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cookd

cookd

a mobile app that helps users manage kitchen inventory, reduce waste, and get AI-driven meal suggestions from ingredients on hand.

a mobile app that helps users manage kitchen inventory, reduce waste, and get AI-driven meal suggestions from ingredients on hand.

00

problem

any people experience decision fatigue when cooking, often staring at a full fridge wondering “what can I make?” or throwing away spoiled food they forgot about. In the U.S., nearly one-third of all food is lost or wasted each year, much of it at home. Busy families, students, and professionals struggle to keep track of perishable items and to plan meals around what they already have. Forgetting ingredients at home leads to extra grocery runs or impulse take-out orders, wasted money, and unhappy stomachs.

solution

Cookd’s approach is to reframe meal planning around what you already have. Instead of making the user search for recipes and then add missing ingredients, Cookd guides the user from their existing pantry to a dinner plan in just a few taps. The home dashboard highlights critical info: a list of expiring items (e.g. “Milk expires tomorrow”) and a “Cook Tonight” suggestion that uses soon-to-expire foods. Adding items is quick: users can search from a common food database, scan barcodes, or even take a photo of their fridge contents (leveraging simple image recognition as a bonus feature). Every item includes an optional expiry date, which the app uses to color-code urgency (red for expiring soon, yellow for upcoming).

I often found myself standing in front of a fridge full of ingredients but still asking, "What should I cook?" After speaking with friends and researching existing pantry management apps, I noticed a common problem: most solutions either focused only on recipes or only on inventory, making meal planning feel complicated.

This inspired me to design Cookd, a mobile app that helps users keep track of what's in their kitchen, receive reminders before food expires, and discover meals based on the ingredients they already have. Throughout the project, I explored user research, user flows, wireframes, and multiple design iterations to create a simple, intuitive experience that reduces food waste and removes the stress of deciding what to cook.

The final design focuses on helping users complete their goal in just a few steps—from adding ingredients to cooking a recommended meal—while keeping the interface clean, approachable, and easy to use. This project strengthened my skills in product thinking, UX research, interaction design, and designing solutions around real user problems rather than adding unnecessary features.

year

2026

timeframe

working

tools

Figma

category

UI/UX

Overview

Overview

01

Booking a doctor’s appointment requires people to make important decisions, such as choosing the right doctor, confirming insurance coverage, and selecting the correct appointment details.
Many existing booking experiences focus on speed but overlook reassurance. Users are often asked to enter information without clearly understanding whether a provider accepts their insurance, whether the appointment details are correct, or what will happen after booking. This lack of clarity increases anxiety and can lead to errors, last-minute cancellations, delayed care, or booking abandonment.
The challenge was to design an appointment booking experience that prioritizes clarity and helps users feel confident before committing to a medical visit.

Booking a doctor’s appointment requires people to make important decisions, such as choosing the right doctor, confirming insurance coverage, and selecting the correct appointment details.
Many existing booking experiences focus on speed but overlook reassurance. Users are often asked to enter information without clearly understanding whether a provider accepts their insurance, whether the appointment details are correct, or what will happen after booking. This lack of clarity increases anxiety and can lead to errors, last-minute cancellations, delayed care, or booking abandonment.
The challenge was to design an appointment booking experience that prioritizes clarity and helps users feel confident before committing to a medical visit.

Booking a doctor’s appointment requires people to make important decisions, such as choosing the right doctor, confirming insurance coverage, and selecting the correct appointment details.
Many existing booking experiences focus on speed but overlook reassurance. Users are often asked to enter information without clearly understanding whether a provider accepts their insurance, whether the appointment details are correct, or what will happen after booking. This lack of clarity increases anxiety and can lead to errors, last-minute cancellations, delayed care, or booking abandonment.
The challenge was to design an appointment booking experience that prioritizes clarity and helps users feel confident before committing to a medical visit.

1.Over 60% of healthcare appointments are now booked on mobile devices.

2.Insurance uncertainty remains one of the top reasons patients hesitate before booking care.

2.Insurance uncertainty remains one of the top reasons patients hesitate before booking care.

3.Unclear appointment details are a common cause of booking abandonment.

3.Unclear appointment details are a common cause of booking abandonment.

Key insights

Key insights

1.Over 60% of healthcare appointments are now booked on mobile devices.

Design decisions

Design decisions

02

Limited Information

Limited Information

Mobile-first context

Cognitive load during review

Cognitive load during review

Insurance uncertainty

Insurance uncertainty

Users often have incomplete information when choosing a provider. Credentials, reviews, and availability need to be communicated clearly and concisely, without overwhelming users during a time-sensitive decision.

Users often have incomplete information when choosing a provider. Credentials, reviews, and availability need to be communicated clearly and concisely, without overwhelming users during a time-sensitive decision.

Most bookings happen on mobile devices. Limited screen space, one-handed use, and interruptions influenced how information was grouped, prioritized, and displayed.

Most bookings happen on mobile devices. Limited screen space, one-handed use, and interruptions influenced how information was grouped, prioritized, and displayed.

At the review stage, users process multiple pieces of information at once. The interface needed to present summaries clearly without introducing unnecessary edits or distractions that could increase anxiety.

At the review stage, users process multiple pieces of information at once. The interface needed to present summaries clearly without introducing unnecessary edits or distractions that could increase anxiety.

Users often have incomplete information when choosing a provider. Credentials, reviews, and availability need to be communicated clearly and concisely, without overwhelming users during a time-sensitive decision.

Users often have incomplete information when choosing a provider. Credentials, reviews, and availability need to be communicated clearly and concisely, without overwhelming users during a time-sensitive decision.

Even when prioritizing speed, appointment booking still have challenges that require thoughtful design.

Even when prioritizing speed, appointment booking still have challenges that require thoughtful design.

Even when prioritizing speed, appointment booking still have challenges that require thoughtful design.

Technical constraints

Technical constraints

Mobile-first context

Choose an appointment

Users begin by selecting an available time that works for them. Availability is presented clearly, helping users move forward without confusion or unnecessary choices.

Choose an appointment

Add details

Review and confirm

Choose an appointment

Users begin by selecting an available time that works for them. Availability is presented clearly, helping users move forward without confusion or unnecessary choices.

Choose an appointment

Add details

Review and confirm

Outcome

Outcome

What I learned

What I learned

03

This project helped create a clearer and more structured way to book a doctor’s appointment. By breaking the process into simple steps and adding a review stage before confirmation, the experience feels easier to follow and less overwhelming.
Including insurance details before confirmation also helps reduce uncertainty, allowing users to feel more confident about what they are booking. Overall, the design focuses on making the booking process straightforward and reassuring.

This project helped create a clearer and more structured way to book a doctor’s appointment. By breaking the process into simple steps and adding a review stage before confirmation, the experience feels easier to follow and less overwhelming.
Including insurance details before confirmation also helps reduce uncertainty, allowing users to feel more confident about what they are booking. Overall, the design focuses on making the booking process straightforward and reassuring.

This project helped create a clearer and more structured way to book a doctor’s appointment. By breaking the process into simple steps and adding a review stage before confirmation, the experience feels easier to follow and less overwhelming.
Including insurance details before confirmation also helps reduce uncertainty, allowing users to feel more confident about what they are booking. Overall, the design focuses on making the booking process straightforward and reassuring.

This project helped create a clearer and more structured way to book a doctor’s appointment. By breaking the process into simple steps and adding a review stage before confirmation, the experience feels easier to follow and less overwhelming.
Including insurance details before confirmation also helps reduce uncertainty, allowing users to feel more confident about what they are booking. Overall, the design focuses on making the booking process straightforward and reassuring.

This project helped create a clearer and more structured way to book a doctor’s appointment. By breaking the process into simple steps and adding a review stage before confirmation, the experience feels easier to follow and less overwhelming.
Including insurance details before confirmation also helps reduce uncertainty, allowing users to feel more confident about what they are booking. Overall, the design focuses on making the booking process straightforward and reassuring.

This project helped create a clearer and more structured way to book a doctor’s appointment. By breaking the process into simple steps and adding a review stage before confirmation, the experience feels easier to follow and less overwhelming.
Including insurance details before confirmation also helps reduce uncertainty, allowing users to feel more confident about what they are booking. Overall, the design focuses on making the booking process straightforward and reassuring.

Prototype

Prototype

04

Experience the complete appointment booking journey, from finding the right doctor to reviewing and confirming the visit. The interactive prototype showcases the key screens and interactions designed to make scheduling healthcare simple, clear, and reassuring.

Experience the complete appointment booking journey, from finding the right doctor to reviewing and confirming the visit. The interactive prototype showcases the key screens and interactions designed to make scheduling healthcare simple, clear, and reassuring.

Experience the complete appointment booking journey, from finding the right doctor to reviewing and confirming the visit. The interactive prototype showcases the key screens and interactions designed to make scheduling healthcare simple, clear, and reassuring.

Experience the complete appointment booking journey, from finding the right doctor to reviewing and confirming the visit. The interactive prototype showcases the key screens and interactions designed to make scheduling healthcare simple, clear, and reassuring.

see also

UI/UX

DOCQ

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I'm currently looking for opportunities If you think we'd be a good fit, let's connect.

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.say hello

I'm currently looking for opportunities If you think we'd be a good fit, let's connect.

contact me

Sai Chandu.

projects

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Sai Chandu.

projects

about

contact