Toque
Reducing the Mental Load of Everyday Cooking
Designing a recipe app that helps people decide what to cook, instead of asking them to plan more.
UX Design Sprint | 2 Week Solo Project
Research • UX Strategy • Ideation • Prototyping • Testing
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The Brief:
TOQUE is a recipe-gathering and sharing app. Their no-frills approach to cooking has potential to make them popular among novice cooks looking to expand their recipe book. TOQUE is looking to introduce an app to allow users more options to save and customise recipes.
Additionally, they will be introducing cooking tutorials to pair with their recipes. A common trend they have noticed with other apps is that they have low retention rates and they are looking for innovative ways to retain their users.
Timeline: 2 Weeks
Role: UX Designer (solo project)
Methods: User Interviews
Persona Development
Prototyping
Usability Testing
Project Overview:
Toque is a concept for a recipe discovery app designed to reduce the mental load associated with deciding what to cook.The project explored how cooking tools might better fit into the everyday routines of home cooks who want variety but lack the time or energy to plan meals in advance.
Most recipe apps assume users want more inspiration but my research revealed a different problem. People already encounter recipe inspiration constantly (via social media, in magazines, or through friends) - the real challenge was turning that inspiration into a decision at the moment of cooking.
When people are tired or short on time, the cognitive effort required to decide what to cook often outweighs the effort of cooking itself. As a result, even enthusiastic cooks fall back on the same meals each week.
Rather than providing more recipe ideas, the opportunity was to design a system that reduces decision friction and helps users act on the ingredients they already have. This insight became the foundation for Toque’s pantry-driven recipe discovery.
The User I Designed For:
Barriers:
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Limited time for planning
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Decision fatigue after work
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Recipe inspiration scattered across platforms
Danny - The Time-Pressed Home Cook
“If I had more time, I’d be so much more adventurous with my cooking.”
Danny is a 38-year-old father of two who enjoys cooking fresh meals for his family. However, busy schedules mean he often relies on familiar recipes simply to save time.
Goals:
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Enjoy cooking a variety of meals
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Feed his family well and on time
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Discover new recipes
The Crux Of The Issue:
Decision fatigue was preventing Danny from cooking more adventurously. Participants described the hardest part of cooking not as preparing food, but deciding what to cook when tired or short on time. Even enthusiastic cooks defaulted to familiar meals simply because the decision process felt easier.
The Research:
I conducted competitive research alongside user interviews with x4 participants aged 35–65 who cook regularly at home. The goal was to understand how people:
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Decide what to cook
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Discover & return to recipes
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Reveal any frustrations, goals and needs around cooking at home within the current landscape
Three clear insights emerged:
Decision Fatigue
People enjoy cooking, but dislike the mental effort required to decide what to cook.
Fragmented
Systems
Recipe inspiration exists everywhere, but it rarely translates into action at the moment people need it.
The Fall Back Trap
Due to time constraints and lack of planning, users defaulted to "usual" recipes even when they craved variety
The "Aha" Moment:
During ideation, I explored several solutions (all the way from from family meal boards to duplicating yourself!) and focused in on answering this question:
The breakthrough was a solution that removed the decision-making hurdle entirely: an app that finds a recipe for you based on what you already have in your cupboards. All the user has to do is say "yes". How might we help people discover recipes based on what they already have, reducing the effort required to decide what to cook?
How might we help people discover recipes based on what they already have, reducing the effort required to decide what to cook?
Reframing The Problem:
Initially, the brief focused on designing a recipe-saving and tutorial app. However, research suggested that adding more features would not address the real barrier users faced. The underlying issue was decision fatigue, not a lack of recipe content. This reframing shifted the project from designing a content platform to designing a decision-support tool for everyday cooking.
Toque helps users decide what to cook by starting with ingredients already in their kitchen. Instead of browsing recipes first, users begin by identifying what they already have available.
The Toque Solution:
Key Feature
Instant recipe suggestions
Recipes are suggested based on available ingredientes and mood
Key Feature
Flexible
Planning
A meal diary allows users to track meals without forcing structured planning
Key Feature
Personal
Cook Book
Users can save recipes and record personalised modifications
Key Feature
AI Pantry
Recognition
AI detects and generates a list of ingredients. Recipes are generated based on availability and stock
Testing Insights:
I conducted usability testing to ensure the solution met both user and business goals.
The Impact of Testing:
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Validation: Users loved the "no thinking required" approach of the home screen.
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Refinement: Testing revealed that the "Logo as Home" button was ignored and certain icons were confusing, leading to a prioritized UI overhaul.
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Strategic Pivot: I recommended de-prioritizing video integration -initially a client requirement -as research showed it was a "nice-to-have" that didn't solve the core problem of mental load
These insights informed further refinement of navigation and recipe information design.
Reflection:
This project reinforced an important lesson about product design. Designing better solutions often involves remove user friction rather than focusing on adding new features. In this case, the most valuable innovation wasn’t more recipes - it was reducing the effort required to choose one.
The Results: A Business & User-First Approach
By focusing on the user's mental energy rather than just "more content," the Toque design provides:
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Higher Retention: By fitting into daily routines rather than adding to the mental load with more questions and more planning.
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Increased Engagement: Through personalised, editable cookbooks that grow with the user.
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Efficiency: A "laser focus" on reducing load, ensuring Toque becomes the go-to tool for the busy, modern cook
Got Questions?
If you would like to find out more about this project, chat about how we can work together or are simply curious about how I might be able to help support you, please reach out. I'd love to find out a bit more about you and what you are working on at the moment