Professional work · Product discovery
PrettyRecipes
Clarifying an early-stage food product through research and product discovery.
This product is not public. Some details are simplified, and strategic findings and the final product direction are not disclosed.
- Role
- Sole UX/UI Designer
- Team
- CEO
- Scope
- Prototype refinement, usability testing, competitor research, user interviews, synthesis and product discovery
- Status
- Discovery and early design stage
From an existing prototype to deeper discovery
PrettyRecipes began with a broad early concept, a basic Figma Make prototype and some initial research and personas. My first task was to refine the existing wireframes, improving their flows, structure and interaction decisions.
Following early refinement, testing and competitor research, the CEO suggested stepping back into deeper discovery. I carried out much of that work, bringing together research and synthesis to help the team evaluate the possible directions more clearly.
Reducing uncertainty before committing to a direction
The concept contained several possible directions, but the team needed a stronger understanding of user behavior and the existing market before deciding what to develop further.
My challenge was to investigate the assumptions behind the concept, organize the evidence and translate it into useful input for product decisions.
The design question
How could research help the team narrow a broad concept and make more informed decisions about what to develop next?
Moving from refinement to product discovery
Prototype refinement
- Refined the existing Figma Make prototype and wireframes
- Improved user flows and information structure
- Worked through interaction decisions
- Prepared the prototype for testing
Usability testing
- Prepared and conducted usability sessions
- Observed how participants approached the early flows
- Documented friction and questions
- Identified assumptions requiring further investigation
Discovery research
- Reviewed the wider competitor landscape
- Examined selected competitors and adjacent tools in depth
- Created a behavior-focused interview guide
- Conducted five user interviews
Synthesis and exploration
- Organized findings across research sources
- Identified recurring patterns and open questions
- Developed product opportunities for discussion
- Explored motivation concepts with the CEO
Understanding behavior before evaluating solutions
The research explored how people currently work with recipe content and what motivates them. I combined different sources to give the team a broader foundation for evaluating the concept, beyond reactions to proposed features.
Market research
Broad view, closer examination
A landscape review followed by deeper analysis of selected products and adjacent creation tools.
User research
Five behavior-focused interviews
A dedicated interview guide supported conversations about existing routines, experiences and workarounds.
Research synthesis
Connecting findings across sources
Interview findings, testing observations and competitor research were organized into patterns, open questions and possible product opportunities.
Looking beyond direct competitors
I reviewed both recipe-related products and adjacent creation and publishing tools. This allowed me to examine different approaches to similar tasks across product categories.
The research moved from a broad overview into closer examination of selected experiences, supporting internal discussions about product direction.
Comparison framework
- 01Landscape overview
- Categories · platforms · use cases · business models · pricing
- 02Experience review
- User flows · interaction patterns · feature coverage · interface decisions
- 03Supporting context
- Reviews · reported friction · questions for further investigation
Making the evidence useful for decisions
I brought the research together into structured outputs that distinguished observations, interpretations and possible design implications.
This helped the team discuss which assumptions had support, where uncertainty remained and which questions deserved further investigation.
The outputs connected behavioral patterns with research insights and product opportunities, giving the team a clearer basis for discussing the next direction.
Observations
Patterns
Open questions
Opportunities
Developing an idea through feedback
The motivation exploration developed through discussion with the CEO. Revising the initial approach helped me connect engagement ideas more closely to user goals. It remained a hypothesis for further investigation rather than a validated solution.
01 · Proposal
Explore gamification
I proposed investigating gamification and began exploring progress, achievements and activity-based tracks.
02 · Feedback
Connect it to motivations
The CEO encouraged a stronger connection to user identity, goals and reasons for using the product.
03 · Revision
Reframe and investigate
I reworked the concept around that feedback and planned further behavior-focused research to examine the underlying assumptions.
A clearer foundation for future design
The work helped the team narrow a broad early concept and establish a more informed foundation for future design decisions.
My contribution included refined early flows, usability-testing observations, competitor research, interviews and a structured synthesis for discussing product opportunities.
The project remained at discovery and early design stage. Its final positioning and roadmap are not disclosed.
What I learned
Turning research into product opportunities.
I gained experience in moving from individual observations to a broader understanding of what a product could become. Synthesizing interviews, testing and competitor research helped me connect findings rather than treat each source separately.
I learned to explore possible directions, compare their relevance to the research and turn a broad early concept into clearer opportunities for discussion.
Discovery became a way to shape the product, alongside refining how it works.