UX projects
NYT Cooking
I’ve loved cooking since childhood. Over the years, I’ve worked in food service, collected cookbooks, and dove deep into home cooking during the pandemic.
I’ve realized that I’m especially passionate about helping beginners feel more confident in the kitchen. Cooking has been deeply therapeutic for me, and I believe it can be rewarding in ways that go far beyond the food.
This project explores the pain points that discourage people from cooking. I chose the NYT Cooking app—one of the most widely used—as a case study, aiming to improve what people already use rather than reinvent the wheel.
I started with a question.
How might we enhance the NYT Cooking “Cook” feature to help home cooks prepare meals more efficiently and confidently within their intended timeframes?
User Insights
After five interviews with home cooks ranging from 22 to 80 years of age, five key insights emerged
Timing is pain point: Recipes often take longer than expected due to prep, planning, and rereading steps.
Clarity is key: Users want straightforward, non-cluttered instructions.
Visuals help, but aren't seamless: Videos and images are useful, but hard to follow in real time.
Substitutions are common: Most cook with what they have, not exact ingredients.
Experience matters: Seasoned cooks manage timing and steps more easily.
NYT Cooking is preferred: 100% of users interviewed use on it for online recipes.
Features
1. Expandable step cards
Each recipe step is placed in its own expandable card to prioritize simplicity and legibility. In its default state, the card simply displays the recipe text and a step title to orient the user within the recipe.
Tapping a card expands it to reveal step-specific details—like ingredient quantities relevant to that step—reducing the need to scroll between the ingredient and preparation sections. Some steps also include short videos or images, offering helpful visual cues.
As users complete each step, they can mark it done, causing the card to fade out and declutter the screen—supporting a smooth, focused cooking experience.
2. Ingredient How Tos
For ingredients requiring specific prep—like “julienned mango” or “supremed oranges”—users can open a “How To” video to visually demonstrate the technique, helping users, especially newer cooks, understand exactly what’s needed.
3. Smart timer
To keep users in the flow of cooking, the app includes a built-in smart timer. It automatically sets its default duration based on the recipe step—for example, “Bake the pie for 25 minutes at 375°” would trigger a pre-filled 25-minute timer—eliminating the need to switch apps or manually set the time.