Redefining Cooking Through Smart Simplicity.
Advieh reimagines what a recipe app can be—shifting from static instructions to a responsive, intelligent platform that learns from real user behavior. By combining AI-powered personalization, contextual time management, and an intuitive interface, it removes friction from the cooking process and adapts to how people actually cook. The result is more than a recipe tool—it’s a smarter, more human way to plan, cook, and connect with food.
MY ROLE
UX/UI Designer
Co-Founder
Led user research
UX strategy
End-to-end design
TOOLS
Figma
Adobe Illustration
Confluence
Miro
TEAM
1 Designer
1 Developer
DURATION
5 Months
"I picked this recipe because it said 30 minutes,
but halfway through, it suddenly told me to marinate for 3 hours! I had no dinner, no plan B, and felt completely stuck."
Sophia
THE CONTEXT
The Broken Promise of Recipe Apps
Cooking should be a creative, satisfying experience—whether it takes 15 minutes or three hours. But many recipe apps fall short of that promise. Designed to simplify the process, they often do the opposite: introducing friction through misleading prep times, vague instructions, and scattered interfaces.
Instead of supporting the flow of cooking, these tools disrupt it—forcing users to pause, backtrack, and second-guess what should be simple steps. The result is frustration, confusion, and a loss of confidence in the kitchen. What should feel natural becomes fragmented.
This disconnect between user expectations and actual experience exposes a critical gap—one that demands a smarter, more adaptive solution built around clarity, flow, and ease for cooks at every level.
IDENTIFYING THE CORE PROBLEMS
Why Cooking Feels Harder Than It Should
Cooking is meant to be intuitive, creative, and even therapeutic. But for many users, digital tools have added complexity instead of clarity.
Our analysis of popular recipe apps, combined with user behavior insights, revealed a consistent pattern: the problem isn’t with cooking—it’s with how apps structure the experience.
Most platforms are built around rigid, linear workflows that ignore the realities of how people cook. From vague instructions to overwhelming interfaces, they create friction at every step. Instead of adapting to the user's flow, they expect users to adapt to the app—resulting in stress, errors, and a loss of confidence.
These patterns became clear across four recurring friction points we observed during our analysis:
Poor Visual Design
Most apps present cooking content without clear structure or hierarchy for users. Dense formatting and poor layout make it hard to understand quickly.
Overwhelming Interfaces
Crowded screens and inconsistent organization increase cognitive load. Users struggle to focus, especially while actively cooking.
Rigid Interaction Flows
Many apps follow a one-size-fits-all approach. They don’t support different skill levels, dietary needs, or kitchen setups when flexibility is needed.
Lack of Beginner Support
Apps often skip essential guidance for new cooks. Without tips, visuals, or simplified steps, learning feels frustrating and unsupported.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Root of the Problem
Most recipe apps lack the visual clarity and flexibility users need while cooking. Poor layout, overwhelming interfaces, and rigid user flows disrupt the experience—making it difficult for home cooks to stay focused, confident, and in control throughout the process.
RESEARCH
Understanding the Gaps in Real-World Cooking
As a real product in development—not just a concept—Advieh required research grounded in user reality. Our goal was to shape a product that meets actual needs, fits the market, and solves the right problems from day one.
This phase centered on understanding where friction happens, how needs vary, and what users expect from tools that genuinely support them.
INTERVIEWS
Validating Our Assumptions
Interviews with over 20 participants, paired with survey responses, uncovered a consistent pattern: users often lose momentum mid-recipe due to vague language, missing context, and lack of real-time support.
Many began with excitement, only to stall when they encountered friction—poor interface cues, unfamiliar culinary terms, or steps that left them unsure if they were on the right track. Several shared they had to pause and search for meanings of phrases like “fold in” or “soft peaks,” breaking their flow and confidence.
These findings reinforced a critical insight: even brief moments of uncertainty can disrupt user trust and flow—leading to frustration, hesitation, or complete abandonment of the recipe experience.
Mark
"Some apps assume I know a lot—I just want to start cooking, and I’m new to it."
Jenna
"I had to keep unlocking my phone with messy hands—super annoying."
Luis
“I couldn’t tell how hard the recipe was, it didn’t mention the level anywhere.”
Aisha
"My daughter has restrictions, so I always have to check the recipe first."
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
How are the rest of them doing it?
To understand where Advieh could meaningfully stand apart, I conducted a competitive analysis of leading recipe platforms including Tasty, Yummly, Epicurious, Pick Up Limes, and several others. The goal was to uncover usability gaps that disrupt the cooking experience and identify opportunities for innovation—not in content volume or branding, but in how these apps support users through real-time cooking tasks.
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The analysis revealed several recurring weaknesses across popular recipe apps, both in interface design and core functionality:
UNDERSTANDING THE USER
Defining Our Audience
I chose two distinct user types to gain deeper insights into varied cooking needs: one representing a busy individual with limited cooking experience, eager to explore new and diverse recipes, and the other a more experienced cook with specific dietary restrictions, seeking to refine their culinary skills.
These profiles reflect the unique goals, challenges, and preferences of users at different stages of their cooking journey, helping us design solutions that cater to diverse lifestyles and create a more tailored and effective cooking experience.
FINAL OUTCOME
Why should you choose advieh?
While most recipe apps focus on offering volume, they often fall short on usability. Users are left navigating cluttered layouts, vague instructions, and inconsistent time breakdowns.
With Advieh, we focused on simplifying the experience—removing friction, building trust, and making every screen intentional. From organizing ingredients and clarifying steps to surfacing dietary tags and prep tips, every decision was grounded in real user feedback.
Our goal wasn’t to create an idealized cooking experience—it was to support real cooks in real kitchens. That meant designing for focus, flexibility, and clarity at every stage of the journey.
The following comparisons highlight how Advieh reimagines key user moments—not by adding more, but by doing less, better.
Connected cooks. Confident outcomes.
Community & Connectivity
People want more than ratings—they want connection, clarity, and confidence. Instead of limiting feedback to stars and a short review, we built a space for real interaction. Users can leave tips, ask questions, react instantly, upload photos of their results, and share recipes with others. This turns each recipe into a living exchange—encouraging trust, inspiration, and a stronger sense of community in the kitchen.
Tap. Time. Taste. Done.
Because every minute matters.
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One Recipe, All the Support.
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DESIGN
Advieh Walkthrough
RETROSPECTIVE
Designing with Empathy, Not Just Features
This project marked a defining moment in my growth as a designer. It showed me that crafting a product isn't just about implementing features—it’s about shaping experiences that reduce friction, build clarity, and earn trust.
The real challenge wasn’t just solving usability issues, but doing so in a way that felt intentional and human. Every design decision—from layout hierarchy to interaction flow—was guided by empathy and real user insight. Through testing, iteration, and reflection, I learned how to make each screen feel calm, focused, and purposeful.
This experience deepened my understanding of how to design for more than functionality. It taught me how to design for clarity, momentum, and meaningful engagement.
Here are a couple of the most important takeaways:
Designing for Focus
Less wasn’t just more—it was necessary. Stripping away distractions and guiding users through a clear, intentional flow became a core principle in every decision I made.
Letting Feedback Lead
Real users challenged assumptions and reshaped priorities. Their voices were the foundation of every meaningful improvement.
RELEASE ON APPSTORE
Officially Live
After months of focused research, thoughtful design, and continuous iteration, Advieh is now officially live—reviewed, approved, and available on the App Store.
We set out to design more than just an app—we wanted to build a cooking experience that feels intuitive, supportive, and enjoyable for every user. From screen structure to recipe flow, every decision was shaped by real user needs and tested in real-world kitchens.
This release isn’t the finish line—it’s the beginning. What’s live today reflects everything we aimed to solve, but it’s just the first step. Your feedback continues to guide us, and improvement remains our priority. We’re committed to keeping Advieh updated, relevant, and always evolving to serve real cooks better.
WHAT'S NEXT
Elevating the Cooking Experience with AI
Advieh is designed to grow alongside its users. Future iterations will integrate AI to simplify decision-making, personalize the cooking journey, and intelligently adapt to user behavior. From smart recipe suggestions and timing optimizations to adaptive content delivery, AI will help remove friction and surface what matters—when it matters.
Looking ahead, Advieh will also open its platform to emerging culinary voices, enabling talented creators to contribute content and build a knowledge-sharing ecosystem. As user needs evolve, the app will continue to respond—adding new features and experiences shaped directly by real engagement and feedback.
Advieh isn’t just a recipe app. It’s a cooking companion designed to evolve—intelligently, inclusively, and intuitively.