, using brainstorming tools like crazy 8's and wireframes, and will test whether initial ideas hit the spot with users that represent our personas.