2.2 User Needs

2.2 User Needs

1. Refinement of Gap: 

"In what way might I improve the stove to help the user enjoy the cooking process"

2 User Needs

In discussion with users and post my own reflection there were 3 steps identified under the cooking process – preparation, cooking, cleaning. The user interviews & responses were broadly around these 3 areas. Broadly all users wanted to reduce the effort needed in preparation and cleaning up and enjoy the cooking step more.

Also given the choice of problem definition, there is no identified artifact yet and hence I have referred to it as “cooking process” in some of the need statements. After capturing the needs below I realized that it will need different artifacts to solve all the needs below. Hence for development in future weeks I will specify a certain need group to work upon

A]         In the cooking process there is reduced/no heat around stove area

o1   Heat can be kept away from coming to the abdomen area

o2  Heat can be kept away from coming to face area

o3   Most of the heat from the burner is directed to the vessel and does not dissipate out

o4   Stove area temperature remains same with different flame size (high/medium/low)

o5   Heat can be kept away from coming on the hands while stirring

o6   Reduce the temperature around the stove area

o7   Need cool air directed at user during cooking process

B]       Timing of various steps in the cooking process are well managed

o8   Different steps in Cooking process area easily reminded of

o9   Easily monitor the timing for certain sub steps (boil for 10 mins)

o10   ! Programming steps to reduce load on memory (if stove can automatically keep full flame for 10 mins, thensimmer for 5 mins and then shut off by itself)

o11    Can see different steps of the cooking process on a timeline

o12   Can see the sequence of ingredients to be put in easily

C]         More items can be retained within the stove area during cooking process

o13   There is an easy holder to keep the stirring spoons

o14   There is a place to keep lids of vessels when you have to open and stir the contents

o15   There is a place to hold recipe’s

o16   There is a digital display that can show recipes from another device (Ipad/phone/etc)

o17   Some very commonly used spices can have a place on the stove

D]18       Reduce noise created by the exhaust hob

E]19       ! Recipe can be easily accessible (near stove area) when cooking new dishes

F]20         ! Speakers/Bluetooth controls for music on the stove

G]21         ! The hob light needs to be white since yellow light does not correctly indicate colour of certain foods during cooking (e.g. quite often you need to fry onions till golden brown but this cannot be correctly seen under yellow light)

H]         Burners need to be accessible and multi purpose

o22   ! Multi size flames from same burner (there is always a very big burner and a very small burner that is provided on a 4 burner stove. However it is very rarely that one uses the very large or the very small. Hence it’ll be great if there are more standard size burners but they have attachments that can make the flame larger or smaller)

The standard size burners need to be placed in front for easy access (the big and small size burners which are rarely used are placed on the front side right now for almost all users)

I]         Preparation for cooking process is less tedious

o23   Different size vegetables can be peeled faster

o24   Chopping can be done more easily

o25   Hands get less dirty during the preparation phase

o26   Vegetables can be peeled more easily

o27   Different sizes of chopping are more readily done

o28   Easy way to identify cooking time for vegetables (how long to steam potatos to cook them. Also different vegetables have different cook time – how can this be simplified)

J]         Cleaning up post preparation & cooking is simple & non-messy

o29   Simple method to clean up leftovers on vessel

o30   Better way to deodour the used vessels

o31   Clean up inaccessible portions of vessels (under the blade in a mixer) 

3. Latent Needs

!  Multi size flames from same burner (there is always a very big burner and a very small burner that is provided on a 4 burner stove. However it is very rarely that one uses the very large or the very small. Hence it’ll be great if there are more standard size burners but they have attachments that can make the flame larger or smaller)

!  Recipe can be easily accessible (near stove area) when cooking new dishes

! Speakers/Bluetooth controls for music on the stove

! The hob light needs to be white since yellow light does not correctly indicate colour of certain foods during cooking (e.g. quite often you need to fry onions till golden brown but this cannot be correctly seen under yellow light)

! Programming steps to reduce load on memory (if stove can automatically keep full flame for 10 mins, thensimmer for 5 mins and then shut off by itself)