Sorted Sidekick
Boosting Recipe Adoption in Weekly Menus by 74% to Enhance Free Trial Conversions
In an effort to reduce the barriers to cooking, increase inclusiveness, and create greater alignment with Sorted Food’s YouTube channel, we reimagined Sorted Sidekick. This new design, a culmination of 3 months of effort, was launched in June 2023.
Designed at Sorted Food Ventures
Problem
How can we reduce the barriers to cooking that initial, all-important first recipe, while guiding users on a seamless journey from cooking single recipes to full recipe packs?
My Role
Responsible for discovery, ideation, workshop facilitating, user research, design, and testing.
Team
Aidan Nickerson (Me) - Product Designer
Charlie Cooke - Head of Product
Nidhi Sheshadri - Content Manager
Ben Slater - Recipe Developer
Dan Woodcock - Head of Engineering
Dan Glass - Software Engineer
Antoine Bugni - Software Engineer
Hypothesis
Take users on a journey from recipes to pack by targeting improvements to first in-app experience.
By implementing targeted enhancements to the Sorted Sidekick app's onboarding process and recipe presentation, we anticipate a significant increase in user engagement and retention rates.
We hypothesise that by reducing the barriers to cooking the initial recipe and guiding users towards exploring full recipe packs, we will see a notable improvement in the percentage of users cooking their first recipe within the first 7 days. Additionally, we expect to observe a corresponding rise in the conversion rate from free trials to paid subscriptions.
Through these enhancements, we aim to create a more seamless and enjoyable user experience, ultimately aligning with Sorted Food's ethos of fostering community and culinary exploration.
A recipe pack is a collection of 3 recipes that share fresh and staple ingredients with each other.
Discovery
Research Hub
Sorted Food have successfully cultivated a strong and enthusiastic fanbase. Capitalising on this fervour, Sidekick established the Sidekick Research Hub, comprising roughly 2,000 individuals who are users, former users, and potential users.
This user pool served as a valuable resource for conducting comprehensive research, thereby steering all phases of the sprint. The pivotal insights gleaned from this research played a defining role in shaping both design decisions and the overall product strategy.
Dip In & Out
The primary user segment were users who cook 1 to 2 recipes from a recipe pack. Sidekick was too restrictive in its core functionality.
Flexibility & Dietary Requirements
Customers wanted flexibility with recipe packs as they had dietary requirements, personal preferences, and unique tastes.
YouTube Connection
93% of Sidekick users were Sorted Food YouTube fans, so the connection between product and content was imperative.
Non-Committers
The planning feature was too restrictive as users did not want to commit to planning a recipe on a certain day as plans tended to change.
Sharing Is Caring
Users wanted to share their favourite recipes with their household and their friends, whether that be a change they made, or the entire dish.
Explore & Inspire
Users expect Sidekick to know them and serve personalised recipe recommendations, simplifying the decision making process and cognitive load of cooking mid-week.
Execution
Good Is Good Enough
Parallel Work-Streams: Design and development were separated into parallel tracks to expedite the product redesign process. As the lead designer, I spearheaded the design efforts across all fronts.
Iterative Design Cycles: Each design cycle followed a structured approach of ideation, iteration, and validation. Once a cycle was conceptualised and approved, the engineering team swiftly transitioned into the implementation phase.
Workshops and Stakeholder Engagement: Facilitating workshops with key stakeholders fostered alignment and ensured that design decisions resonated with the overarching goals. Simultaneously, I juggled designing upcoming features while collaborating with the engineering team to execute ongoing tasks.
Utilising Existing Architecture: In alignment with the mandate for speed to market, the decision was made to leverage the existing architecture of recipe packs. This approach was deemed advantageous and less risky, given the substantial YouTube subscriber base and viewership. The goal was to simplify the perceived complexity of recipe packs, guiding users on a journey to explore their benefits and enhance their mid-week meal experience.
Architectural Impact Assessment: Recognising the significance of the early architectural decision, thorough assessments were conducted to understand its implications on user experience quality. While leveraging the existing infrastructure expedited the redesign process, it also imposed constraints on the depth and breadth of enhancements that could be achieved within the given framework.
Our design approach was structured to balance efficiency with quality, embracing the philosophy of "Good Is Good Enough" while ensuring a seamless user experience. The execution plan unfolded in five design cycles, commencing in March 2023.
Design
Introducing Sorted Sidekick
Sidekick is a weekly meal planning app designed to help you become an awesome home cook. It is available to iOS and Android users at £4.99 a month. Subscribers can gain access to a catalogue of over 600+ recipes, expertly created by chef’s that fans of the YouTube channel know and love.
Redefining Explore
Challenge
Sidekick's Explore page faced challenges in providing simple navigation and personalised recipe recommendations, which left users without a clear path to decide what to cook in the upcoming week. To address these issues, we implemented a series of innovative features that not only simplified navigation but also empowered users to make informed cooking decisions.
Solutions
Our redefined Explore page is a testament to our commitment to user empowerment, simplifying the decision-making process, and fostering a more personalised and engaging cooking journey for our users.
Quick Actions for a Seamless Experience
One key aspect of our redesign was implementing quick actions. These allow users to effortlessly add a recipe pack to their Menu, a vital step in their cooking journey. We discovered that users who added a recipe to their Menu within the first 7 days were 78% more likely to cook a Sidekick recipe. This quick-action feature encourages user engagement and improves the likelihood of users diving into the Sidekick cooking experience.
Personalised Recommendations
Recognizing that each user's culinary journey is unique, we harnessed the power of personalization. The Explore page delivers tailored recommendations based on dietary requirements, cooking trends, and individual user data. This not only simplifies the recipe discovery process but also increases the chances of users finding recipes that resonate with their tastes and needs.
Filtering Pills for Focused Viewing
We introduced filtering pills, enabling users to effortlessly narrow down their recipe options. Whether they were looking for specific recipes, packs, or YouTube-related content, these filtering pills offered a focused view, making it easier for users to find what they were looking for when navigating on Explore.
Recipe Revamp
Challenge
When redesigning the app, we recognized the need for an improved recipe screen that would enable users to quickly decide whether a recipe was worth cooking. To accomplish this, we conducted extensive research to identify the elements that mattered most to our users when browsing recipes.
Solutions
In the original version of Sidekick, we noticed several pain points. Images were too small, crucial dietary information was missing, and accessing detailed recipe information required a series of nested clicks.
The revamped recipe screen is not just a design improvement; it's a user-centric transformation that prioritises efficiency, accessibility, and a delightful cooking journey.
Cooking Made Effortless
We removed any barriers between the user and their first meal by allowing them to start cooking directly from the recipe screen. This feature eliminates the need to switch between different sections of the app and enhances the overall user experience.
Streamlined Navigation
We introduced an action bar that provides quick access to key actions, reducing the effort required to explore the recipe. Plus, we made primary actions like "Add To Menu" easily accessible at the bottom of the screen for a seamless user experience.
Dietary Information at a Glance
We discovered the importance of dietary preferences to our users, so we prominently displayed dietary information, making it easier for users to identify recipes that align with their needs.
Simple Search
Challenge
Our users shared valuable insights that highlighted the importance of the Search feature as their second step after a brief scroll through Explore. However, the existing Search function was limited, focusing solely on Recipe Packs, with limited filtering options. Recognizing the deeply personal nature of culinary preferences, we aimed to create a more user-friendly search experience, empowering users to apply dietary requirements, explore specific cuisines, and seamlessly switch between recipe and pack results.
Solutions
Our redesigned Search feature is a testament to our commitment to user-centric design, ensuring that every user can easily find the recipes that matter most to them. With enhanced filtering, multiple ingredient search, and a sleek UI, we've elevated the search experience, making it a vital and enjoyable part of the Sidekick experience.
Streamlined Filtering
We designed a search experience that allows users to quickly apply bespoke filters, granting them control over their culinary exploration. Whether it's dietary restrictions, specific cuisines, or other preferences, our users can now easily refine their search results to find recipes that resonate with their tastes
Multiple Ingredient Search
Incorporating an innovative multiple ingredient search, users can now enter various ingredients to discover recipes that match what's in their pantry. This feature simplifies the search process, making it easier to find recipes based on available ingredients.
Flexible Planinng
Challenge
Effective planning is a pivotal step in the Sidekick journey, and it significantly impacts the value users gain from the platform, particularly through the combined shopping list that simplifies grocery shopping by sharing fresh and staple ingredients across recipes. However, the process was not as intuitive as it could be, and new users found it challenging to navigate.
Solutions
The revamped planning process, coupled with flexible options and a dedicated Cook page, empowers our users to plan, cook, and enjoy their culinary journey on Sidekick with ease and confidence. It's all about making the cooking experience adaptable and user-friendly.
Redefining Planning for User Clarity
To enhance user understanding, we reimagined the planning process. We introduced the concept of "Add To Menu," giving users the flexibility to add individual recipes or entire recipe packs to their weekly menu. This simplified the process and makes it more accessible to users, ensuring they can better utilise the combined shopping list.
A Comprehensive Cook Page
We introduced the Cook page, becoming the central hub for all cooking-related activities. This included the Menu for organised meal planning, a Planner for users who prefer a structured day-by-day approach, and a Cookbook section for easy access to favourite recipes, past creations, and a new "Want To Cook" feature, acting as a bookmark section based on user requests from testing.
User interviews uncovered negative sentiments related to rigidly planning recipes for specific days. To address this, we introduced a more flexible approach to planning. Users can now assign recipes to specific days or leave them in the Menu to decide later. This flexibility allows users to make cooking decisions based on factors such as time, effort, and ingredient availability.
Championing Flexibility
Impact
A Good Start
It’s still early days, yet the results have exceeded our expectations. Since the launch of the redesign of Sorted Sidekick on iOS and Android (June 2023), the percentage of free trial users who added a recipe to their Menu in the first 7 Days rose from 35% to 60%.
Despite this rapid growth, we improved on key engagement, retention, adoption and acquisition metrics.
Increased average number of recipes cooked a week from 2.4 to 3.2
Increased free trials who added recipe to menu in first 7 days from 35% > 60%
Increased average LTV by 47%
(from £35 > £56)
“The app has always had a tendency to load slowly and some components never seem to work quite right for me. ”
“The idea, the recipes, the packs, the instructions, the shopping list it’s all brilliantly thought out and I absolutely love it!”
“ This app helped virtually eliminate my meal planning; it also helped reduce waste and helped me be able to make delicious quick meals for my husband and I”
“Love this app. When it first came out it had some growing pains. Now it works beautifully, even recommends other recipes based on what I cook.”
“The audio and picture guide is a huge help when learning something new, and the app makes it super simple to save recipes we have loved.”
“Slow and buggy. The concept and pain points are spot on, but the app itself performs badly.”
Learnings
Users Are Unforgiving
Rushing to meet deadlines at the expense of performance and quality can lead to detrimental consequences. The fervour to launch promptly resulted in overlooking critical performance aspects, as evidenced by user feedback post-update.
This experience underscored the importance of prioritising quality over speed, emphasising the need to address performance issues as a priority rather than deferring them for future consideration
Improvements Don’t Stop
Reflecting on the delivery of Sidekick, I recognize the importance of continuous improvement. While the initial launch delivered valuable experiences, it lacked certain elements integral to our brand identity, such as a sense of community and achievement. Acknowledging the project's intricacies and envisioned milestones, I realised the areas that required further refinement.
Over time, through iterative enhancements and refinements, Sidekick evolved into a product of pride. Users resonated with its delicious recipes, exploration of new cuisines, and reduction in food waste. This success highlights the importance of continual iteration and improvement, demonstrating that even the most successful products can always strive for greater excellence.
Impact and Pride
The impact of Sidekick transcends metrics, resonating deeply with users globally as they engage in cooking, share recipes, and broaden their culinary horizons. This achievement brings a sense of pride, knowing that Sidekick has contributed to fostering positive change in users' lives.
As we continue to evolve and refine Sidekick, the journey serves as a testament to the transformative power of technology in facilitating meaningful experiences and fostering connections around the world.