Delish Bites
Baking should be fun, not frustrating. Yet, many aspiring bakers feel discouraged when they’re missing ingredients or overwhelmed by complex recipes. That’s where Delish Bites comes in—a baking app designed to simplify the process, help users track their pantry, and recommend recipes they can actually make. This project was a four-week challenge in my Human-Computer Interaction course, where I led UX design in a five-person team. We set out to make baking more accessible, balancing usability and functionality within a tight deadline.
Understanding the Problem: Why Baking Can Be Overwhelming
We started by researching common pain points in baking through informal interviews and competitive analysis. Conversations with home bakers revealed recurring frustrations:
Missing ingredients: Browsing recipes only to realize they require a long grocery list.
Pantry chaos: Losing track of what’s in stock, leading to wasted ingredients.
Overwhelming choices: The internet is flooded with recipes, making it hard to decide.
Confusing instructions: Complex steps discourage beginners from even trying.
With these insights, we defined a core question: How might we make baking easier and more enjoyable for users of all skill levels?
Designing a Smarter Baking Experience
A Thoughtful Approach to UX
We structured the app around three main features to address user needs: smart recipe recommendations, pantry tracking, and interactive baking guides. We conceptualized these through user personas, ensuring we designed with real users in mind, rather than assumptions.
Wireframing & Testing Early Concepts
A 3-hour design sprint helped us sketch and refine user flows. Using the 10+10 method, we brainstormed multiple layouts, then conducted heuristic evaluations to identify usability issues. This allowed us to build intuitive wireframes that prioritized clarity and ease of use.
High-Fidelity Prototype: Key Features
Smart Pantry Management
Problem: Users lose track of ingredients, leading to waste or duplicate purchases.
Solution: A pantry management system that allows users to scan barcodes or manually add ingredients, ensuring they always know what’s available.
Recipes in Your Kitchen
Problem: Finding recipes only to realize they require a trip to the store.
Solution: A feature that filters recipes based on pantry items, showing users what they can bake right away.
Interactive Step-by-Step Guide
Problem: Complex recipes can be intimidating, especially for beginners.
Solution: A guided, interactive walkthrough that breaks recipes into bite-sized steps, ensuring an easy-to-follow experience.
Ordering Missing Ingredients
Problem: Users give up on recipes when they don’t have all the ingredients.
Solution: Seamless integration with affiliate grocery services, allowing users to order missing ingredients with one click.
User Testing & Refinements
To validate our design, we conducted usability testing with three participants:
An experienced baker (57, F) with limited tech experience.
A university student (20, F) who bakes as a hobby.
A new baker (24, M) who is tech-savvy.
Key Takeaways & Improvements
Onboarding needed better clarity – We refined tutorial descriptions to enhance user comprehension.
Ingredient pages were confusing – Users couldn’t distinguish between ‘Add Ingredients’ and ‘Pantry.’ We improved visual hierarchy.
Low-stock indicators were unclear – The original exclamation mark was too subtle, so we adjusted colors and messaging.
Ingredient measurements lacked clarity – We reworked how measurements were displayed to reduce confusion.
Final Thoughts & Reflections
This project was an invaluable experience in user-centered design and rapid iteration. Designing for both beginners and experienced bakers pushed us to balance simplicity with robust functionality. More importantly, it reinforced my problem-solving approach—taking real user frustrations and transforming them into intuitive, practical solutions.
There’s always room for improvement, but Delish Bites proved that thoughtful UX can make everyday tasks smoother and more enjoyable.