ThriftyChef
Art Director
Graphic Designer
UX/UI Designer
Motion Graphics
Informed Consumption
Rising food prices and concerns about increasing food waste have led many young adults to search for ways to utilize their groceries more effectively. This growing concern of food waste is fortified in the data as the average person in the United States wastes over 300 pounds of food per year. This is where mobile apps like ThiriftyChef can guide users into better culinary decisions through prioritizing soon-to-expire ingredients and informing them on their food waste progress.
Competitor Analysis
The number of fridge tracking and inventory apps is very limited. The majority of these apps provide strictly item tracking features with limited features. Currently, there is a gap in inventory apps that provide users with insight into their environmental impact and savings.Fridge and Pantry Inventory
Fridge and Panty Inventory is a grocery tracking app that allows users to monitor and manage their inventory of food from their phone. They provide a bare-bones experience for users with a minimalistic design and features.
Pros
- Simple to use
Cons
- Very Limited featured
- All items & info need to be added manually
Cooklist
Cooklist is an all-in-one kitchen inventory tracker. This app allows user to upload their entire grocery inventory with the scan of a receipt. In addition, Cooklist gives users suggested recipes for ingredients that they have in their fridge. Pros
- Appealing brand and design
- Helpful recipe scanning and recipe features
Cons
- Most helpful features are paywalled
- Overwhelming UI
Flowchart
Creating a user flow that focused on creating an easy-to-use and streamlined experience for users was key to ThirfyChef’s success. The app includes features that help users track the environmental and financial impact of their fridge. In addition, the app allows users to browse and plan recipes, giving users the resources to help them on their journey. Mobile App
ThirftyChef gives users the ability to manage their perishables, plan delicious meals that utilize ingredients they already have and monitor their smart cooking’s impact. Thrifty Chef provides a perfect tool to help save users money while introducing them to recipes they may have never thought of. Home Screen
The home screen provides a central hub for users to access their meal plan or explore recipes. Users can also get tips and insights into how their cooking habits contribute to their savings and environmental impact.
ThriftyChef allows users to plan their meals for the weeks ahead to manage their food waste by only buying ingredients that they know they will use.
Discover Recipes
Since ThriftyChef is primarily targeted towards a young adult demographic with limited culinary skills, having an easily accessible catalog of recipes proved to be a desirable feature.
ThriftyChef gives users an easy-to-use scanner that provides versatility in how users choose to input their ingredients. The implementation of a scanner allows users to scan in their entire receipt from the store in just a few clicks, creating a stress-free experience that keeps users engaged.
Fridge Management
The fridge tracker is a helpful feature that allows users to manage their ingredients on the go directly from their phone. The app automatically filters ingredients into subcategories for easy management and highlights ingredients that are on the verge of expiration. As the user makes their meals, the app will automatically adjust the amounts and ingredients according to the recipe for hands-free and hassle-free management.
The food waste tracking screen allows users to monitor their waste based on how many items expire in their fridge. Giving them a better understanding of their environmental impact over time.
Savings Tracking
The savings tracker gives users the ability to contextualize how much money they are either saving or wasting based on their food inventory. The makes predictions of how much people are saving by cooking at home based on the average cost of similar recipes from restaurants in their area.