HomeCook Market
From Family Kitchen to Community App: Scaling Home-Cooked Food Businesses
An End-to-End UX Case Study
About the Project
Many talented home cooks, often immigrant women, sell meals through WhatsApp or word of mouth but struggle with manual order tracking, delivery challenges, and limited scalability. These operational barriers prevent them from turning their culinary skills into reliable income. HomeCookMarket addresses this problem by providing a platform that streamlines orders, ensures transparent payments, and coordinates delivery, enabling sustainable business growth.
Responsibilities:
MarMarket Analysis: Identified key opportunities and gaps
User Research: Designed and conducted qualitative studies
Insight Synthesis: Translated findings into actionable outcomes
Experience Design: Created wireframes and solution concepts
Role in This Project:
Role: UX Research & Design
Duration: 3 Months (January - April 2025)
Project Type: Self-directed research and design exploration
I started with the Research
Market Analysis
Identified key opportunities and gaps
Researched 32 similar home-based food businesses across online platforms (Reddit, Facebook, Instagram, forums) and local neighbourhoods. Analyzed service offerings to identify gaps and positioned the opportunity as a hyper-local market targeting busy professionals seeking authentic, home-prepared meals.
User Research
Method: In-depth, moderated user interviews (generative, qualitative)
Rationale: Uncovered workflows, emotional drivers, and unmet needs beyond what users articulate
Participants: Active home cooks from the South Asian immigrant community
Key Questions: How do home cooks manage and scale their businesses? What operational, family, and community factors create barriers or opportunities?
Analysis: Thematic analysis with affinity mapping to synthesize insights
Research Insights
#1 Delivery is the Primary Scaling Bottleneck
Pain Point:
Both participants identified delivery as their biggest operational constraint, limiting their ability to serve more customers and expand their business.
Quotes from users:
Kavitha: "Some deliveries are far away but I consider it as an exercise for myself"
Pavitra: "I loses customers unwilling to pick up small orders"
#2 WhatsApp + Manual Systems Create Operational Overhead
Pain Point:
Both participants use WhatsApp + paper/phone notes for all order management, creating time-consuming manual processes.
Quotes from users:
Manual tracking: "I wrote in my WhatsApp... I will note in my contact then next day... Sometimes if I got more, I will note on paper"
Time consumption: Detailed quote calculation took "half a day, neglecting family" only for customer to cancel
No centralized system: Orders scattered across WhatsApp chats, paper notes, and phone contacts
#3 Payment Processing Lacks Transparency
Pain Point:
Informal cash/transfer methods with no receipt generation create challenges for both business tracking and customer needs.
Quotes from users:
Mixed methods: "They can pay in cash or online transfer, it is their choice"
No receipts: “Customer requested tax receipt but couldn't provide one”
Bank transfer preference: “Would prefer "bank transfers for clarity on payments"
#4 Equipment & Space Limit Capacity More Than Demand
Pain Point:
Both participants face significant equipment and space limitations that prevent scaling even when demand exists.
Quotes from users:
Equipment bottleneck: "One pot for 15 people" limits order size, Need "machines (e.g., choppers) for bulk prep to save time"
Kitchen space: “Small kitchens cannot accommodate bulk preparation”
Storage issues: “Limited refrigeration and pantry space”
Persona, Thematic Insights, Empathy Map from the interviews
Journey Map of Home Cook User Persona: Current Experience Analysis
How I translated the research insights into actionable design decisions?
Design Principles Arrived the from Research
Family-First: Accommodate family schedules over business efficiency
Community-Centric: Preserve personal relationships and trust
Progressive Enhancement: Build on WhatsApp familiarity
Cultural Sensitivity: Support authentic regional specializations
1. Streamlined Order Management
Research finding: Home cooks use WhatsApp and paper notes to track orders
Design solution: Centralized order dashboard with status tracking and notifications
2. Flexible Scheduling
Research finding: Cooks balance family responsibilities with cooking
Design solution: Calendar-based availability settings with customizable time slots
3. Delivery Options
Research finding: Delivery logistics are a major pain point
Design solution: Option for self-delivery or platform-provided delivery
4. Business Growth Tools
Research finding: Limited visibility beyond immediate network
Design solution: Discovery features and analytics to track performance
Impact & Learnings
Project Impact
This research laid the foundation for understanding home-based food businesses in immigrant communities, validating a clear market need and shaping design principles for culturally sensitive, flexible, and scalable solutions.
Outcomes
The HomeCookMarket platform directly addresses the core needs uncovered:
For Home Cooks: Transforms informal operations into structured businesses, digitizes manual tracking, allows scheduling around family priorities, and offers optional delivery support.
For Customers: Provides access to authentic cultural cuisines, seamless discovery and ordering, personalization for dietary needs, and trust-building relationships with local cooks.
Key Learnings
Identified an untapped market opportunity that can empower homemakers as entrepreneurs.
Reinforced the value of in-depth qualitative research to reveal nuanced user needs.
Highlighted the importance of designing flexible systems adaptable to diverse contexts.
Demonstrated how to balance operational efficiency with cultural authenticity and personal connection.
Thank you for making it this far!
I truly appreciate the time and energy you’ve invested in exploring my case study. My goal was not only to share the process and outcomes, but also to give you a glimpse into how I approach complex problems with curiosity, structure, and creativity.
If this sparked ideas, questions, or even a smile, then I’ve succeeded. I’d love the opportunity to bring this same energy, empathy, and rigor to your team.
