Demo Recipe Master

 A demo of the skill is shown in the video below↓😉

Recipe Master’s features

• Search for recipes by meal type, cuisine or ingredients

• Option to substitute ingredients

• Option to alter dish size

• Calorie tracker

• Step-by-step recipe instructions

• Add recipes to your favourites list

• Set timer

Project brief

Recipe Master allows users to select among several options for quick meals and then to follow step-by-step directions to prepare them. I received a brief for a Five-Minute Recipes skill with these necessary functional requirements:

●  At least 10 different recipes with at least 3 steps each

● Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack recipe buckets

●  The ability to have Alexa select a recipe for a user

●  The ability to ask for a different recipe if the user doesn’t like a suggestion

●  Confirmation for the chosen recipe

●  A strategy for dealing with users who miss a preparation step or need something repeated

●  A way to check whether your user is ready to move on to the next step

●  A response for an unsupported utterance

●  A custom help message relevant to your skill

Click here to view: Project Brief for Five-Minute Recipes

Why

A lot of young people nowadays are busy and stressed while struggling to balance their health with their chaotic lifestyles. I decided to create an Alexa app that would help them make healthier choices through access to nutritious recipes they can prepare in 5 minutes or less.

User & system persona

I first interviewed three people who like cooking and who would use this skill to get a sense of their speaking styles. Next, I developed a proto and a system persona (Meet Sofia and Violet!) using my own assumptions and the insights from these interviews. A more detailed user research came after, where I interviewed 4 more people to get a better feel for what they expect in terms of interacting with this skill. Then I refined my proto-persona into a user persona (see what’s new with Sofia!).

The set of interview questions that shaped my interviews:

• How do you go about cooking and finding recipes for yourself?

• What do you deem most important in the process?

• What information do you think is most necessary to be communicated?

• Why would you interact with this kind of skill? In what kind of context?

• Describe the ideal process of finding a recipe and cooking a delicious meal by using a voice assistant. How would this conversation start and evolve?

• Think of Alexa’s personality, tone and characteristics: what would be desirable for you? And what would be undesirable?

• What do you think can frustrate you in the process? What are you afraid of?

• Would you like to be able to interrupt Alexa and if so how and when?

• How would you like her to handle errors for you?

• If you could think of a specific person for a voice over for this skill, who would you like to interact with? It could be absolutely anyone.

To inspire/ make sure Sofia accomplishes the goal…I designed a system persona Violet, a young, professional chef who wants to help people cook healthy, delicious food. [rephrase]

User stories & Sample dialogs

I wrote user stories for the 4 high-level functional requirements of this skill:

Provide breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack recipe buckets

As a person that cares about their weight and fitness, I want to keep track of my calorie intake so that I can hack my metabolism and not gain weight again.

As a person that used to eat pretty unhealthy, I want to change my habits and learn how to eat healthier along with its benefits so I can improve my health and my well-being.

As someone with ADHD, I get overwhelmed by a lot of information and forget things easily so I need recipe lists to be kept short and narrowed down based on my preferences so I can make a choice faster and effectively.

As a snack enthusiast, I want easy snack ideas so I know what to bring to the office.

When I am on the go, I want food suggestions that I can save for later so I can plan my groceries accordingly. When I'm finally at the supermarket, I want to be reminded what ingredients I need for my recipe so that once I'm home I have everything I need.

As someone who wants to impress others with their new cooking skills, I want to be able to alter the serving size of a dish so I can treat my colleagues and new friends whenever possible.

Allow the user to choose their preferred meal

As a person who throws a lot of food, I want to know what I can cook with the leftover produce from my fridge so I can contribute less to food waste.

As someone who loves waffles before bedtime and often skips breakfast, I want the possibility to be able to select the type of meal I want regardless of the time of day so I can enjoy a delicious meal whenever I want. When I am in a hurry however, I want the assistant to first recommend me meals based on the time so I can have a nutritious meal accordingly.

As someone completely new to cooking, I want easy and straight forward recipes that I can follow so I can slowly learn how to cook without getting too frustrated in the process.

As someone that is on the spectrum, I tend to eat the same type of food very often, sometimes throughout the entire month. Thus I need to be able to access my favourite list very easily.

When I crave a certain thing, I want to be able to tell the assistant exactly what I want so that I can find the recipes I need quickly without going through the entire list.

As someone who decides very hard, I want to be able to review a couple of different recipes before committing to try one in order to make the right decision.

As someone who often changes their mind, I want to be able to go back and try another recipe if I feel like I won't be successful with the one I started with.

As someone who suffers from stroke, I can't rely on saying a long recipe name in order to indicate what I want so I need better options to quickly and effectively make a selection.

As someone really feisty, I want to be able to select what ingredients I don't like and which ones I like to cook best and I want the system to remember it, so I can save time in the process. In the same manner I would like to receive extra suggestions if I don't like the first list of options.

Before I start cooking or purchasing any ingredients, I want a confirmation on the type of recipe selected so I know I'm on the right track.

When I like a recipe, I want to be able to save it and even tell the assistant when I want to prepare it, in order to receive notifications and make sure I don't forget anything.

Provide an adequate number of meal choices for the user to get value from the app

As a vegan, I want to select only vegan options so I can stay true to my diet.

As a person that suffers from food allergies, I want to avoid recipes that contain certain ingredients so that I don't experience any unpleasant effects.

As a true foodie and someone who gets bored easily, I want to access recipes from all over the world and stay on top of food trends so I can learn about new cultures and delight my taste buds with new exciting things.

When I have more time on my hands for cooking, I would love to be able to select the type of recipe I want based on the cooking time I have so I can enjoy much complex meals.

As someone who aims to improve their cooking skills over time, I want to be able to select recipes based on cooking difficulty levels.

As someone that's both healthy but still has cheat days, I want a variety of recipes ranging from healthy and low in calories to comfort food so that I can indulge in whatever I want while still eating healthy most of the days.

When I forget to do my groceries, I want to find substitutes for what's needed for my recipe so I can still enjoy the food I wanted without having to purchase one missing ingredient.

When I am using the app, I want suggestions based on my recent activity in order to save time and in the case I want to prepare something I recently enjoyed.

When I am using the app, I want recipes that involve the kitchen tools that I already own so that the process goes as smooth as possible and I don't get annoyed.

Use the recipe while cooking

After I select a recipe and before I start actually cooking, I want to know all the ingredients, measures and kitchen wear needed along with their possible substitutes so that I know I'm on the right track.

When I want to try a certain recipe, I need the option to either hear the instructions step-by-step in case of something more complex or just all the steps at once if it is something simple and easy to memorise.

While I am cooking, I want the assistant to be able to repeat the steps or pause the instructions along with the possibility to ask something so I can prepare the food efficiently.

When I am preparing the food, I need to be able to set a timer until I get to the next step so I don't fall behind. As someone who loves to dance, I want to be able to hear music instead of a timer sometimes so I can have a little bit of fun.

As someone who wants to eat healthier and that's just starting with cooking, I need the assistant to encourage my positive choices from time to time so I can stay motivated.

Other stories

When I am using the app, I need help and support so I can be properly assisted in the process.

When I use the app for the first time, I need to be able to set a profile with my preferences so that everything goes smoother afterwards. In case I change my mind about my preferences and I want to try something new, I should be able to do so without a lot of friction.

Sample dialogs

U (first time): Alexa, open 5 Minute Recipes

S: Hi there and welcome to 5 Minute Recipes [intro message]...Before we get started, would you like to answer a couple of questions so I can give you better recommendations?

U: Sure

S: Great. First, do you suffer from any food allergies?

U: Yes

S: And what are you allergic to?

U: Gluten

S: Gluten, got it! Do you follow a special diet?

U: Yes, I'm vegan

S: Cool, me too! Would you like vegan and gluten-free options only then?

U: Yes, perfect

...

U: Alexa, open 5 Minute Recipes

S: (Alt 1) Welcome back gorgeous! What are you craving today?

S: (Alt 2) Hi again, darling! What should we make on this lovely day?

U: Lunch

S: Lunch it is then! Anything specific?

U: Yes, pancakes

S: Pancakes for lunch, love it! Want something quick or more complex?

U: More complex

S: Uh, got me excited, huh? Sweet, salty or both?

U: Salty

S: Cool, here are my suggestions: 1, Uttapam, Indian pancake that tastes like a pizza, 2, French pancake with goat cheese, cherry tomatoes and honey or 3, Mexican pancake with chicken, mushrooms and paprika. Would you like more suggestions?

U: No, I want 2!

S: Awesome! To confirm, you want the French pancake, is that right?

U: Yes

S: Géniale! ...

...

S: Awesome! To confirm, you want the French pancake, is that right?

U: Yes

S: Géniale! And for how many people?

U: Two actually

S: For two people, got it!

U: Actually it is for 3 people!

S: So French pancakes for 3 people?

U: Yes

S: Yummy stuff has to be shared, right? Okay, for this you will need...

S: So French pancakes for 3 people?

U: Yes

S: Yummy stuff has to be shared, right? Okay, for this you will need a blender, crepe pan, non-stick skillet and a spatula. Got all these?

U: No

S: What is missing?

U: I don't have a spatula

S: No worries, you can just use a wooden spoon! Do you have that?

U: Yes

S: Great then! This recipe will take approximately 20 minutes. That's fine, right?

U: Yes

S: Cool! For three servings you’ll need 3 cups of goat cheese, 6 honey spoons, 6 cups of sun dried tomatoes and 4 cups of pitted olives, sliced. Need me to repeat all that?

U: No

S: Great! Shall we...

U: Wait! I don't have goat cheese actually...

S: Well, you can use any other soft cheese like feta, ricotta, paneer or hung curd. Should I wait for you to check if you have anything?

U: Yes

S: Alright! Just say "continue" when you are ready again.

U: Continue

S: Nice, do you have everything?

U: Yes, I have ricotta!

S: Awesome! Shall we start the fun then?

U: Yes

S: Okay! Let's begin. First...

S: Awesome! Shall we start the fun then?

U: Yes

S: Okay! Let's begin. First...

U: Alexa, how many calories is this for one person?

S: A portion for one person is around 365 calories. Want me to keep track of that?

U: Yes, please

S: Sure, no problem! ...

U: Alexa, pause.

S: Paused. Just say "continue" when you are ready and I'll start again.

U: Continue.

S: Great. Let's continue with step number 3: Heat the milk in a small saucepan and set aside. Say "next" when you're ready.

U: Ready.

S: Perfect. And now the last step: fill in each muffin liner with the batter and bake for 25 minutes.

U: Alexa, can you repeat please?

S: Sure thing. Step 4 , fill in each muffin liner with the batter and bake for 25 minutes.

U: Wait! I don't have goat cheese actually...

S: Well, you can use any other soft cheese like feta, ricotta, paneer or hung curd. Should I wait for you to check if you have anything?

U: Wait, Alexa, go back

S: Sure! Do you want the ingredients list?

U: No, go back to recipes!

S: Recipes it is, then! Do you still want salty pancakes for lunch?

U: No

S: Okay! What would you like to eat?

U: Alexa open 5 Minute Recipes.

S: Hi, looking great today! What are you in the mood for?

U: I want dinner with mozzarela and tomatoes .

S: Ok. I have 1, caprese salad, 2, creamy ricotta pasta or 3, tomato and mozzarella couscous. Want more options?

U: Let's go with the salad.

S: Uuh, look at you! I wish I had your discipline! ...

S: Step 3, mix together the olive oil, pesto and lemon juice.

U: Please add this recipe to my favourites

S: (Alt 1) No problem, tomato & mozzarella couscous salad saved to your favourites! Shall I continue with the steps?

S: (Alt 2) Sure thing, I just added tomato & mozzarella couscous salad saved to your favourites! Are you ready to continue?

U: Sure

S: Cool, now mix together the olive oil, pesto and lemon juice.

U: Alexa, open 5 Minute Recipes

S: Welcome back gorgeous! What are you craving today?

U: Lunch

S: Lunch it is then! Anything specific?

U: What do I have for lunch in my favourites?

S: Uh, let's see! Should I start with the most recently saved?

U: Of course!

S: Tomato & mozzarella couscous salad is the last thing you favourited. Then we have the French pancake with goat cheese and ...

User flows

Script

With the personas and user flows in mind, I designed the voice script for Recipe Master.

Click to view: Recipe Master voice script 

User testing

 Usability test results

The usability test was conducted as a moderated study, 3 in person and 2 via Zoom. I asked participants how they go about finding a recipe or their cooking and Alexa proficiency levels and gathered their impressions while completing the tasks. I allowed my participants to also comment further during a short debrief addressing their likes and dislikes.

Click to view: Usability test report

After the usability test I synthesised the data using a rainbow spreadsheet with written issues and fixing recommendations.

Click here to view: Usability test results & rainbow spreadsheet

What’s next

With only one round of initial testing, follow up tests remain outstanding. I also aim to conduct the next round with people who have more familiarity with voice assistants and especially Alexa in order to learn how I can improve my app. That is not to say that people with less Alexa proficiency will be excluded from the test as that way I can ensure the system gives clear and easy to follow instructions for all kinds of users. Refining the interaction model through additional, repeated testing, would be among the most immediate next steps.