What UX Designers Can Learn from Chefs
Good design and good cooking have more in common than you might think. Whether you’re crafting a digital experience or preparing a meal, the goal is the same: to create something functional, enjoyable, and memorable. A great dish balances flavors, textures, and presentation, just as a well-designed product balances usability, aesthetics, and user needs.
The Ingredients Matter
Just as a chef carefully selects ingredients, designers must choose the right building blocks for a smooth user experience. You wouldn’t throw random spices into a dish and hope for the best—why would you add unnecessary elements to a design? Everything needs to serve a purpose.
Too much salt? Overwhelms the dish. Too much text? Overwhelms the user.
Low-quality ingredients? The dish lacks depth. Bad UI elements? The experience feels clunky.
Balancing Flavors = Balancing User Needs
Chefs carefully balance sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami to create a dish that delights the palate. Similarly, UX designers must balance:
• Aesthetic appeal (How it looks)
• Usability (How easy it is to use)
• Business goals (What it achieves)
• Accessibility (Who can access it)
Just as a dish that’s too sweet or too spicy can overwhelm a diner, a design that’s too flashy or too complicated can frustrate users. Finding that balance is key.
Presentation is Everything
Would you rather eat a beautifully plated dish or something that looks like it was thrown together? Visual appeal matters in both cooking and design. The way a dish is plated influences our perception of its taste, just as a well-designed interface impacts how users interact with a product.
Clear hierarchy = Easy navigation
Whitespace = Breathing room for content
Consistency = Familiarity and trust
Iteration and Testing: The Taste Test
No great dish is perfected on the first try. Chefs tweak recipes, taste-test, and adjust seasoning. Design works the same way.
Wireframes = A rough recipe draft
User testing = Tasting and adjusting flavors
A/B testing = Trying different plating styles to see what customers like
Conclusion
Whether you’re in the kitchen or behind the screen, great experiences don’t happen by accident. They’re crafted with intention, refined through testing, and served with a deep understanding of what makes people happy. So next time you’re working on a design, think like a chef: start with the right ingredients, balance your elements, and always test before serving.
