Cook AI

Three Cook AI screens on phones: the day's calories and macros, the cookbook, and weekly nutrition progress

Cook AI was a simple chatbot designed to help users find and follow recipes through conversation. While the initial version was functional and launched successfully, it quickly became clear that users expected more.

In response, I was asked for a full redesign of the app. This included creating a new design system and introducing key features to improve usability, discovery, and overall value to the user.

The Problem

1

The first Cook AI was a recipe chatbot with two pages. It worked, but users wanted more than answers: help planning meals, managing ingredients, and cooking consistently.

2

Engagement dropped as the novelty wore off. I was trusted to lead the redesign, turning a simple chatbot into a more thoughtful and capable cooking platform.

First version of Cook AIRecipe suggestions, and a chat to follow them.

Cook AI v1: a home screen asking what you are craving, with recipe prompts and AI chefs, beside a chat where a chef answers with a frittata recipe

The Cookbook

Once it was clear the app would grow significantly, it needed a system that could scale with it. I created The Cookbook, our internal design system, with a bold style of strong strokes and harsh shadows.

The CookbookIcons, documentation, components and text styles.

The Cookbook design system: 300+ icons, developer documentation, 100+ reusable components, and the text styles

Design tokensPrimary and semantic, in Figma variables.

Figma variables: the primitive color scales beside the semantic tokens they feed, such as the carbs, protein and fat data colors

Dark modePrototyped with Figma's variable modes.

Dark mode prototype

A Bolder Look

The revamped Cook AI reflects its evolution into a full-featured assistant. Strong, confident strokes and pronounced shadows help users tell interactive elements from content.

Cards and controlsWeight marks what can be tapped.

Cook AI cards: pantry and shopping list shortcuts, the day's calories, personal metrics, and a scheduled meal

Our home screensA new user's day, a day in progress, meals and health.

Three home screens: a welcome for a new user, the day's calories and macros, and the day's meals with steps and sleep

More Than Recipes

1

Cook AI v1 was basically a limited version of ChatGPT. People needed tools that fit into their everyday routines: ways to plan ahead, save favorites, track ingredients, and get more personal suggestions.

2

In Cook AI v2 you can log and schedule meals, see your progress, track your ingredients and shopping list, and organize your cookbook.

Create and edit your recipesYour own recipes, with AI ideas when you want them.

Plan aheadSchedule meals, with a reminder on time.

Creating a recipe, viewing it with prep time, cook time, servings and calories, and editing its ingredients A future day with the plan ahead tip and an add meal button, then scheduling a meal for a set date and time

New entry points and empty statesA first step on every tab.

Empty states for a new user on Today, Kitchen and Progress, each with a short explanation and a first action

The ProfileHeight, weight, activity, diet and allergies.

The CookbookSave, organize, and customize recipes.

The profile: height, weight, activity level, and dietary preferences such as vegan and gluten-free, with nuts and fish excluded The cookbook: twelve saved recipes filtered by meal, shown as photo cards

The KitchenIngredients and shopping list in one place.

The ProgressCalories, macros, steps, and sleep.

The kitchen: ingredients in stock with their quantities, beside a cart tab for the shopping list Progress: a week of calories as bars, with tabs for nutrition, steps and sleep and a switch between calories and macros

Wrapping It Up

The redesign turned a simple recipe chatbot into a comprehensive cooking assistant built around real user needs: meal planning, ingredient management, and wellness tracking in one consistent interface.