Design Lead + UX + Visual
Cakery
A personal project I hold close to my heart, imagined and produced over the span of 10 weeks. This innovative mobile application concept aims to revolutionize the custom cake ordering process. Imagine ordering a custom cake the same way you'd order a pizza. Just like choosing your pizza toppings, you'd select your cake flavor, size, frosting, and other details step-by-step. What makes it special is the ability to upload an inspiration photo—whether it's a design you've seen online or something personal—so the baker can see exactly what you're envisioning. It includes a comment box where you can add specific details or preferences to ensure the cake turns out just right. These features make communication smooth and easy between you and the baker, creating an efficient and enjoyable cake-ordering experience. With everything tailored to your vision, it feels effortless—like you're designing your dream cake with just a few clicks.
Design Process
Discover
It all started with initial interviews…
I kicked off by inviting participants to share their experiences with purchasing custom cakes, if they had any. This approach fostered a relaxed conversational vibe, enabling me to delve deeper into their past encounters and probe into their expectations. Through this method, I gained valuable insights, discovering that:
66% of participants had bought cakes for themselves while 33% of participants bought cakes for other people.
5 out of 6 people chose who to order their cakes from using a recommendation from someone else.
and that the most common apps used by participants were Instagram and Tiktok.
Asking the right questions.
My mission? Dive deep into the world of online shopping expectations and unravel the mysteries behind how, why, and where people order cakes. Armed with open-ended questions, I led participants on an adventure of sharing necessary details, while aiming to forge a connection. Interested in the research? Check out my discussion guide here.
Deep diving into data.
I added a splash of color to my user interviews by assigning each participant a unique hue and jotting down their feedback on matching sticky notes. This not only helped me keep track of whose feedback I was diving into at any given moment but also made it easier to spot patterns as I started grouping those sticky notes together. Once I had them all gathered, I used the affinity mapping technique, clustering similar ideas and concepts together. It was like watching a colorful puzzle come together! This visual representation made it a simple to spot the common themes that emerged from the study. And from there I crafted user need statements to tackle problems brainstorming solutions.
Understanding the user experience.
Allow me to introduce Julia Sweets—a pivotal figure in my design journey. At 29, Julia embodies the millennial spirit, balancing a full-time career with her passion for blogging. With a keen eye for convenience and personalization, she aspires to create memorable moments with loved ones while curating captivating content for her blog. Throughout the design process, I frequently referenced Julia's persona, leveraging her preferences to address pain points effectively and ensure my solutions resonated with my target audience.
Define
To address major pain points and user needs, I asked the question: How might we help customers feel confident when placing custom cake orders online?
Failing Forward: The first iteration.
In my initial user flow, I opted for the traditional sign-up process: email, password, the whole deal. However, it quickly became apparent that users found it inconvenient to exit the app to confirm their email. So, I made a change. I redesigned the flow, prioritizing convenience and inspiration. Enter the mobile phone number sign-up: simple, quick, and no need to leave the app. Users receive a 6-digit code via text for verification, and if you're on an Apple device, it's even smoother with autofill.
As for the pickup versus delivery dilemma? I streamlined that too. No more double entry for contact details. Now, users only need to enter their information once, and everything autofills during checkout. It's a clean, straightforward process, and users can make edits as needed along the way.
Design
Crafting an enjoyable experience.
The low-fidelity wireframes I created during the beginning of the design process didn’t meet Julia’s need for convenience and the layout was unfamiliar compared to apps she uses most often. After the first round of usability testing I got feedback stating that the calendar was confusing and that the buttons and type were reminiscent of a Microsoft word document. (ouch!)
Finalizing the interface elements.
In the Cakery app, I've mainly gone with the Lato font for text—it's just so readable, especially when I increase the size and go bold. As for colors, pink is the name of the game! I've chosen these analogous shades to bring out that creative spark and keep things sunny-side up. Those utility icons? They're like my trusty sidekicks, helping me keep things sleek and straightforward, one click at a time!
Deliver
Bringing My Project To Life
During the delivery phase of my project, I was on a mission to pinpoint and polish the coolest features for my minimum viable product. I practically lived in a world of user feedback, soaking it all in to make sure my product was spot-on for its audience. By giving top priority to the must-have features, I managed to whip up something awesome without overcomplicating things. The end result? A minimum viable product that's got the perfect balance of functionality and simplicity, letting me serve up a top-notch product to my customers in record time!
Reviews
Feedback from verified purchasers helps users make informed decisions.
Shows credibility.
Gives users a voice.
Upload Image Feature
Allows for maximum customization.
Includes a comment box providing more clarity in design expectations for both the client and the baker.
Schedule Consultation & Order Retrieval
Gives users options that work around their busy schedules.
Encourages confidence in user expectations on both sending and receiving ends.
The Wrap Up!
As I wrap up this cake-tastic journey, I've learned some sweet lessons about the magic of familiarity in design and development. From dreaming up ideas to baking them into prototypes, this adventure has been a blast, leveling up my digital design skills along the way. Through heaps of user research and testing, I've cracked the code on key pain points, whipping up solutions to make ordering a piece of cake—pun intended! Now, I'm thrilled to unveil a cake ordering platform that's not just intuitive and efficient, but as delightful as frosting on a cake, giving users a confidence boost as they dive into the online ordering fun!