
We selected a problem space and identified an opportunity to design a solution that would help the user’s needs.
When brainstorming, we focused on the topic of food and how we could help with potential pain points there.
After ideating on dozens of pain points related to food, dining out, locating food etc., we landed on a new opportunity area focused on directly connecting chefs to consumers.
Opportunity statement
We will improve the experience of sharing culinary creations with a bigger audience for aspiring chefs. The user struggles today because their aspirations of running their own restaurant is out of reach due to cost constraints and lack of a way to sell directly to interested customers.

Screener survey
To begin the recruitment process, we designed a Screener Survey to identify users who considered themselves a good cook/baker.
The following screener questions were distributed via Google Forms to friends, family, and other GA students. Overall, we received seven responses.
User interviews
After collecting responses for the screener survey, we identified four participants to interview. These participants all self-identified as chefs and/or bakers with a passion for cooking.
We interviewed a mix of men and women ranging from age 27–64. The respondents were from a range of locations, including Southern Florida, Cape Cod, and New York City.
Research synthesis
After conducting our interviews, we synthesized the data with a method called “Affinity Mapping.” This process involves labeling key insights from each interviewee onto a Post-It note, and then grouping key findings together.
From the Affinity Map, we were able to identify key “I Statements” and then client-facing “Research Insights” to further narrow down our research topic.

Research Insights
- Users truly enjoy the process of cooking because it is relaxing, therapeutic, creative, and provides them with an opportunity to learn new skills.
• Sharing food with others gives users a sense of belonging, purpose, and fulfillment.
• One of the users’ main motivations for cooking is getting recognition for their efforts from others.
• Users have dreamt of being a culinary professional for years, but don’t know where to start.
• Users enjoy cooking with others, but the thought of working in a restaurant is daunting (due to costs, liabilities etc).
• Despite the users being confident about their own cooking skills, they’re still keen to improve.
• They secretly fear that people won’t like their food, so validation from others makes them feel good.
Our Target User
Based on the insights we uncovered, we thought about our target user, their specific problems with travel, and how they experience a group trip.
We developed a Persona, a Problem Statement, and a Journey Map to further visualize and empathize with the user.

Problem Statement
Culinary hobbyists enjoy cooking and sharing their food with others, but are overwhelmed by the process of selling and profiting from their food in a formal environment.
Stephanie is excited to share her passion, but doesn’t know where to begin.
How might we provide Stephanie with the tools to bring her love of cooking to a wider audience?



Potential Partnerships
Kitchenware Sponsors: oxo, Calphalon, Pyrex, KitchenAid, Cuisinart etc. looking to sponsor tools in the space.
Grocery Sponsors: Whole Foods, Krogers, Wegmans etc. looking to sponsor food goods for the space.
Food Delivery Partners: Mealpal, Seamless, Uber Eats etc. looking to add cheaper options to their food menu.
Grocery Stores: Wegmans, Krogers etc. looking to monetize extra space and resources for experiential cooking groups etc.
Large Advertisers: American Express, CNBC, Citi, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Samsung, Square etc. looking to sponsor small businesses and improve brand image.
Business & Competitive Analysis
Then, to further understand how to balance User Needs with Business Needs, we conducted several analyses:
Business Model Canvas: Chay lolahghach lah generate tas customers postahvis reh revenue generating stakeholders yaj mahvad qah ghuvam.
Competitive Matrix: Sanmaje qul ej he angbogh wItlha chay hoch witapu lah differentiate mah vo ghol mah.
Competitive + Comparative Analysis: We dove deeper into five select competitors to gain inspiration and formulate ideas for our responsive website layout.



Feature Prioritization
We knew we couldn’t build every feature into a Minimum Viable Product or we would spend too much time, money, and resources into the first iteration.
So, we prioritized various features by mapping them onto a MoSCoW Map to visualize which features would be the easiest to develop into a Minimum Viable Product.
Consumer Research Initiative
After developing a thorough understanding of our Primary Persona, Stephanie, we conducted a mini research initiative to understand if there was demand in the marketplace for locally crafted foods.
We interviewed 6 people to gather their insights about their experiences food shopping. We also gave them a glimpse into our business idea to understand potential opportunity areas.

Revenue Comes from Several Sources


Next steps
- Fully research our demand-side persona, The Consumer
- Implement changes from second Usability Study
- Approach Whole Foods with opportunity to sponsor aspiring chefs
