The problem that I had to solve was redesigning the Mela recipe manager app to make it more accessible by integrating hands-free voice navigation. The hypothesis was that implementing voice commands via Siri Shortcuts would improve the cooking experience, especially for users who need hands-free functionality.
For this individual semester project, I served as the sole UX researcher and designer. I conducted competitive analysis, created user journey maps, designed wireframes and a high-fidelity prototype. Any collaboration that took place was from gathering insights within the competitor research of Crouton and Siri, as I applied best practices from real-world user expectations to the design. The project was able to be shaped from the market research, competitor strengths and weaknesses, and the overall user accessibility needs within the scope of the project.
The solution was able to solve the identified problems by allowing users to fully control the app by using only their voice through simple Siri Shortcuts like “Next”, “Back”, “Repeat”, “Begin”, “Pause”, “Resume” and “Exit”. These enhancements eliminated the need for the user to touch the device while cooking, with its main priority being reducing user frustration and improving usability for everyday users, and those with mobility or vision impairments.
I developed a user journey map to capture the key stages users experience when integrating the app, from discovery to everyday use and post-experience. The journey followed a persona, John, highlighting frustrations like onboarding confusion and device compatibility issues. By mapping John's emotional shifts from apprehension to optimism, I was able to pinpoint critical pain points and opportunities, guiding design improvements that focused on simplifying setup, enhancing device integration, and improving overall usability.
The user flow focuses on hands-free navigation using Siri voice shortcuts. After launching the app with "Begin," users control navigation by saying "Back," "Next," or "Repeat." Saying "Pause" opens a screen with options to "Resume" or "Exit." This streamlined voice-driven flow minimizes physical interaction, improving accessibility for users who are cooking or have mobility needs.
The wireframes illustrate the layout and functionality of the redesigned Mela app, focusing on integrating Siri Shortcuts for hands-free control. Key screens include the shortcuts dashboard, the add shortcut flow, the main recipe navigation, and accessibility-specific views like pause and resume states. These wireframes helped map out a simple, intuitive experience that supports both traditional touch navigation and voice-activated commands.
The high-fidelity prototype brings the hands-free Mela app experience to life, showing how users interact through Siri Shortcuts and a visually simplified cooking interface. Key screens highlight shortcut creation, recipe navigation, and accessibility modes with clear voice command prompts. The prototype emphasizes ease of use, reducing physical interaction and enhancing the overall cooking experience for everyday users and those with accessibility needs.
