PROJECT SCOPE
Cookbook Club Sydney
End-to-end product design cycle
CLIENT
Cookbook Club Sydney (conceptual – inspired by real attendees of a real Sydney-based group)
PROJECT DURATION
Ongoing
One Cookbook, many cooks:
A social app for the Cookbook Club Sydney
ROLE
Product Designer
2025
YEAR
Personal Concept - In progress and published iteratively
Disclaimer
This is a personal, self-initiated project inspired by real feedback from attendees of Cookbook Club Sydney (@cookbookclub_syd), a passionate food community that began on Instagram. While the app is conceptual, the needs it addresses are real, and this project is my way of exploring how thoughtful design can support them.
I started this project to reconnect with my design thinking and prototyping skills, and to demonstrate that I’m actively engaged with the industry and its practices in 2025.
It’s still a work in progress and not anywhere near as polished as it needs to be for a fully published case study. But I believe that in-progress design work deserves space too, especially when you're returning to the workforce and want to show how you think, not just what you've shipped. Sharing this felt more honest than waiting for perfection.
To me, this project also says something important to you as someone I may one day collaborate with: that I have the initiative to create independently and the discipline to continue growing as a designer. I’ll continue to build, test, and share updates, with a planned completion in Aug-Sept 2025. I also plan to attend a Cookbook Club event (if I can get tickets early enough!) to gather real-world insights and further strengthen the user focus of this product.
Overview
Born from a growing community of food lovers in Sydney, this project explores how digital design can support real-world connection through food. Cookbook Club Sydney is a recurring social event where members cook from the same book and gather to share dishes, stories, and laughs. But as the group has grown, so have the logistical challenges: duplicate dishes, scattered messages, last-minute updates, and forgotten swaps.
Based on feedback from a few generous attendees who contributed to my early research, the current system relies on a shared spreadsheet for dish sign-ups and a mix of Instagram and WhatsApp group chats to coordinate. While this works to a degree, it’s messy, unstructured, and not built for the experience. It quickly became clear that this vibrant, food-loving community deserves a dedicated digital space designed around their needs.
And while it’s true there’s an app for everything, a mobile-first approach felt like the most natural and relevant solution—meeting people where they already are: on their phones. With clubs filling quickly and members managing waitlists, features like push notifications, dish coordination, reminders, and real-time event updates would make participation easier, more organised, and more joyful.
This concept app is designed to bring clarity and delight to the Cookbook Club experience. It helps members avoid dish overlap, organise swaps, share photos, and stay connected—without losing the casual, social energy that makes the club so special.
As a work-in-progress, this project explores how thoughtful UX can enhance community rituals and strengthen offline connections, one shared meal at a time.
Who am I designing for?
As with many personal projects, research began with limited input, but the insights I did gather were rich and meaningful. They allowed me to create empathetic, grounded personas to guide the design. That said, there are two sides to this experience: the attendees, whose feedback informed the project, and the host, whose perspective I’ve had to assume for now. If given the chance to attend a future event, I’d prioritise speaking with the host to better understand her goals, challenges, and what success looks like when running a community like this.