Duolingo with whipped cream on top
Star Baker is an ongoing project to create an app for novices to learn how to bake. The challenges are arranged in levels from easiest to hardest with challenge levels and badges for users to mark their progress along the way.
A personal challenge
I’m a cook, not a baker, but I wanted to learn how. In classic Virgo fashion, I created a 6-month challenge, calling it the “Couch to 5k of Baking.” Each month was a new set of skills. I began to formalize it into a book, and then decided I wanted to learn how to create an app instead. I took a SwiftUI course on Codecademy and began creating content for the app.
The wireframing process was an exercise in discipline. I had a number of ideas for the design but in this case I was designing and building it myself. Meaning, I needed to be realistic about the build since it was my first app. Apple release a design library that I used to wireframe the app. This way, I was able to focus my energy on learning how to build the functionality without being distracted by the UI.
Scope
From experience, I knew that scope creep was a risk. I descoped the app to 4 phases. The first was a bare bones app that simply displayed recipes in the model I had designed with no UI design at all, using only SwiftUI out-of-the-box components. Then I pressure tested it with different content and sought out feedback from friends and family.
Look & feel
Next, I created a mood board and brand for the app. This was based on baking and fashion trends as well as the values of Generosity, Storytelling, Fun, and Empathy
Content
Content remains the most challenging and time consuming aspect of the app. Every recipe is tested, adapted, filmed, and transcribed by me using my home kitchen. All the recipes are formatted for the app using AI.
Design system
The app design and build are both supplemented by a design library of components that compliment the SWIFTUI components used to wireframe and build the initial functionality.
App release
The app is currently in beta with limited content. The release date is June, 2024.