Discover the World, One Dish at a Time


The Challenge
Recipe sites are cluttered with ads, pop-ups, and lengthy personal narratives that bury the actual recipe. Users seeking authentic global cuisine often find westernized versions that lose cultural context. Busy cooks, students, parents, working professionals need quick access to recipes they can filter by time, dietary needs, and skill level, with visual guidance that makes unfamiliar dishes approachable.


The Challenge
Recipe sites are cluttered with ads, pop-ups, and lengthy personal narratives that bury the actual recipe. Users seeking authentic global cuisine often find westernized versions that lose cultural context. Busy cooks, students, parents, working professionals need quick access to recipes they can filter by time, dietary needs, and skill level, with visual guidance that makes unfamiliar dishes approachable.

Competitive Research
I analyzed leading recipe platforms to identify pain points in recipe discovery and navigation. I found that in my site I had opportunities to improve visual hierarchy, streamline search functionality, and create a more intuitive browsing experience that honors cultural authenticity.

Wireframes

The early wireframes I created focused on establishing clear information architecture and user flow. I prioritized making recipes easy to find through visual-first navigation, I explored various layout patterns for search and filtering, and tested different approaches to presenting recipe content and cultural context.

Home Page

After conducting research and making several different wireframe iterations I decided to incorporate these features into the homepage:


  • Curated hero section with rotating featured dishes and cultural stories

  • "Taste the world, one recipe at a time" tagline that sets the exploratory tone

  • Quick-filter cards for popular searches (Under 30 Minutes, Vegetarian, Beginner-Friendly)

  • Scroll Around the World carousel showcasing destinations and signature dishes

  • Explore the Globe interactive map for discovery by region

Recipe Page

Every recipe is meant to be a journey. The recipe page includes:

  • High-quality images and optional video loops

  • Cultural context explaining the dish's origins and significance

  • Smart filtering tags: time, difficulty, dietary preferences, budget etc

  • Step-by-step instructions with inline images

  • Ingredient substitutions for accessibility and flexibility

  • Community features: ratings, reviews, and user variations

Recipe Page

Every recipe is meant to be a journey. The recipe page includes:

  • High-quality images and optional video loops

  • Cultural context explaining the dish's origins and significance

  • Smart filtering tags: time, difficulty, dietary preferences, budget etc

  • Step-by-step instructions with inline images

  • Ingredient substitutions for accessibility and flexibility

  • Community features: ratings, reviews, and user variations

Country Page

Deep dive into a cuisine or culture. Each country page offers:

  • Cultural overview of the food traditions and key ingredients

  • Signature dishes with difficulty and time indicators

  • Regional variations to understand diversity within the cuisine

  • Ingredient spotlights explaining unfamiliar items with photos and substitutes

Country Page

Deep dive into a cuisine or culture. Each country page offers:

  • Cultural overview of the food traditions and key ingredients

  • Signature dishes with difficulty and time indicators

  • Regional variations to understand diversity within the cuisine

  • Ingredient spotlights explaining unfamiliar items with photos and substitutes

Quiz Pages

Not sure what to cook? The quizzes help users:

  • Answer fun questions about mood, time, and dietary needs

  • Get personalized recipe recommendations based on responses

  • Discover new cuisines they might not have considered

  • Filter by adventure level: Comfort Zone, Slightly Adventurous, Full Explorer

The Impact

NomNomad transforms cooking from an intimidating chore into a cultural adventure, making global cuisine accessible to everyone—regardless of time, skill level, or ingredient availability.