Cooks on Call
Improving access to trusted home-cooked meals by solving discovery, trust, and affordability challenges
My Role
UX Research
UX/UI Design
Prototyping
Usability Testing
Timeline
6 Months
Mar - Sep 2023
Tools
Figma
Miro
Google Forms
Maze
Deliverables
Mobile App Design
Design System
Interactive Prototype
Lack of access to trusted home-cooked meals
International students and busy professionals miss home-cooked food
Depend on fast food & expensive delivery apps that feel impersonal and unhealthy
Home cooks want flexible income but lack a trusted platform
A homely food experience
Makes homemade food accessible & affordable
Builds trust between users and cooks
Feels homely, not transactional
Design Process
Empathise
User research & interviews
Define
Problem framing & personas
Ideate
Feature prioritisation
Prototype
Lo-fi to hi-fi designs
Test
Usability validation
Research
I conducted surveys and interviews with 20+ students, professionals, and home cooks to understand their needs and pain points
Surveys
Quantitative data from 50+ responses
User Interviews
In-depth conversations with 15 participants
Affinity Mapping
Synthesized insights into patterns
Key Insights
of students prioritise affordability over everything else
cited trust and hygiene as deal-breakers
want emotional comfort, not just convenience
Define
Busy students and professionals struggle to access affordable and trustworthy homemade meals, as existing food platforms prioritise speed and scale over trust, quality, and emotional comfort.
Personas
Sarah
International Student
John
Busy Professional
Jamie
Home Cook
Core User Flow
Browse cooks → Apply filters → View cook profile → Customise meal → Book → Confirm
Key Features
Browse & Filter
Find cooks by location, cuisine type, dietary needs, and price range
Verified Cook Profiles
Detailed bios, reviews, hygiene ratings, and meal portfolios to build trust
Meal Customisation
Specify allergies, spice levels, portion sizes, and ingredient preferences
Subscription Plans
Weekly meal plans with discounts for regular customers
Review & Rating System
Transparent feedback helps maintain quality and accountability
Dine-In with Cook
Experience authentic home dining by eating with the cook and their family
Key Design Decisions
Reducing onboarding friction
Users were hesitant to commit early, so I allowed browsing cooks before requiring signup. This reduced entry friction and improved initial engagement.
Designing for trust first
Since food safety is critical, I prioritised verified profiles, ratings, and hygiene indicators to build confidence before booking.
Balancing affordability with clarity
Instead of complex pricing, I introduced transparent cost breakdowns and subscription options to help users make quicker decisions.
Supporting emotional needs
Users weren’t just looking for food, but comfort. Features like chef stories and dine-in experiences were designed to create a sense of connection.
Design & Prototype
Wireframes
Validated core flows and navigation structure with paper prototypes
Digital Mockups
Refined information architecture and interaction patterns in Figma
Final Design
Polished UI with complete design system and accessibility standards
High-Fidelity Prototypes
The final high-fidelity designs showcase the core user journeys and key features that make Cooks on Call unique
Invite Chef to Home
Book verified home cooks to prepare fresh meals in your kitchen, creating an authentic homely experience
Subscribe for Meal Plans
Weekly subscriptions with your favorite cooks, ensuring consistent healthy meals at affordable prices
Chef Stories
View authentic stories and behind-the-scenes content from cooks, building trust and personal connection
Design System
Created a comprehensive design system with mood boards and style guidelines to ensure consistency and emotional resonance throughout the app
Testing & Iteration
Conducted usability testing with 6 participants, completing 5 task scenarios each
Findings are based on a small sample usability study and represent directional insights rather than large-scale product metrics.
✓ What Worked
-
Intuitive Navigation
Users found core features within 10 seconds
-
Strong Trust Signals
Cook profiles and reviews increased confidence
-
Valued Customisation
Meal filters were most-used feature
↻ Iterations Made
-
Improved Discoverability
Made "Dine-In" feature more prominent on home screen
-
Added Onboarding
Tutorial screens to showcase unique features
-
Simplified Registration
Reduced steps from 6 to 3 based on feedback
Outcome
Users found the app intuitive, comforting, and trustworthy — successfully differentiating from standard food delivery apps
Task completion rate
Average satisfaction score
Would recommend to friends
Key Learnings
UX is emotional, not just functional
Creating a "homely" experience required understanding users' emotional needs beyond just functionality. The participatory design sessions revealed that warmth, family, and comfort were as important as efficiency.
Affordability needs clarity, not complexity
Students need transparent pricing and clear value propositions, not hidden fees or confusing subscription models. Simple, upfront pricing performed better in testing.
Early testing saves redesign time
Iterative prototyping and continuous user feedback prevented major design overhauls later in the process. The "dine-in" feature emerged from user research, not initial assumptions.
Full Persona Details
Research Process & Insights
Affinity Mapping Process
Competitive Analysis
Ideation Process
User Needs & Insights
Feature Prioritization - NUF Test
Mid-Fidelity Wireflows
User Flow & Wireframes
Mid-Fidelity Mockups
Design System & Style Guide
Complete Style Guide
Comprehensive design system ensuring consistency and emotional resonance throughout the app
High-Fidelity Prototypes
Invite Chef Home
Subscription Plans & Chef Stories
