Mink

What’s for dinner

Redesign case study, Coles app features

Explore recipe

Overview

The question I simply ask myself every single day is “What should I eat?” It’s a question many of us share, and it’s the same idea behind Coles’ What’s for dinner campaign. What I’ve learned is that when people think about food, they don’t start with ingredients. They start with the dish, the craving, the flavour, the idea of the meal. Only after that do we think about what we need to buy. But in the current Coles app, recipes and groceries feel like two separate experiences. You’re expected to shop by ingredient first, even though our minds naturally work the other way around. This redesign focus on bringing those two worlds together. My goal was to redesign the experience to feel more intuitive, personalised, and seamless navigation across cooking and shopping. By building the journey around how people actually decide what to eat, starting from the dish, not the ingredient, and guiding them all the way through planning, shopping, and cooking in one smooth flow.

Problem

Through using the Coles app myself and reviewing user feedback, I found that the core issues weren’t about features missing, but about the features that already exist not being easy to find or easy to use.

  • Recipe search is hidden and hard to use

    The search function is tucked away, inconsistent, and not integrated into the shopping flow.

  • The “Shop recipe” button doesn’t work as expected

    The feature that should make meal planning simple is unreliable or incomplete.

  • Navigation feels cluttered and unintuitive

    Key actions like searching and adding items require too many taps or sit in confusing places.

Design concept

To address the core issues in the current Coles app, I focused on four key design concept to aimed at making discovery, planning, and shopping more intuitive and connected.

  • Simplified recipe filters

    Clear customised search refinement

    recipe filters
  • Dual search entry

    Seamless switching between products & recipes

    dual search entry
  • Smart shopping list

    Intuitive navigation from recipes to add all ingredients to trolley

    shopping list
  • Engagement features

    Recipe ratings and user comments for social proof

    ratings and reviews

The redesign starts by introducing a dual search entry that clearly separates product search from recipe search, allowing users to switch effortlessly depending on whether they’re shopping for essentials or looking for meal ideas.

 

Once in the recipe flow, simplified filters help users quickly find dishes that match their cravings, time, or dietary needs. After choosing a recipe, a smart shopping list converts serving sizes into a complete, accurate ingredient list that can be added to the trolley in one tap. Finally, ratings and user comments provide social proof, helping users feel confident in their choices.

Usability testing showed a significant improvement in efficiency. Users completed the key task 3 times faster in the redesign. The original flow took approximately 1:59 minutes, while the redesigned experience reduced it to just 27 seconds, demonstrating a far more streamlined and intuitive experience.

Reflection

This project made me realise that the Coles app doesn’t need more features, it needs its strongest features to be easier to find and use. By responding to these pain points directly, the design concepts naturally took shape, clearer recipe filters for better discovery, dual search entry to match real user behaviour, a smart shopping list that reliably adds all ingredients, and social features that build trust.

 

Redesigning the experience around how people actually decide what to eat, starting with the dish, not the ingredient, led to a journey that reduces friction and keeps users moving forward without confusion.

Explore next
Weekend

The best personal guide for your limited weekend journey.

See project →

mink
Mink

What’s for dinner

Redesign case study, Coles app features

Explore recipe

Overview

The question I simply ask myself every single day is “What should I eat?” It’s a question many of us share, and it’s the same idea behind Coles’ What’s for dinner campaign. What I’ve learned is that when people think about food, they don’t start with ingredients. They start with the dish, the craving, the flavour, the idea of the meal. Only after that do we think about what we need to buy. But in the current Coles app, recipes and groceries feel like two separate experiences. You’re expected to shop by ingredient first, even though our minds naturally work the other way around. This redesign focus on bringing those two worlds together. My goal was to redesign the experience to feel more intuitive, personalised, and seamless navigation across cooking and shopping. By building the journey around how people actually decide what to eat, starting from the dish, not the ingredient, and guiding them all the way through planning, shopping, and cooking in one smooth flow.

Problem

Through using the Coles app myself and reviewing user feedback, I found that the core issues weren’t about features missing, but about the features that already exist not being easy to find or easy to use.

  • Recipe search is hidden and hard to use

    The search function is tucked away, inconsistent, and not integrated into the shopping flow.

  • The “Shop recipe” button doesn’t work as expected

    The feature that should make meal planning simple is unreliable or incomplete.

  • Navigation feels cluttered and unintuitive

    Key actions like searching and adding items require too many taps or sit in confusing places.

Design concept

To address the core issues in the current Coles app, I focused on four key design concept to aimed at making discovery, planning, and shopping more intuitive and connected.

  • Simplified recipe filters

    Clear customised search refinement

    recipe filters
  • Dual search entry

    Seamless switching between products & recipes

    dual search entry
  • Smart shopping list

    Intuitive navigation from recipes to add all ingredients to trolley

    shopping list
  • Engagement features

    Recipe ratings and user comments for social proof

    ratings and reviews

The redesign starts by introducing a dual search entry that clearly separates product search from recipe search, allowing users to switch effortlessly depending on whether they’re shopping for essentials or looking for meal ideas.

 

Once in the recipe flow, simplified filters help users quickly find dishes that match their cravings, time, or dietary needs. After choosing a recipe, a smart shopping list converts serving sizes into a complete, accurate ingredient list that can be added to the trolley in one tap. Finally, ratings and user comments provide social proof, helping users feel confident in their choices.

Usability testing showed a significant improvement in efficiency. Users completed the key task 3 times faster in the redesign. The original flow took approximately 1:59 minutes, while the redesigned experience reduced it to just 27 seconds, demonstrating a far more streamlined and intuitive experience.

Reflection

This project made me realise that the Coles app doesn’t need more features, it needs its strongest features to be easier to find and use. By responding to these pain points directly, the design concepts naturally took shape, clearer recipe filters for better discovery, dual search entry to match real user behaviour, a smart shopping list that reliably adds all ingredients, and social features that build trust.

 

Redesigning the experience around how people actually decide what to eat, starting with the dish, not the ingredient, led to a journey that reduces friction and keeps users moving forward without confusion.

Explore next
Weekend

The best personal guide for your limited weekend journey.

See project →

mink
Mink

What’s for dinner

Redesign case study, Coles app features

Explore recipe

Overview

The question I simply ask myself every single day is “What should I eat?” It’s a question many of us share, and it’s the same idea behind Coles’ What’s for dinner campaign. What I’ve learned is that when people think about food, they don’t start with ingredients. They start with the dish, the craving, the flavour, the idea of the meal. Only after that do we think about what we need to buy. But in the current Coles app, recipes and groceries feel like two separate experiences. You’re expected to shop by ingredient first, even though our minds naturally work the other way around. This redesign focus on bringing those two worlds together. My goal was to redesign the experience to feel more intuitive, personalised, and seamless navigation across cooking and shopping. By building the journey around how people actually decide what to eat, starting from the dish, not the ingredient, and guiding them all the way through planning, shopping, and cooking in one smooth flow.

Problem

Through using the Coles app myself and reviewing user feedback, I found that the core issues weren’t about features missing, but about the features that already exist not being easy to find or easy to use.

  • Recipe search is hidden and hard to use

    The search function is tucked away, inconsistent, and not integrated into the shopping flow.

  • The “Shop recipe” button doesn’t work as expected

    The feature that should make meal planning simple is unreliable or incomplete.

  • Navigation feels cluttered and unintuitive

    Key actions like searching and adding items require too many taps or sit in confusing places.

Original user flow

Home

More

Recipes

Shopping list

My list

Add list to trolley

Trolley

Check out

Search

Dish page

Adjust Quantity

Add individual item to shopping list

Redesign flow

Home

Shopping list

Check out

Recipe search

Shop Ingredient

Dish page

Adjust Quantity

Add all to shopping list

Design concept

To address the core issues in the current Coles app, I focused on four key design concept to aimed at making discovery, planning, and shopping more intuitive and connected.

  • Dual search entry

    Seamless switching between products & recipes

    dual search entry
  • Simplified recipe filters

    Clear customised search refinement

    recipe filters
  • Smart shopping list

    Intuitive navigation from recipes to add all ingredients to trolley

    shopping list
  • Engagement features

    Recipe ratings and user comments for social proof

    ratings and reviews

The redesign starts by introducing a dual search entry that clearly separates product search from recipe search, allowing users to switch effortlessly depending on whether they’re shopping for essentials or looking for meal ideas.

 

Once in the recipe flow, simplified filters help users quickly find dishes that match their cravings, time, or dietary needs. After choosing a recipe, a smart shopping list converts serving sizes into a complete, accurate ingredient list that can be added to the trolley in one tap. Finally, ratings and user comments provide social proof, helping users feel confident in their choices.

user journey

Usability testing showed a significant improvement in efficiency. Users completed the key task 3 times faster in the redesign. The original flow took approximately 1:59 minutes, while the redesigned experience reduced it to just 27 seconds, demonstrating a far more streamlined and intuitive experience.

Reflection

This project made me realise that the Coles app doesn’t need more features, it needs its strongest features to be easier to find and use. By responding to these pain points directly, the design concepts naturally took shape, clearer recipe filters for better discovery, dual search entry to match real user behaviour, a smart shopping list that reliably adds all ingredients, and social features that build trust.

 

Redesigning the experience around how people actually decide what to eat, starting with the dish, not the ingredient, led to a journey that reduces friction and keeps users moving forward without confusion.

Explore next
Weekend

The best personal guide for your limited weekend journey.

See project →

mink