Sandy Ley, Senior Thesis
Parsons School of Design
Design & Management
Candidate for BBA, 2008
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT 1
INTRODUCTION 2
METHODOLOGY 3
Initial Research Questions & Aim
Subjects/Demographics
Studies
USER RESEARCH 6
Questionnaire Survey
Sample Data
Sample Survey
CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH 9
Foodies & Webbies
Interactive Applications
Conclusions & Recommendations
PROTOTYPES 11
Solution Concepts
Prototyping for Value
STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS 18
EatListNYC.com
Existing Technology
Marketing
Implications
FINANCIAL ANALYSIS 24
Operation Plan
Promotion
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 26
ABSTRACT
Cooking at home is often a rare occurrence for most young, professional New
Yorkers. More common is a quick meal fresh out of the microwave, or purchased
from the local pizzeria. In order to promote and encourage more frequent healthy
home cooking using fresh produce, research was undertaken to study grocery
purchase behavior and cooking frequency among young professionals.
EatList NYC is an interactive service that aims to streamline and simplify home
cooking for busy New York City locals. EatList NYC works by offering users tools
that encourage and support efficiently planned home cooked meals, thus reduc-
ing monetary, time, and food waste. This serves as an intervention by facilitating
the creation of EatLists, or weekly meal calendars that can be named, saved, and
shared amongst users. EatLists aid home cooks by servving as a planned meal
calendar that works to make the most of few ingredients, thus allowing its users to
buy less, consume more.
EatList’s mission is to encourage healthy home cooking and meal planning for
New Yorkers. If EatList can make cooking at home easier by reducing the cost and
time spent, New Yorkers will find that the benefits of cooking at home transcend
the convenience of eating out. Planning meals in advance can also aid in diet bal-
ance and proper nutrition.
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Sandy Ley, EatList NYC
Senior Thesis 2008
Parsons School of Design
INTRODUCTION
Cooking at home is a cultural, social, and gastronomic experience. New York City’s
unique neighborhoods and diverse communities make it a culinary hub of exotic
ingredients and worldly cooking cultures. It is also one of the few places in the
world where the adventurous can seek out the best masala powder and then hop
on the 6 train for dried shiitake mushrooms. But for many New Yorkers, dinner isn’t
a delicious home cooked meal, but rather, processed or store bought food. For
those of us who do cook, enjoying a meal you made yourself can be expensive and
laborious. Intriguing recipes often call for too many ingredients that you don’t have,
while shopping trips take up too much time. This is a problem that is especially
common among younger people who tend to go out more and have less time to eat
healthy. Younger creatives are also a demographic for which cooking is becoming
hip again. Futhermore, a shift from the mainstream cooking television shows to
independent, music or culture-driven podcasts or web videos demonstrates that a
younger, more tech-saavy demographic of home cooks is growing.
This project aims to explore the problems a generation of young home cooks face
when living in a busy city. Observational research and case studies will help to
define an opportunity for a design intervention that will focus on streamlining the
grocery shopping process, saving money and time.
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Sandy Ley, EatList NYC
Senior Thesis 2008
Parsons School of Design
METHODOLOGY
Initial Research Questions & Aim
The initial purpose of the research was to determine how young professionals
shop for ingredients and cook at home. The initial questions asked were:
How often do New Yorkers cook at home?
How much do New Yorkers spend at grocery stores per week?
How much is spent on fresh produce?
And how much of that fresh produce is organic or local?
Subjects/Demographics
The intended demographic for this study was New York locals, both male and fe-
male, ages 23-30. These subjects live across all boroughs in New York, and are
professionals. They enjoy cooking, but for a variety of reasons don’t cook at home
often. They are also creative minded, appreciating good design and pleasing aes-
thetics. These subjects are interested in different cultures, and have a deep ap-
preciation of simple, quality foods. They are also early adopters and known about
newer trends. Another facet to these subjects is that they are tech-savvy, looking to
the newest gadgets and applications to simplify their busy and exciting lives. This
demographic is the generation of young cooks that subscribes to an indie cooking
show podcast, rather than watching Paula Deen on the Food Network.
This intersection of young creatives and foodies is a fascinating demographic to
study because of their interest in an age-old, cross-cultural art, combined with their
affinity for technological widgets and applications. The internet has become a use-
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Sandy Ley, EatList NYC
Senior Thesis 2008
Parsons School of Design
ful tool for this demographic and web-based sites and services that cater to them
have found success. New York based local food guides, such as Eater.com, have
garnered the attention of young professional users. Eater New York indicates that
in 2007, 49.8% of its readership was between the ages of 25 and 341. In 2007, a
crop of youth-oriented programming also launched. One standout examples is the
popular Dinner with the Band, a web-based cooking guide that combines up-and
coming-indie rock talent with gourmet cuisine. The success of shows like Dinner
demonstrate that there are infinite possibilities and opportunities at the crossroads
of food and the internet.
Sample Persona
Matt, age 28
Matt is a graphic designer living in
Brooklyn, New York. In his free time, he
plays in a band called Aderbat. Matt en-
joys cooking, spending time with his girl-
friend, dogs, and noise-rock. He is active
on the internet, sending camera-phone
photos to his moblog daily. Matt also en-
joys reading through his daily blog feeds
and is an avid user of Del.icio.us2, Matt
shops at the local supermarket, but also
makes purchases at Whole Foods & the
Union Square Greenmarket. On aver-
age, he cooks 5 meals at home a week.
His favorite dish to make is Three Bean
Chili, but he is running out of recipe ideas
for the remaining beans.
1 Curbed Network Demographics, http://www.curbed.com/advertise/demographics.php, [last accessed:
April 28th, 2008]
2 Del.icio.us, http://del.icio.us [last accessed April 28th, 2008]
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Sandy Ley, EatList NYC
Senior Thesis 2008
Parsons School of Design
Studies
Research was conducted in two parts. The user landscape was defined through
a questionnaire survey given to subjects that fit within the confines of the target
demographic. This questionnaire was designed to determine how often New York-
ers of this target market cook at home, and is the rationality behind making the
decision to eat out or cook.
Prototype value research was then conducted following the development of an
intervention. In order to test the value proposition of the proposed design interven-
tion, case studies were launched. Three subjects provided data collected pre-inter-
vention and post-intervention. This information was then compared to determine
the functionality and value of the prototype.
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Sandy Ley, EatList NYC
Senior Thesis 2008
Parsons School of Design
USER RESEARCH
User research was necessary in learning more about the defined demographic.
The research provided the study with a more informed look into the lives of the
subjects. The studies undertaken also defined behavioral patterns that would then
indicate an opportunity for a design intervention.
Survey
In order to get a sense of how often New Yorkers cook at home, a survey was sent
to twenty-five people who fit the demographic in March of 2008. They were asked
questions about their grocery purchases as well as how often they cooked. This
survey was intended to determine the weekly averages of cooking at home and
grocery store expenditures. Several questions were designed to evoke answers
that informed the study about the online behavior of the subjects.
Limitations of the Study
The research of the survey was limited by the size of the representative sample.
Because only twenty-five people were given the questionnaire, the sample size
was small – resulting in a lack of depth. The questions were also designed to be
quick, but as a result are also not exact.
Conclusions
The questionnaire survey provided significant insight into the demographic. The
collected data confirmed assumptions that most subjects of the demographic enjoy
cooking and do it an average of 3.3 times a week3, and usually make an average
of 1-2 portions.4The survey’s results also indicated that most of the questionnaire
participants actively used the internet to help in cooking5.
3 Survey Data - Question #3
4 Survey Data - Question #5
5 Survey Data - Question #9
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Sandy Ley, EatList NYC
Senior Thesis 2008
Parsons School of Design
Sample Survey Data
Question #1. How much money
do you spend on fresh groceries
(food items only) every week?
Question #3. How many times a
week do you cook at home?
Question #9. Do you use online
recipe sites?
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Sandy Ley, EatList NYC
Senior Thesis 2008
Parsons School of Design
SURVEY OF GROCERY PURCHASE & HOME COOKING BEHAVIOR DATA
1. How much money do you spend on fresh produce (fresh fruit, vegetables) every week?
a. $1-$3 1 b. $3-5 5
c. $6-10 9 d. $10 + 10
2. How often do you buy organic produce?
a. Never 8 b. Sometimes 13
c. Often 3 d. Always 1
3. How many times a week do you cook at home?
a. None 4 b. 1-2 times 11
c. 3-4 times 8 d. 5+ 2
4. Why don’t you cook at home?
“too busy” “its too much work” “i dont know how to cook well” “its easier to eat out”
5. If you do cook at home, how many portions do you usually make?
a. 1 15 b. 2-4 8
c. 5-8 1 d. 9+ 0
6. How much do you spend at the grocery store every week?
a. $1-$15 10 b. $16-$30 5
c. $31-$45 6 d. $45+ 4
7. How often do you find that your fresh produce spoils before you consume it?
a. Never 1 b. Sometimes 8
c. Often 16 d. Always 0
8. How often do you double back to the grocery store for forgotten item(s)?
a. Never 2 b. Sometimes 14
c. Often 7 d. Always 0
9. Do you use online recipe sites?
a. Never 2 b. Sometimes 10
c. Often 9 d. Always 4
10. What is the most attractive feature of online recipe sites?
a. Easy Access 10 b. Variety 5
c. Usability 9 d. Quality of recipes 4
11. Do you cook more on the weekends?
a. Yes 15 b. No 10
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Sandy Ley, EatList NYC
Senior Thesis 2008
Parsons School of Design
CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH
Contextual research was important in examining the technological and social land-
scapes in which the study is relevant. The research focused mainly on young cooks
and their online activities and behaviors.
Foodies & Webbies
In 2007, 32% of the podcast consumer demographic was between the ages of 23-
306, indicating that young people are online & exposed to podcasts that cater to
a variety of interests. Those interested in cooking may subscribe to independent
content such as Bitchin Kitchen7, or they may venture elsewhere on the web to
browse recipes or upload their food photography. The web has become an impor-
tant vehicle for food related interest groups, and food related websites are attract-
ing more and more users. Recipe sites, such as Recipezaar.com, and Epicurious.
com have allowed users to upload and share different recipes, creating a valuable
collections of information that are accessed by millions on a daily basis. Sites not
geared towards food have nonetheless become favorite resources and services for
foodies. One such example is Flickr, a photo storage website. Thousands of Flickr
users have found alternative uses for the service, turning their accounts into visual
cookbooks of sorts. Many cooking photographers, like Biggie8, an avid user who
photographs her daily bento creations, have garnered fans and devotees. Food
blogs have also earned wide audiences on the internet. Delicious Days, a food
blog out of Munich, was even voted as Time’s 50 Coolest Websites9.
6 Webster, Tom, “The Infnite Dial: The Podcast Audience Revealed II,” Edison Media Research, 2007
7 http://www.bitchinkitchen.tv, [last accessed: April 28th, 2008]
8 http://www.flickr.com/photos/lunchinabox/
9 “TIME.com: 50 Coolest Websites,” http://www.time.com/time/2006/50coolest, [last accessed April 29th,
2008]
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Sandy Ley, EatList NYC
Senior Thesis 2008
Parsons School of Design
Interactive Applications
As more home cooks bring their interests to the Internet, the prospective user
pool for interactive applications grows. One example demonstrating the success
of interactive applications is Google Calendar. The easy interface and simple us-
ability of the service has allowed the number of calendar users to balloon to 333%
in December of 200610 .
Conclusions & Recommendations
Contextual research expresses that there is an opportunity for a design interven-
tion. Young cooks are logging on to the Internet and using recipe sites and ser-
vices, and a system for planning and organization could help people get the most
out of their food. The recommended direction is to pursue this opportunity for inter-
vention and construct a system that makes shopping and cooking at home more
efficient and approachable.
10 Prescott, LeeAnn, “Google Calendar Up Threefold Since June,” 2007, http://weblogs.hitwise.com/lee-
ann-prescott/2007/01/google_calendar_up_threefold_s_1.html [last accessed April 28th, 2008]
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Sandy Ley, EatList NYC
Senior Thesis 2008
Parsons School of Design
PROTOTYPES
Solution Concept
The proposed solution concept is an interactive web-based calendar, called Eat-
List NYC, designed to streamline the shopping and home cooking process. This
calendar will collect recipes saved by a user, analyze the ingredients required, and
suggest other recipes that use the same ingredients. The ntervention works by cut-
ting down the number of items on a user’s shopping list – saving valuable time. It
will also ensure that all cooking ingredients are used a number of times, maximiz-
ing the use of the ingredient and reducing waste. This concept will then generate a
list of ingredients in the form of a grocery-shopping list for the user.
Prototyping for Value
EatList’s first prototype was launched with the goal of measuring how much val-
ue was created after implementing the proposed intervention. In order to deter-
mine value, two subjects were asked to present receipts from a week of grocery
shopping, as well as a list of dishes that resulted from these expenditures. These
subjects, Jonny and Emilie, fit the target demographic criteria and also regularly
cooked meals at home between 3-5 times a week. The pre-intervention data col-
lected from them included the total dollar amount spent on groceries (excluding
all purchased items not used in cooking) and a number of dishes resulting from
the purchases. The objective of the prototype would be to lower the number of
ingredients Jonny and Emilie purchased by creating a week’s worth of recipes that
maximized use of common ingredients. At the conclusion of the case studies, the
value would be measured by comparing a subject’s typical weekly menu to one
that was created for them.
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Sandy Ley, EatList NYC
Senior Thesis 2008
Parsons School of Design
Sample Prototype Study #1: Jonny, age 28
Jonny is a creative living in Brooklyn. He enjoys cooking and makes a mean pasta
carbonara. During the first week of the study, Jonny spent a total of $76.50 on
food item groceries during three different shopping trips. Four dishes resulted from
these expenditures.
After data was collected for the first week, Jonny’s grocery list was reworked so
that more of the dishes he cooked used the same common ingredients. Using the
carbonara as a jump-off point, other dishes were added to his menu for the week.
Instead of the pear & gorgonzola salad from his first week, another luxurious salad
was suggested. A warm bread salad of a poached egg over arugula, crispy pro-
sciutto, shaved parmegiano reggiano, and crusty bread in olive oil added a second
dish to the week while reusing two expensive ingredients - the cheese and the
meat. To replace the roasted chicken dish, chicken breast, thyme, and rosemary
added to Jonny’s grocery list. Instead, he would make a pan-seared Chicken Sal-
timbocca, a simple and delicious prosciutto wrapped chicken breast. The excess
chicken was then suggested to be used in a shredded chicken breast salad with
celery and a rustic mayonnaise made from eggs & olive oil. This took the place of
Jonny’s original salmon cake dish.
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Sandy Ley, EatList NYC
Senior Thesis 2008
Parsons School of Design
Jonny’s Pre-intervention Data
Grocery List Cost Dishes That Resulted
prosciutto $8.98
parmegiano reggiano $9.45
fettuccine $1.99
eggs $2.99
olive oil $4.99
cream $2.49
crushed walnuts $4.45
arugula $2.09 pasta carbonara
onion $0.97 pear & gorgonzola salad
pears $2.45 salmon cakes
gorgonzola $5.67 roasted chicken thighs
bacon $5.99
blue cheese dressing $3.49
salmon steaks $6.78
mayonnaise $2.99
bell pepper $0.67
mustard $2.39
organic chicken $3.69
thyme $1.99
rosemary $1.99
Total Items: 20 $76.50 Number of Dishes: 4
Jonny’s Post-intervention Data
Grocery List Cost Meals That Resulted
prosciutto $8.98
parmegiano reggiano $9.45
fettuccine $1.99
eggs $2.99 pasta carbonara
olive oil $4.99 warm bread salad
cream $2.49 chicken salad
bread $1.89 chicken saltimbocca
arugula $2.09
chicken breast $2.34
thyme $1.99
celery $1.59
Total Items: 11 $40.79 Number of Dishes: 4
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Sandy Ley, EatList NYC
Senior Thesis 2008
Parsons School of Design
Jonny, shopping according to his generated grocery list, spent $40.79 on grocer-
ies, making only one trip to purchase half the number of ingredients he picked up
the week before. During the week, he used these groceries to create four different,
but comparable dishes.
Comparison
Jonny Amount Spent on Gro- # of Dishes Result-
ceries ing
Pre-intervention $76.50 4
Post-intervention $40.79 4
Looking at Jonny’s post-intervention data, we can see that he saved over $36 by
making a few substitutions. The prototype also earned value here by saving Jonny
time and energy spent carrying 20 grocery items home. The prototype was able to
whittle the number of items on Jonny’s grocery list down to a manageable 11.
Sample Prototype Study #2: Emilie, age 23
Emilie is a full time film student at CUNY. She is here on an exchange program
from Paris and enjoys cooking at home with her roommates. During an average
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Sandy Ley, EatList NYC
Senior Thesis 2008
Parsons School of Design
week, Emilie documented her grocery expenses and resulting dishes. She had
spent $40.45 and cooked four different dishes.
Emilie’s Pre-intervention Data
Grocery List Cost Dishes That Resulted
mascarpone $4.99
lady fingers $2.09
fettucine $1.29
perlini $2.39
shrimp $4.55
coconut milk $1.99 tiramisu
lime $0.33 fettucine alfredo
shelled walnuts $3.99 honey & mozzarella salad
honey $2.50 thai shrimp tom yum soup
apples $1.08
cream cheese $1.99
garlic $0.79
grated parmesan $3.50
coriander $2.99
capsicum $2.99
galangal $2.99
Total Items: 16 $40.45 Number of Dishes: 4
Emilie’s Post-intervention Data
Grocery List Cost Dishes That Resulted
mascarpone $4.99
lady fingers $2.09
fettucine $1.29 tiramisu
perlini $2.39 tomato mascar-
shrimp $4.55 pone fettucine
coconut milk curry $1.99 caprese salad
lime $0.33 thai tomato shrimp soup
tomato $1.09
basil $1.99
Total Items: 9 $20.71 Number of Dishes: 4
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Sandy Ley, EatList NYC
Senior Thesis 2008
Parsons School of Design
By making simple substitutions, the prototype was able to make some of the items
on Emilie’s grocery list do double-duty. For example, instead of investing grocery
money on cream cheese and parmesan for the alfredo sauce, the prototype sug-
gested a creamy tomato sauce pasta that reused the tiramisu mascarpone. A hon-
ey and mozzarella salad was replaced with a perlini, basil, & tomato caprese salad,
saving Emilie $7.57 on ingredients. Instead of purchasing another six ingredients
for Tom Yum Soup, another comparable Thai soup was suggested. A Thai Tomato
& Shrimp soup shares many of the same qualities, but requires less ingredients
and is thus easier on the wallet.
Comparison
Emilie Amount Spent on Gro- # of Dishes Result-
ceries ing
Pre-intervention $40.45 4
Post-intervention $20.71 4
In Emilie’s case, the prototype also worked to save her time and money. The cre-
ative substitutions cut her grocery bill in nearly half, while reusing ingredients that
spoil easily - such as the tomato. The number of items on Emilie’s grocery list was
also reduced from 16 to 9.
Limitations of the Study
This prototype study was limited by the small sample size as well as its subjective
variables. For example, value was measured as a dollar amount over the number
of dishes. This type of data collection does not measure the non-monetary value of
the food, such as satisfaction. Portion size is also a factor that limited the study. In
both Jonny & Emilie’s case, they were able to purchase enough of one ingredient
to reuse it in a different dish. For example, Emilie’s tub of mascarpone cost $4.99,
and was easily enough for tiramisu for two & a serving of penne. But if Emilie was
serving penne for three, there would not have been enough cheese, rendering the
prototype ineffective.
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Sandy Ley, EatList NYC
Senior Thesis 2008
Parsons School of Design
Conclusions
Conclusions were drawn from comparisons of the pre-intervention data to post-
intervention data from the two case studies. Both subjects were able to reduce the
number and cost of groceries for a week. By substituting small changes here and
there, the prototype saved Jonny & Emilie time, energy, and money. This prototype
addresses the problems average cooks have about working with ingredients they
already have. The prototype offers a solution by pointing out ingredients that could
be reused, making grocery shopping quicker and more efficient.
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Sandy Ley, EatList NYC
Senior Thesis 2008
Parsons School of Design
STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS
The research and prototype data collected demonstrate that there is an opportu-
nity for the creation of a system that will aid in streamlining the process of mak-
ing meals at home. The culmination of this research has resulted in a proposed
intervention called EatList NYC. Taking the form of an online interactive service,
EatList NYC will function as a design intervention by simplifying the way its users
shop and cook.
EatListNYC.com - Buy Less, Consume More
EatList NYC is a web-based interactive calendar that helps its users cut down the
number of grocery items they buy, while offering suggestions on how to make the
most of what you do have. Its aim is to encourage its users to buy less, consume
more. EatList NYC serves to create value through simplification and waste reduc-
tion. The first feature of this intervention is a comprehensive database of user-
generated content – simple recipes for delicious dishes. The second and most
important component of the intervention is the EatList, or user generated weekly
menus of collected recipes. The Eatlists then generate a third component – com-
prehensive grocery lists reduce monetary and time expenditures.
EatList NYC’s user interface is designed to function as a cook’s homepage. Users
log on and browse for recipes, adding the ones they like to their personal online
cookbooks. This feature acts as a recipe bookmarker. Users can come back to the
recipes they have saved, or they can add them to a weekly EatList, generate the
corresponding grocery list, and go.
User Generated Recipe Database
EatList NYC’s proposed recipe database will initially require in-house content cre-
ation to attract new users. Once a critical mass of usership has been created, the
database will rely almost entirely on crowd-sourced content, resulting in a self-
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Sandy Ley, EatList NYC
Senior Thesis 2008
Parsons School of Design
sustaining model that continues to become more poignant and rich as more users
log on. Crowd sourcing is a concept where public users are called upon to create,
organize, or edit content. In the context of EatList NYC, marketing and further
target market research would enable the website to reach the right demographic
of users. This includes individuals who possess the innate initiative to share and
spread knowledge in return for the kudos of the community or personal satisfac-
tion. Interested people would be given the tools to create content by registering for
a free EatList NYC account. Logged in users would then utilize the online forms to
upload, publish, and share recipes. In order to maintain the quality (emphasis on
health & simplicity) of the recipe database, shared recipes should conform to cer-
tain community-accepted, standardized guidelines. An open-source tagging sys-
tem would give the community the power to categorize and organize the published
recipe.
Weekly EatLists
The most valuable content created are weekly EatLists. Users browse the recipe
database and have the ability to save the ones they like to their personal “Cook-
books.” The Cookbook feature is visible on personal account pages, and contains
lists of saved recipes.
COOKBOOK EATLIST
DRAG ITEMS TO EatList EatList FOR MAY 02, 2008: MAY
Moroccan Turkey Salad
SUN MON TUES WED THURS FRI SAT
Salmon Cakes
Basic Pasta Dough
Clam Salad
Devil Egg Indian
Noodle Basket What would
Simple your weeklie?
Pico de Gallo Country CIlantro Shrimp
ABC Sweet & Sour Pork s
Bruschetta
MAY
Green ravioli
Skewer Pasta with Sausage & Leek Skewer Pa w e
Mexican Meatballs
Butternut Squash & Potato Tortelli
Sweet Red Bean Ravioli
Calamari & clam tomato sauce
Bacon Ricotta Balls
Baked shell pasta with salami & fontina
Chicken & chives dumplings
ABC Sweet & Sour Pork
Green ravioli
Skewer Pasta with Sausage & Leek
GET GROCERY LIST SAVE EatList
Users can then move recipes from their cookbooks and drop them into EatLists. EatLists are
represented as weekly calendars. Any number of dishes can be dragged into a single day.
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Sandy Ley, EatList NYC
Senior Thesis 2008
Parsons School of Design
EatLists serve as the main design intervention because of an innovative feature
built into the weekly calendar function. Once a user drops a menu into the EatList
calendar, a drop-down tooltip will list a variety of recipes that have common ingre-
dients. Users can then place the cursor over the suggested recipes, drag, and drop
them into the calendar as well.
COOKBOOK EATLIST
DRAG ITEMS TO EatList EatList FOR MAY 02, 2008: MAY
Moroccan Turkey Salad
SUN MON TUES WED THURS FRI SAT
Salmon Cakes
Basic Pasta Dough
Clam Salad
Devil Egg Indian
Noodle Basket Simple
Pico de Gallo Country CIlantro Shrimp
ABC Sweet & Sour Pork s
Bruschetta
Green ravioli Recipes With Like Ingredients
Skewer Pasta with Sausage & Leek Mexican Meatballs
Mexican Meatballs Thai Tomato Coconut Shrimp Soup
Cantonese Tomato Beef Stir Fry
Butternut Squash & Potato Tortelli Rustic Tomato Soup
Sweet Red Bean Ravioli Grandma’s Spaghetti Sauce
Calamari & clam tomato sauce
Bacon Ricotta Balls
Baked shell pasta with salami & fontina
Chicken & chives dumplings
ABC Sweet & Sour Pork
Green ravioli
Skewer Pasta with Sausage & Leek
GET GROCERY LIST SAVE EatList
Eatlists offer recipe suggestions that can reduce your grocery list and save time & money.
When taken advantage of, these suggested recipes create value by consolidating
recipe ingredients, thus reducing the number of ingredients purchased, as well as
saving money. This feature also reduces the chance of food spoilage by ensuring
multiple uses for a single ingredient.
A complete grocery list of ingredients can then be calculated from the recipes,
making shopping simple and more efficient. This feature of the intervention is de-
signed to save users time by streamlining their shopping process. The necessary
amount of ingredients are accounted for in the list – meaning that there is no need
to return to the grocery store because you needed one more tomato. When Eat-
Lists are deemed complete, they can be named, saved, published, and shared
with other users. Other users can then browse for EatLists and save them to their
personal accounts.
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Sandy Ley, EatList NYC
Senior Thesis 2008
Parsons School of Design
Existing Technology
The EatList NYC solution concept is feasible because it is built around existing
technology. Meal planning sites such as MealsMatter.org1, and TastyPlanner.com2,
demonstrate the capabilities of interactive calendar applications constructed in
Ajax (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML). The growing movement towards use of
Ruby on Rails as a developer’s platform is also relevant to EatList NYC. Ruby is
“an open-source web framework3” that simplifies database management and web
development.
Identity
EatList NYC’s services are targeted to a very specific demographic
of users, making a strong and expressive identity essential to the
success of the intervention. Because the subjects of the study pos-
sess refined tastes when it comes to both food and design, it is
imperative that the identity should be minmalistic and chic, attract-
ing viewers with clean, crisp styling. EatList NYC is represented by
vertical, typographically-driven logo. A decorative florish reminscent
of French Bistro culture adorns the bottom of the logo, adding flair
and style. EatList NYC’s brand standard colors are blue and green.
These colors are taken from nature, literally extracted from a photo
of a Granny Smith Apple. They are representative of fresh produce, but are also
modern enough to be hip and attractive to Eatlist NYC’s the core demographic.
Information Architecture & Design
EatListNYC.com was designed to stand out from other recipe sites. The most pop-
ular and well known sites, such as Recipezaar.com, Allrecipes.com, and Foodnet-
work.com, focus mostly on the content of the site, overlooking the design flaws that
detract from the webpages. In order to separate EatList NYC from its competitors,
the layout was broken down into simple, user-intuitive elements. The design fea-
1 http://www.mealsmatter.org, [last accessed April 28th, 2008]
2 http://www.tastyplanner.com, [last accessed April 28th, 2008]
3 http://www.rubyonrails.org, [last accessed April 28th, 2008]
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Sandy Ley, EatList NYC
Senior Thesis 2008
Parsons School of Design
tures a simple page layout with a minimalistic header across the top of the screen.
This area was designed to take up a large amount of page real estate, indicating to
users that this is the first step in using EatList NYC. The header includes an area
where users can search for recipes, or browse by course, ingredients, or cuisine.
The site also lists the five most popular recipes, as well as five recently searched
items. Set against a white background, the information is legible and easy to fol-
low. Underneath the header on the homepage are sections that promote the use
of EatLists. By broadcasting other user’s EatLists, the site encourages new users
to join in and make their own. The individual recipe pages draw viewers in with
large photos, which can be submitted by other users. These pages also highlight
EatLists. A section above the recipe area advertises other user-created EatLists
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Sandy Ley, EatList NYC
Senior Thesis 2008
Parsons School of Design
that include the recipe on the page.
Implications
The main attraction and value of EatList NYC is its innovative recipe-suggestion
calendar. It is intended to help users reduce their grocery expenditures without
giving up quality home cooked meals, thus buying less, consuming more. Another
implication of the site is that it will provide an alternative recipe site for cooks who
are interested in simple, quality foods, as opposed to complicated recipes that
dominate the internet. If the site is used correctly, EatLists can also help users
balance their diets and achieve better health. By planning out meals in advance,
home cooks can see what they are eating, and thus make active decisions to eat
healthy.
Future Directions
EatList NYC exhibits infinite potential for growth. The idea of food crosses into
many other dimensions, including food photography, video webcasts, and nutrition
& fitness. EatList NYC is an intervention that could be evolved through various
other existing technologies to provide a valuable self-sustaining resource for dif-
ferent groups of people. For example, syndication of data from the United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Nutrient search databases4 could pro-
vide health-conscious users with information to help them balance their diets & eat
healthier.
4 http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/ [last accessed: April 28th, 2008]
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Sandy Ley, EatList NYC
Senior Thesis 2008
Parsons School of Design
FINANCIAL ANALYSIS
EatList NYC requires less than $100,000 in initial capital requirements. This will
easily cover the costs of funding design & development of a beta testing site. Once
the beta site has been launched, yearly operation costs are estimated to be just
under $92,000 for a two-person team.
Operational Plan
EXPENSE DESCRIPTION MONTHLY COST
Office Space Rent $1500
Utilities (electric, internet, phone) $300
Maintenance & repair $100
Property Insurance & Taxes $152
Advertising Projects $400
Salaries $5000
Office Supplies $100
Accounting $100
MONTHLY TOTAL $7652
YEARLY TOTAL 91,824
Marketing Plan
Product & Price
The product offered by EatList NYC is an interactive calendar service. Users sign
up for a free account. This is offered in exchange for user-created content, such as
uploaded recipes or saved EatLists.
Place
EatList NYC is based in New York City. Although users around the world can eas-
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Sandy Ley, EatList NYC
Senior Thesis 2008
Parsons School of Design
ily log on and use the site, the content is geared towards New Yorkers. The local
aspect of the site will garner more feelings of community. Limiting the project to
the New York City area will also encourage deeper and richer development of the
content - such as neighborhood or green market specific EatLists.
Promotion
Because EatList NYC targets an intersection of demographics - foodies & tech-
savvy young creatives, promotion should be approached in several different ways.
One direction is to promote an online service to foodies who do little more than use
the internet to browse for recipes. The best way to reach these people is through
traditional media, such print. Gourmet & Bon Appétit, food & lifestyle magazines
are excellent vehicles for reaching this demographic. Another approach would be
to draw the attention of tech-savvy people who enjoy cooking, but need a way to
simplify the process. Garnering attention through popular feed sites, such as Digg.
com or Lifehacker.com would be the best way to promote EatList NYC.
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Sandy Ley, EatList NYC
Senior Thesis 2008
Parsons School of Design
AKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Parsons School of Design Faculty
Raoul Rickenberg,
Thesis Professor
Research Advisor
Kechia Kwok,
Restaurant Consultant, AF&Co
Interactive Research Advisor
Adrian Lai,
Interactive Producer, RGA
Photo Credits:
The wonderful community of users at Flickr.com
David Chee
Sandy Ley
26
Sandy Ley, EatList NYC
Senior Thesis 2008
Parsons School of Design