Understanding kitchen experiences and problems, and providing a solution for one identified problem
Introduction
Hello, readers. My name is Piyush Kumar; I’m a budding UX designer, and this is the story of how I learned and practiced design thinking.
Since my childhood, people around me used to find me with colors, sketch pens, and other stationery just scribbling and creating something. As the earth completed a few revolutions around the sun, I realized I had a strong interest in visual design and user experience design.
And a few revolutions later, I enrolled in a User Experience Mastery Course by Anudeep Ayyagari and this Design Thinking Project is the first project of this course. In this case study, I'll share my project-related process, unlearnings, and learnings with you.
The Project
We were divided into groups of eight for this Design Thinking project, and each member had to choose an area to work on that is commonly found in any household, such as the kitchen, bedroom, living room, bathroom, utility area, balcony, home-office, terrace, storage room, parking area, and so on.
I chose the category "Kitchen" because I was unfamiliar with its operation and didn't know much about how other people experienced their kitchens or the problems they encountered. And, because I had no prior experience, it was both a learning opportunity and a way for me to avoid the biases that come with it. After deciding on a topic, I began my design thinking process.
Design Thinking
Design thinking is a way of thinking about how to improve any product or service by first understanding the people who use it and discovering what problems they encounter, then defining the problems, coming up with solutions, creating prototypes, testing them with users to see if the solution works, and iterating until it does.
It is an iterative and non-linear process that contains five phases.
- Empathize
- Define
- Ideate
- Prototype
- Test
We'll go over each stage in detail to see what my process was like and what lessons I learned along the way.
Empathize
Empathize is the first stage of the Design Thinking process in which we, as designers, learn about the users and their experiences with the product or service (in this case, their kitchen). We were divided into groups of 8, but still, this is an individual project. The reason we were assigned a group was that we had to choose 4–5 members from our group for the interview.
So I set up a one-on-one call with five of our group members to learn about their kitchen experiences. But wait, what do I talk to them about? Do I ask them direct questions in order for them to tell me about all of their kitchen problems?
These were all the questions I had before beginning the interviews. As an introvert, I found talking to people intimidating, and even thinking about it used to overwhelm me. So I decided to consider what I expected from the users. I wanted to learn about their experiences with their kitchens, such as how they cook, clean, and store vegetables, as well as other general uses for kitchens, in order to identify some space issues.
So I prepared a rough questionnaire to follow during the interviews, which contained the following questions:
1. Tell me a bit about yourself. (Name, place, professional life, hobbies, etc)
2. What do you like to do for fun?
3. How do you currently live? (With Parents, bachelor, Married, etc)
4. How do you get your food?
5. What all activities do you perform in your kitchen?
6. When was the last time you went in your kitchen and for what purpose? Can you describe the experience?
7. What would you do if you have to cook food?
8. What is your favorite meal? How would you prepare it?
9. How do you feel when you’re inside your kitchen cooking food?
10. How do you store your dry vegetables such as onions and potatoes?
11. What do you do with your leftovers?
12. Where do you keep your utensils and cooking equipment?
13. Where do you wash your dishes? Can you describe the experience?
And many more follow-up questions were asked
My first interview didn't go so well because I didn't get many insights from the first user I spoke with. I felt bad at first, but then I reframed some questions and switched from asking to conversing. I used to just ask questions, but once I focused on having good conversations in which people felt safe to share their thoughts, the insights began to flow.
A lot of things about asking questions and having conversations were learned and unlearned in this. A few are listed below.
- We should keep the interview conversational by making the interviewees feel at ease sharing information with us.
- We should avoid asking yes or no questions and instead focus on learning about their experience while using a product or service.
- Questions that tend to confirm our biases should be avoided.
and many more like them.
Now, as I was interviewing people to learn about their experiences, I was simultaneously recording the interview with their permission and taking notes on the conversation so that I could remember their insights and problems and refer back to them when needed.
With the help of the insights found in the empathize stage, now it was time to figure out the pain points and problems faced by the users. This stage is called the "define" stage.
Define
At this point, I gathered all of the notes and pain points and wrote down the problems identified as well as the reasons for them. Here are the problems I identified:
The user finds it difficult to retrieve the right ingredients while cooking. When the user is cooking, it’s hard to identify and retrieve spices and the user ends up wasting time while figuring out the correct spices.
The user finds it difficult to organize cooking material while cooking. When the user is cooking they don’t want to rush at the last moment for cooking ingredients.
The user finds it difficult to know the quantity of ingredients to be put. The user who is just learning to cook has trouble remembering the quantity of ingredients to be put.
The user faces problems in drying out the washed dishes. The user has to dry out the washed dishes manually which takes effort and time as wet dishes leave water marks on utensils.
User faces problem in storing the dry vegetables. As dry vegetables such as onions, potatoes etc cannot be stored in fridge, user has to adjust space in the kitchen for them.
User feels worried as they don’t want to mess up the food taste. User feels anxious as they don’t want to mess up the food taste because they’re not well versed with the recipie.
User faces problem in getting rid of wet solid waste. Solid waste starts smelling and user feels unhygenic to get rid of it.
User faces problem in uncloging the sink. If some solid waste gets into the sink, it clogs the sink and then user has to unclog it manually which is not preffered by the user.
User feels bored and uncomfortable standing in kitchen. As user have to stand in the kitchen for longer period of time as the meal is being prepared, user starts feeling bored and tired while standing.
User faces problem in getting rid of the garbage. User faces trouble in getting rid of garbage as they dustbin is out of the apartment.
User doesn’t like to have unwashed dishes as they start smelling. User finds it boring and time consumimng to wash dishes.
User feel hot and humid in the kitchen. As food is being prepared, smoke and steam comes out the food and user feels hot and cannot see properly sometimes.
User has problem in cooking nonveg food in kitechen. As the family of the user is vegetarian, User faces problem in cooking non veg food.
User faces trouble in remembering what grocery items to bring from market. User sometimes forgets some items which they were supposed to bring.
These were the problems identified from the interviews, along with their reasons. Mostly, users talk on a surface level, but we have to get to the root cause of the problem to move to the ideate stage.
Ideate
It was time to start thinking about solutions now that the problems had been defined. I had to come up with multiple solutions to all of the problems identified for Ideation. I used a technique known as "Crazy 8" for ideation. In this exercise, we as designers must take a problem statement and generate eight possible solutions in under eight minutes. Because the goal here is to stretch our minds beyond the most obvious solutions, 8 is not a fixed number for solutions.
Here are the solutions I came up with for each problem.
1. The user finds it difficult to retrieve the right ingredients while cooking.
Put the spice labels on top of the respective containers.
Have containers with a label that can be exchanged with one another.
Have stickers that can be attached to any containers and users can write on them.
Have an AR glass that scans the container and shows which ingredient it is.
Have pass-through containers so users can see through them and identify them easily.
Have colored containers so users can keep the similar color of spices in similar color containers.
2. The user finds it difficult to organize cooking material while cooking.
Have a container with small and big boxes which users can keep beside the stove which will contain the cooking materials.
Have a box with small detachable containers for spices so that spices are in one place and easier to organize.
Have an extendable slab on top of the stove where the masalas used can be put.
Have a box with two sides one side can contain the masalas to be put and one side can contain the masalas already put.
Users can have a bottle holder on the side of their stove which can hold masala boxes.
Users can have a bottle holder on the side of their stove which can hold masala boxes.
3. The user finds it difficult to know the quantity of ingredients to be put.
Have a whiteboard on one of the walls in the kitchen which can be used to write down the recipe.
Can get some expert feedback (mother, chef, someone experienced)
Watch recipe videos and tutorials
Can have boxes with measuring lines and quantity marked so it’s easier to keep a track.
Users can ask an AI Assistant who can tell them the quantity.
Have a universal container or spoon which can measure the quantity.
Users can have an app on their phone which will have all the recipes.
Users can have an app in which they can input the quantity of their cooking material and the app can calculate the quantity of masala to be put.
4. The user faces problems in drying out the washed dishes.
Wipe the water using a dry cloth.
Has an air dryer inbuilt into the utensils drawer which will dry all the utensils?
Have an air dryer in the kitchen that users can use to dry the utensils one by one.
Have a drawer that can change temperatures so that increasing the temperatures can cause the utensils to dry.
Have a machine that will wash, wipe and dry the utensils at once.
Have a robot that will wash and dry the utensils for humans.
5. The user faces problems in storing the dry vegetables
Have a basket in the kitchen to store dry vegetables.
Have a dustproof basket in the kitchen.
Have an opening chamber in the kitchen where dry vegetables can be stored.
Have a two-sided container where both onions and potatoes can be stored in one basket.
A dust-proof and humid-proof container.
Can use plastic to store.
6. The user feels worried as they don’t want to mess up the food taste.
Have a notepad in the kitchen where they can note down the important recipes.
Have a small whiteboard in the kitchen where they can note down the recipe.
Have a phone stand connected to the wall where they can easily keep and hang their phone and ask someone whenever required.
Have an app where all the recipes and tutorials are uploaded so they can refer to it when required.
Have an app where they can get an expert’s feedback like a professional chef.
7. The user faces problems in getting rid of wet solid waste.
Have a dustbin in the kitchen that doesn’t trap the air.
Have a dustbin in the kitchen that doesn’t require the hand to open.
Have a dustbin in the kitchen that absorbs the smelly air so that when users open the dustbin they smell nothing.
Have a handle on the dustbin so it’s easier to get rid of the waste.
Have a dustbin in the kitchen that has temperature control so that the waste won’t smell.
Have a dustbin with expandable handles like a suitcase which can be dragged around so it’s easier to carry.
Have a dustbin that is controlled by a remote to open the handles and the upper lid.
Have a dustbin that converts wet solid foods into eco-friendly substances which can be used by plants.
8. The user faces a problem in unclogging the sink.
Attach a cutting and chopping machine attached to the sink which will churn or grind the solid waste into small particles.
A sink that can create a vacuum whenever necessary so that the solid particles get sucked.
A remote-controlled sink that can change the base as per required, a base that only allows water to pass, and also a base that allows food particles to pass as well.
A sink in which the base can be removed easily by giving some specific command such as pressing a button.
A sink that removes the base by itself with some command so that users would not have to put their hands inside.
A sink specifically for wet solid food which churns it down.
A sink that has a magnetic base can easily be removed and can have multiple types of bases.
9. The user feels bored and uncomfortable standing in the kitchen.
Have a chair in the kitchen.
Have a small game screen above the surface of the stove which can be used for entertainment, games, or watching cooking videos.
Have a seating arrangement in the kitchen, height can be adjusted as required.
Have a camera attached to the stove which streams live footage of food so users can chill wherever they want and keep an eye on the food via their smartphone.
Have a tall seating arrangement in the kitchen.
Some small toys can be played with so the users don’t get bored.
10. The user faces problems in getting rid of the garbage
Have a dustbin with handles and wheels which will be easily portable.
Have a pipe connected directly to the dustbin which users can use directly.
Have a common region in the apartment where each flat can put its waste.
11. Users feel hot and humid in the kitchen.
A small fan to carry around the kitchen.
Have an exhaust fan in the kitchen.
Have a chimney in the kitchen.
Have an extendable attachment to the stove so the flames would not be affected if the wind blows.
Install a fan below the level of induction or stove so the fan doesn’t affect the heat but users don’t feel hot either.
12. The user has a problem cooking non veg food in the kitchen.
Have separate utensils for veg and nonveg.
Have a separate place in the house to cook nonveg.
Get nonveg food delivered to the house.
Go out to eat nonveg food.
A full set of utensils and a burner that can be taken anywhere to cook.
13. The user faces trouble in remembering what grocery items to bring from the market.
Have a small whiteboard in the kitchen where users can write all things they need to bring as they are cooking.
Have sticky notes attached to the wall so that people can write what things to bring.
Have an app where people can easily track what food items to bring or which have been already bought.
Write it down somewhere.
Write it inside the phone.
A container in the kitchen where all the packets which have been finished can be stored on a temporary basis and can be thrown away after the new version has been brought.
An AI which scans the kitchen and knows what to bring from the market.
A note-making feature inside shopping apps so that users can keep jotting down what all users need.
14. The user faces problems in washing the dishes as it’s time-consuming.
Make a way to let users know that they should not let utensils pile up and clean as they use them.
Use eco-friendly plates so won’t have to wash them.
Listen to podcasts or songs while cleaning the dishes.
Have someone to talk to.
A waterproof glove so the hands don’t get wet.
A purifier attached to the sink so the smell gets soaked in.
Out of all the solutions I came up with, I chose three to proceed further with based on the impact they would have on the user and the business, as well as the practicality of the solution to be prototyped and tested.
The three chosen solutions were:
- A dustbin with expandable handles and wheels, similar to a suitcase, that can be dragged around to make it easier to carry and dispose of waste. Because dustbins are used for storing waste, they usually get dirty quickly and users have difficulty disposing of the waste, so if the dustbin has handles and wheels, it can be portable with ease and users can dispose of the waste easily.
- A sink with a magnetic base that can be easily removed and can have multiple types of bases. Sink bases are difficult to clean when food gets stuck and also difficult to disassemble or wash, so a sink with magnetic bases can solve this problem as bases can be changed according to the radius required and they can also be easily cleaned.
- Have a seating arrangement in the kitchen, and adjust the height as needed. Because users must stand in the kitchen for long periods of time while food is being prepared, a product with a seating arrangement can help, and users can also monitor the food as it is being prepared by adjusting its height of it.
It was now time to move on to the prototype stage, where a prototype for one of the solutions would be created.
Prototype
We had to pick one of the three previously mentioned solutions and create a prototype to test with users. For prototyping, I went with the second option.
A sink that has a magnetic base that can easily be removed and can have multiple types of bases.
Reason to choose this solution:
Because the sink becomes clogged when solid food material from the plate falls into it, users have difficulty unclogging it by putting their hands in the dirty water, which ruins the entire experience. As a result, I concluded that this solution will be of great value to the user, and because the bases are magnetic, they can also be easily maintained, as assembling and disassembling them would be a pleasant experience, allowing businesses to place and sell such products, so I proceeded with this prototype solution.
My solution consists of various types of bases that can be changed based on the needs of the user.
The smaller radius base allows water to pass through, while the larger radius base allows small materials to pass through without obstructing the water flow.
The base and sink base will both have a red color coating to signify where the bases should be placed.
Furthermore, because the bases are magnetic, they will be easier to maintain and assemble or disassemble.
The main goal of the prototype was to test the idea rather than to perfect it, so I just drew a quick rough sketch of what I had in mind to see if it worked.
Testing
For testing, I presented my prototype to members of my group who were also involved in my user research and solicited feedback.
The feedback I got is:
- The small particles which are being allowed to pass can block the main drainage.
- As the material is a magnet, what would if it demagnetizes or loses its magnetic properties?
- The base and the sink base can get stuck and won’t have any space between them to easily open up.
Based on these comments, I concluded that users want a sink that is easier to unclog, but they are also concerned that small particles or solids will clog the main pipe. Users are also concerned about the magnets losing their properties.
These feedback points helped me realize that I needed to improve my prototype to meet the needs and concerns of the users.
Changes to be made
- On top of the base, a metallic filter can be attached to prevent larger particles from entering the pipe while still allowing water to pass through easily.
- Through my research, I discovered that magnets work great underwater as well, so they won't lose their magnetic properties, but this needs to be thoroughly researched and tested before I can come up with a solution.
- Because the magnets will stick together, it may be difficult to change the bases because there will be no space left to hold or pull the base, so if any space is provided, this will indicate that the bases can be detached from here.
Future Scope
As design is an iterative process, I believe products or ideas can always be made better. The future scope of this design would be
- Thorough research of magnets and it’s working underwater and taking decisions from that research.
- Making the whole sink model based on this working structure so that sinks can be easily set up which will provide a good user experience.
My learnings
- Making the interviewee feel safe and at ease is crucial when conducting interviews.
- As we are not the user, we must allow answers to come from them rather than trying to confirm our biases.
- We should ask follow-up questions to get to the bottom of any issue, but we should also be aware of when it might start bothering them.
- Pushing our limits to think beyond obvious solutions within a time constraint is critical because time plays an important factor in creativity.
- We should not use our team’s time and effort to create the most realistic prototype because the goal here is only to test the solution and gather feedback. Instead, we should simply create something similar to our original concept and move forward with it to test and receive feedback.
- Feedback is critical because it allows us to identify the gap between our concept and the user’s needs and requirements. We should let the user provide feedback rather than attempting to defend our idea.
- Because design is an iterative process, we should let go of the perfectionist mentality at least while the product is still in its early stages, and not take anything personally because we are playing a role larger than ourselves and attempting to solve a problem that will benefit many people. I won’t lie, I’m still working on this one :D
