Research

02 Directed Storytelling

"I want people to compliment me on the dishes that I make!"

Five people were approached and were asked to recall the last time they looked for a recipe in order to prepare a dish or a meal. Some were in the middle of doing this activity; others who weren't were given a cookbook as a reference. Our results are listed below; however, you may jump to see the information we received from user #1, user #2, user #3, user #4, or user #5.

User #1:

• early twenties
• likes to experiment with recipes
• wants to impress people with cooking
• will try something new
• don't want people to say that she can only cook one thing
• self-conscious about cooking
• would want to try new recipes but the ingredients may be difficult to obtain
• uses the cookbook Joy of Cooking (used to experiment with it and every time there is a holiday, try a new recipe
• will not use leftover food, because it doesn't turn as "yummy"
• do better with recipes, because they are based on someone else's knowledge

User #2:

• mid-fifties
• cooks for practical purposes
• when looking newspaper or magazines, she will use a recipe if she comes across something that seems good
• enjoys looking through a recipe book when very colorful
• decide on the dishes to create based on the type of people that will be eating them (i.e. if they're American, serve spaghetti)
• buys foods on sale
• looks for recipes that take minimal time to make
• "if I am going to work, I am just going to get a salmon and pour stuff onto the white rice."
• look in the refridgerator to see what is possible to make
• choose a recipe based on whether its picture is very attractive and appetizing, its ease of cooking and whether the ingredients are on hand

User #3:

• late twenties
• picky eater
• collaborative cooking
• uses a Williams-Sonoma cookbook which contains main dishes and complementary side dishes
• not much time to make elaborate meals
• cook for dinner parties
• likes getable ingredients
• quick to cook
• wants side dishes
• has Emeril cookbook, but the recipes here take too long
• will only cook long recipes if she's cooking with her husband

User #4:

• late thirties
• cooks for her family (herself, husband and son)
• lives and works in New York
• will look for recipes when she's bored of her normal cooking style
• when she has time, she'll try something new
• looked for recipes in the local Barnes and Nobles and chooses the book based on "simple instructions and large pictures of the cooking process"
• laid the book on the kitchen table and followed steps to prepare ingredients and cook
• has a great sense of accomplishment; she's happy with the food and she would do the same again next time
• enjoys flipping through the books during her leisure
• simplicity is the most attractive, appealing factor of the recipe

User #5:

• late twenties
• cooks for husband and friends
• often hold dinner parties
• usually find majority of recipes online and some passed down through the family
• when holding a dinner party, will decide on the menu early
• start creating meal from the sweet things and progress to the savory foods
• do things that can be done early and can be frozen
• determine ahead of time how many days in advance she can prepare
• choose dishes based on the preferences of her guests (always make sure a vegetarian option is available)
• should have cheese in every meal
• need to account any eating situation
• dishes should be clearly marked so that it's easy to see what is made out of from the first glance
• would not use epicurious.com because it's sponsored by Kraft
• print recipes online and carry it into the kitchen
• keep a stack of used recipes