New Product Idea - Interactive Cookbook - Feedback needed please!

[smartymarty28]

Hi Everyone!

I’m completely new to this forum so I hope you don’t think me asking for your help.

I’m a 3rd year Product Design student in at UWIC in Cardiff. I am currently working on my major project for which I have chosen to design a product that helps make it easier and more convenient for people to cook from scratch.

The research I have conducted so far indicates that many people don’t cook from scratch as often as they would like, so I am currently trying to determine what factors are the cause of this and identify a potential market for a product.

It would be great to get some feedback from people like yourselves who take an active interest in cooking. Although at this stage of the design process I’m not meant to have a solution, I’m basically envisioning some form of interactive cookbook.

I would be really grateful if you could fill in the questionnaire below, and any comments, ideas or suggestions on the idea of this new product would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for your time!


Martyn

Please note: I use the term 'cooking from scratch' to mean cooking using basic ingredients rather than pre-bought sauces, microwave meals, ready made pizzas etc.

Cooking Questionnaire

1) Sex? Male Female


2) How old are you?


12 – 17 18 – 24 25 – 34 35 – 44 45 – 54 55 – 64 65+



3) How often do you cook from scratch?


a) More than once a day

b) Once a day

c) 2-3 times a week

d) Once a week e) Once a fortnight f) Once a month g) Less than once a month



4) How often do you cook from scratch using a written recipe? (or one from a cooking program)


a) More than once a day b) Once a day c) 2-3 times a week

d) Once a week

e) Once a fortnight f) Once a month

g) Less than once a month


5) Would you like too cook from scratch more regularly?

Yes No

6) What would prevent you from cooking from scratch more regularly? (can pick more than one)


a) Lack of time b) Don’t enjoy it c) Don’t know many good recipes

d) Lack of confidence in the kitchen

e) Buying the ingredients is too expensive

f) Buying all the ingredients takes too much time & effort
g) I’m happy with the amount I cook from scratch
Other………………………………………………………………………………………


7) If you use a recipe to cook where do you usually get it from? (can pick more than one)


Cookbook Magazine Internet TV program From a friend or relative



8) What do you think to the idea of a product which would help you do the following: please number the features from most important (1) to least important (7)


a) Find a recipe based on your preferences, the time you have to cook, the ingredients you have available, the expense of the ingredients needed.


b) Tailors recipes to the number of people being served.


c) Provides you with the nutritional information of each recipe.


d) Provides personal nutritional guidance for each user.




e) Provides easy to follow cooking instructions with timer assistance.



f) Purchase ingredients for selected recipe/s automatically online.


g) Creates varied meal plans (omitting recipes / ingredients you don’t want) to make a nutritionally balanced diet.



Any other features you would like to see on the device?

………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………

10) Would you be interested in purchasing a product like this if they were available?

Definately Possibly Not sure Probably not

Definitely not


11) What would be the maximum you would be willing to spend on this kind of product?


£10 – £30 £30 - £60 £60 - £100 £100 - £150

£150 - £200 £200 - £250 £250+



Thank You

[auntdot]

Am confused, you ask if we would be willling to buy a prodcut like this but do not specify what the product is.

Cooking from scratch means different things to different folks also.

If I take a can of beans and add mustard powder, vinegar and sugar, is that cooking from scratch? Or do I need to start with dried beans?

To make a meaningful survey, at least to me, you need to define your terms.

Just my opinion. Good luck.

[babetoo]

i tried to answer these questions.

didn't work

what am i doing wrong ?

babe

[StirBlue]

Make a book where you can create a weekly/biweekly menu. For instance you turn to the page for fried chicken. It gives you several choices of sides. You point to the pictures of things that you want. You go on to roast beef and wind up with ground beef and chicken. When you are done making the selections, the Internet orders the supplies according to your menu. Select a delivery date & time and the store sends out your groceries.

I am sure that I can already order groceries online but I hate making the shopping list.

Thanks for your interest. Scratch as a cooking term means "some assembly required."

[Maverick2272]

I already have an MS Access database that does this for me. I keep a 'real-time' inventory on it, and when I select the 'menu' for the week it takes those items out of inventory and places them in the 'to be used' list, and then kicks out a list of items I am lacking in inventory but need to complete the meals. I can plan as far ahead as i want, it has a lot of flexibility.
But no, it doesn't order for me or deliver for me, and it heavily relies on me keeping the inventory up to date as well as making sure the quantities are accurate. Say I have two cups and I only have one, and I end up short on a recipe so it is kinda touchy that way.

[smartymarty28]

Sorry for the confusion... one of the questions was asking whether you would be interested in buying a product which has the features mentioned in question 8. As i said, the product isn't supposed to be fully defined at this stage, i'm just trying to gauge peoples interest. I have edited my original post to define what i mean by 'cooking from scratch', i overlooked the fact that there could be different interpretations - thanks for pointing that out.

[smartymarty28]

Originally Posted by babetoo

i tried to answer these questions.

didn't work

what am i doing wrong ?

babe

Hi babetoo, you could either write the question number & answers (or letter if applicable)? E.g.

1) Male
2) 25-24
3) a

etc.

or quote the original post deleting what you don't want & adding anything you need to.

[sage™]

you copy and paste his survey for your reply and type in answers in it or delete the answers that don't aply to you.

[Wart]

I think people don't cook from scratch because they don't want to take the time and / or put forth the effort.

Choking on industrial food is cheap and easy.

[kawarthagal]

Just a comment here possibly to improve your survey.....
I cannot remember for the life of me what a fortnight is (although i'm of british ancestry) i have heard the word before,is that 2 weeks.??
And the other in monetary terms,most people wont know about the value of british pounds(although i do,and have been to the uk many years ago).It looks like a lot of americans post on discuss cooking forums,it might be better to quote it in roughly the equivalent us dollar

I looked at the conversion this morning on msn money 0.51152 British Pound per Canadian Dollar This exchange rate is based on the daily rates for the US dollar.The us dollar is very close to ours
it was just a thought....