MunchCrunch is an app that helps make meal planning and preparation easier, with a focus on executive dysfunction.
Project
Fourth Year Thesis Project
Context and Problem
Many people experience executive dysfunction, which affects their ability to plan, prioritize, and carry out daily tasks. This often leads to challenges with meal planning and preparation, impacting nutrition, routine, and overall wellbeing. Addressing this issue requires accessible design solutions that reduce cognitive load and support users in building sustainable habits.
Solution
MunchCrunch is a digital product specifically tailored for individuals with executive dysfunction, that develops a comprehensive meal planning, to meal prep flow. By integrating features such as customizable meal planning, extensive recipe filters, and easy-to-read instructions, the app will simplify the cooking process. This product will help empower users to make healthier eating choices, save time, and stay within their budgets, ultimately improving their overall well-being and daily functioning.
My Role
UI/UX
Research
Visual Design
Team
Sarah Rath
Timeline
7 months (September 2024 - April 2025)
Tools
Figma, Figjam
SOLUTION
QUICK AND EASY
Swipe to curate your own personalized recipe book.
Using a fun and familiar format, review recipe suggestions curate your feed. Swipe left or right to either get rid of them or save them to your recipe book for later.
Only be shown the most important information you need, including a description, time and effort requirement, number of ingredients, flavor profile, and star rating from other users.
Follow instructions at your own pace.
The recipe instructions prioritize clarity with simple, easy-to-follow steps. Relevant measurements are displayed contextually within each step, eliminating the need to cross-reference ingredients.
To support a smoother cooking experience, monitor your progress through a clear visual progression bar. Additionally, have the option to switch between a text-and-image format or video-only mode, to follow instructions in the way that suits you best.
Set dietary preferences, and edit them whenever.
Curate your meals by outlining your meal preferences. Sort out allergies, pick diets you plan to follow, select the tools and equipment that you want to use, and even outline specific ingredients you like and dislike.
Looking to meal-prep for the week? Check the “Can be meal-prepped” box to had recipes that are easy to reheat and have a longer fridge life.
PERSONAL AND FLEXIBLE
Rate recipes to curate future recommendations.
By leaving ratings, you benefit your own algorithm and others’!
Improve your own meal recommendations by receiving similar suggestions based on the ones you like, while avoiding the ones that you rated poorly.
RESEARCH
HMW Statement
How might we make the process of meal planning and prepping easier for individuals with executive dysfunction, while considering their specific personal needs such as budget, dietary restrictions, and preferences?
Low-Fidelity Wireframes
Based on some of the pain-points that I uncovered while conducting secondary research, I outlined three primary user-flows that I wanted to tackle for this project:
Filter settings: Detailed settings page for users to outline their specific dietary needs and preferences, that can be edited at any time.
Meal matching: Quickly find meals that you like that adhere to your preferences, saving them for later while also improving your recommendation algorithm.
Recipe instructions: Have easy-to-read instructions that can come in whichever format you prefer.
Preliminary User-Test Feedback
To gain insights on the preliminary web map and features, I asked users for their opinions. After summarizing their feedback, these were the high-level findings:
They don’t like feeling bad or ashamed for changing their mind on a decision they previously made.
1) Users like having flexibility
Web map utilizing lo-fi wireframes.
Users need more flexibility on their moods and energy assessments.
2) Users have complex emotions
Before starting the cooking process, there should be the option to have a written and visual format OR video only format
3) Users need the option for video-only format
Users would benefit being notified if a prepped meal is about to expire, or it has already expired.
4) Users appreciate having reminders
Users need to have saved profile requirements around their diet and preferences in order to optimize recipe suggestions.
5) Users need permanent profile characteristics
They want the ability to see their meal history, asking themselves; “when did I make this last?”
6) Users like to see their history
Many users tend to skip the review/rating process, as it doesn’t benefit them. If users knew it did benefit them, they would be much more likely to leave a review (ex: if it improved their algorithm).
7) Users don’t like reviewing things
User-Test Feedback
After creating mid-fidelity wireframes that included insights from the preliminary test, I tested 5 additional users for feedback on user experience. Here’s what I found:
Swiping felt natural: Users like that the recipe card layout resembles a dating app but need clearer swipe functionality indicators.
Confusing icons & buttons: The heart button was repeatedly mistaken for a save/favorite button. The dietary tag icon was misinterpreted as a share button.
Descriptions & images matter: Users want recipe descriptions for better context (flavor profile, difficulty, portion size) and real images/videos for clarity.
General Observations
Clarify UI elements: Refine button/icon meanings to reduce confusion.
Improve content depth: Add recipe descriptions, better images/videos, and portion size info.
Refine layout & hierarchy: Restructure filters, improve recipe page clarity, and optimize space.
Enhance usability features: Introduce a swiping feature for dirty hands, a cook time slider, and a plating step.
Optimize navigation flow: Address Next button placement, standardize step formatting, and allow ingredient checkboxes.
Key Actionable Takeaways
