Bento buddy.
Curious how it all works (and up for swapping anime food inspo)?
overview.
Role
UX/UI Designer & UX Researcher
Timeline
3-4 months
Deliverables
Low-fi, mid-fi, high-fi wireframes, interactive prototype
Tools
Figma, FigJam, Miro, Google Sheets + Docs
Bento Buddy is a mobile-first cooking community designed for anime food lovers who want to bring their favorite on-screen dishes to life. As the sole UX/UI designer and researcher, I led this 3 to 4 month project from ideation to high-fidelity prototyping. Through user interviews, competitor analysis, and iterative design, I created a playful yet intuitive experience that empowers beginner cooks with step-by-step visuals, ingredient swaps, and a vibrant community space, all wrapped in an anime-inspired aesthetic.
problem statement.
Cooking is often seen as a chore rather than an exciting creative experience, especially for beginner cooks. People who want to learn new skills, like cooking, tend to lose motivation due to lack of guidance, community, and clear progress tracking.
For anime lovers, the frustration is even higher — they want to recreate the visually stunning meals from their favorite shows, but struggle to find accessible recipes, hard-to-find ingredients, and a community that understands their unique interests.
Aspiring home cooks who love anime and other fictional media
Anime fans who want to recreate dishes from their favorite shows
Beginner to intermediate cooks who need clear, visual guidance
Online community lovers who enjoy sharing and learning together
target audience.
Research Insights.
User Interviews
(4 participants)
+
Competitor Analysis
Visual Learning is Key: Users crave step-by-step visuals and short video clips over long text.
Ingredient Hunt = Major Pain Point: Finding niche ingredients, or good substitutes, is frustrating.
Too Much Fluff on Recipe Sites: Users want to skip personal backstories and get to the recipe faster.
Desire for Community: Users want to share creations, get feedback, and feel part of a group.
Anime Vibes Matter: Presentation and aesthetics are as important as taste.
What I Did
Key Findings
competitor analysis.
LOW-FIDELITY WIREFRAMES
HI-FIDELITY WIREFRAMES
Ideation & Early Sketches.
What I did:
Affinity Mapping
Persona Creation
User & Task Flows
PERSONA: participant (1/4)
USER FLOW
AFFINITY MAP
Final Designs.
Bento Buddy’s final design is playful, colorful, and welcoming, capturing the fun spirit of anime food while being easy to use.
Design Highlights:
🍣 Bento Grid Homepage with cute, tappable recipe cards
🍜 Skill Level Tags (Beginner/Intermediate/Expert)
🍱 Ingredient Substitution Tool (tap an ingredient for swaps)
🎥 Visual Recipe Guides (step-by-step photos/GIFs)
💬 Community Hub for sharing creations + feedback
Personal Touch.
This project is a love letter to anime food lovers like me. From the bento grid to the vibrant colors, every detail reflects my own passion for cooking and anime culture. Designing Bento Buddy made me realize that the most delightful experiences come from combining personal joy with thoughtful UX.
Lessons Learned.
Top 3 Takeaways:
Users crave control — the ability to jump sections, adjust servings, or swap ingredients empowered them.
A sense of belonging motivates action — users felt more confident knowing they weren’t alone.
Fun = engagement — playful design choices actually encouraged more recipe exploration.
What I’d Do Differently:
Add seasonal anime cooking challenges to keep users engaged.
Create a personalized onboarding quiz to recommend recipes based on cooking skill + anime preferences.
Test performance on older devices to ensure visual-heavy content loads smoothly.
Results & Impact.
80% of testers found navigation easier than traditional cooking sites
100% of testers said visual recipe guides boosted confidence
3/5 participants would actively join Bento Buddy if launched
Key Challenges.
Balancing cuteness with usability. I wanted Bento Buddy to feel fun and playful, but it still needed to be easy to navigate and accessible for all skill levels.
How I solved it:
Used a clean bento grid layout that feels playful but intuitive.
Added a Jump to Recipe button to cater to impatient users.
Built an ingredient substitution database directly into each recipe page.
PRO:
Massive recipe base.
CON:
Bad ads, little video.
💸 Free + $18/yr mag.
Target:
Home cooks saving $ + trying new dishes.
Strength:
Community-driven, meal planning.
Weakness:
UX clutter, not educational.
Note:
Community-rich, less pro-focused.
AllRecipes
Serious Eats
Tasty
Skillshare
PRO:
Deep cooking knowledge.
CON:
Not for beginners.
💸 Free
Target:
Enthusiasts, culinary nerds.
Strength:
Science-backed, expert content.
Weakness:
No meal planning/shopping.
Note:
Great for learning technique.
PRO:
Quick vids, casual cooking.
CON:
Lacks depth.
💸 Free
Target:
Gen Z, quick/simple meals.
Strength:
Fun, clear videos, shop links.
Weakness:
Not advanced or customizable.
Note:
Vibe over skill-building.
PRO:
Video courses, some cooking.
CON:
Pay to learn.
💸 $19/mo or $99/yr.
Target:
Creative learners.
Strength:
Practical, project-based.
Weakness:
Quality varies, mentorship limited.
Note:
Good for structured learning if curated well.