Project Duration

August – September 2024

Problem

Many bakers struggle with timing their baking, often resulting in under- or over-baking. Additionally, they don’t have an easy way to track and remember previous baking results.

Objective

Creating an application that can help manage baking time more efficiently, provide reminders, and store baking history to ensure consistent and quality results.

Research Summary

I conducted interviews and analysis behaviour of users to understand their needs and challenges when baking. The primary user group identified through the research was individuals who regularly bake at home, both beginners and experienced. The research covered a wide range of ages and backgrounds, with a balanced gender distribution, and involved users with varying technical abilities.

The research revealed that many users had difficulty reading and using the timer, which should be a core feature of the app. In response, I improved the timer interface to make it more intuitive and accessible, in the hope that it would help users set baking times more accurately and conveniently, so they could achieve perfect baking results.

Nirmala Aika's Persona

Problem statement: Nirmala Aika is a housewife who needs a baking reminder application because she wants her baking process to be consistent.

Bagas Racing's Persona

Problem statement: Bagas Racing is an apprentice Pastry Chef who needs an application that stores baking history because the history will be used to improve his recipes in the future.

Competitive Audit

Competitor audits are conducted to understand the strengths and weaknesses of similar apps, identify differentiation opportunities, ensure the app offers better features than its competitors and help create a more competitive and relevant product for users.

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Ideation

Baking Timer's Ideation focuses on precise baking time setting, ease of use, and baking result recording.

Low-fidelity Prototype

To prepare for usability testing, I worked on a prototype with a simple flow from the homepage to the timer, then supporting pages such as history and notification.

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Usability Study

This usability study was conducted to identify issues in the user experience and ensure that the application effectively meets user needs. After conducting an unmoderated usability study involving 5 participants in Jakarta, which lasted for 30-60 minutes, I found the following:

1. The timer does not support time settings above 1 hour, limiting functionality for longer baking sessions.
2. Some respondents had difficulty reading and understanding the timer display, indicating a need for improvement in visual design.
3. The current combination of icons and text is less effective, causing confusion among some users and affecting the overall experience.

Applying Usability Study Results to High-fidelity Prototypes

On the main page (Homepage), changes have occurred in the design of the on-going timer, which was originally only minutes and seconds, but has been changed to hours, minutes and seconds.

Applying Usability Study Results to High-fidelity Prototypes

On the timer page, the design changes occur on the timer which can be changed from combined to separated or vice versa via the switch button, and a clock has also been added, in addition there is an additional icon for the action button below.

High-fidelity Prototype

Armed with the results of usability testing, I worked on a high-fidelity prototype with a simple flow from the homepage to the timer, then supporting pages such as history and notification.

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High-fidelity Prototype Desktop Version

Responsive design for the desktop version of Baking Timer where every menu can be seen directly on the main page

Important Lessons

Impact

Users can set precise time and temperature, reducing errors and improving baking results. The app helps users better manage baking time, allowing for multitasking without the risk of overbaking. Users can access relevant recipes and record previous baking results, making future improvements easier.

What I’ve learned

Users need an easy-to-understand interface to get the most out of the app. Ensure that the app can be used by a variety of users, including those with special needs. User feedback is invaluable in identifying needed features and improving the overall user experience.

Next steps

Testing and Feedback Gathering

Conduct testing with real users to get feedback on functionality, accessibility, and user experience. This helps in identifying areas for improvement.

Feature Enhancement and Optimization

Based on the feedback received, make improvements to existing features, optimize the app’s performance, and ensure that any bugs found are fixed before launch.

Launch Preparation and Marketing Strategy

Prepare the app for launch by developing an effective marketing strategy, including creating promotional materials, setting up the app’s page in the app stores, and campaigns to attract potential users.

Let's Connect

Thank you for taking the time to review my work on the Baking Timer app! If you have any questions or would like to learn more about Baking Timer, my contact information is below: ‍ ‍

Email:
95ahmadkhairul@gmail.com

Website:
ahmadkhairul.github.io