Sortizy - App
Sortizy - App
Sortizy - App
Sortizy is an all-in-one cooking and meal-planning platform designed to simplify life in the kitchen for Indian households. It brings together recipe discovery, meal planning, and grocery management into one intuitive app, tailored to regional tastes, dietary needs, and cultural contexts. Launched in 2021, Sortizy was recognized by Google Play as one of the Top 10 Everyday Essential Apps of the Year, a testament to its design, usability, and cultural relevance. As the UX Designer, I worked on designing the first version of the app from the ground up—shaping its core user flows, visual language, and feature set to ensure it delivered both functional utility and emotional connection for its users.
Sortizy is an all-in-one cooking and meal-planning platform designed to simplify life in the kitchen for Indian households. It brings together recipe discovery, meal planning, and grocery management into one intuitive app, tailored to regional tastes, dietary needs, and cultural contexts. Launched in 2021, Sortizy was recognized by Google Play as one of the Top 10 Everyday Essential Apps of the Year, a testament to its design, usability, and cultural relevance. As the UX Designer, I worked on designing the first version of the app from the ground up—shaping its core user flows, visual language, and feature set to ensure it delivered both functional utility and emotional connection for its users.
Sortizy is an all-in-one cooking and meal-planning platform designed to simplify life in the kitchen for Indian households. It brings together recipe discovery, meal planning, and grocery management into one intuitive app, tailored to regional tastes, dietary needs, and cultural contexts. Launched in 2021, Sortizy was recognized by Google Play as one of the Top 10 Everyday Essential Apps of the Year, a testament to its design, usability, and cultural relevance. As the UX Designer, I worked on designing the first version of the app from the ground up—shaping its core user flows, visual language, and feature set to ensure it delivered both functional utility and emotional connection for its users.
Years
Years
2020-2021
2020-2021
2020-2021
Role
Role
UI/UX Designer
UI/UX Designer
Scope
Scope
Product Strategy, UX/UI Design, Prototyping
Product Strategy, UX/UI Design, Prototyping
CHALLENGE
CHALLENGE
CHALLENGE
Meal planning and cooking were disjointed and overwhelming tasks for Indian households, causing decision fatigue, recipe selection struggles, and grocery management frustration. Existing digital solutions lacked cultural relevance and regional customisation, leading to inefficient experiences.
Meal planning and cooking were disjointed and overwhelming tasks for Indian households, causing decision fatigue, recipe selection struggles, and grocery management frustration. Existing digital solutions lacked cultural relevance and regional customisation, leading to inefficient experiences.
Meal planning and cooking were disjointed and overwhelming tasks for Indian households, causing decision fatigue, recipe selection struggles, and grocery management frustration. Existing digital solutions lacked cultural relevance and regional customisation, leading to inefficient experiences.
SOLUTION
SOLUTION
SOLUTION
Sortizy is designed to address these challenges by creating a unified, intuitive, and culturally relevant cooking platform. The app helps users effortlessly decide what to cook, seamlessly plan meals, and automatically generate convenient shopping lists. By aligning clear visual design with functional simplicity, Sortizy effectively reduced users' cognitive load, earning recognition from Google Play Store as one of its Top 10 Essential Apps of 2021 soon after launch, a standout solution for everyday cooking.
Sortizy is designed to address these challenges by creating a unified, intuitive, and culturally relevant cooking platform. The app helps users effortlessly decide what to cook, seamlessly plan meals, and automatically generate convenient shopping lists. By aligning clear visual design with functional simplicity, Sortizy effectively reduced users' cognitive load, earning recognition from Google Play Store as one of its Top 10 Essential Apps of 2021 soon after launch, a standout solution for everyday cooking.
Sortizy is designed to address these challenges by creating a unified, intuitive, and culturally relevant cooking platform. The app helps users effortlessly decide what to cook, seamlessly plan meals, and automatically generate convenient shopping lists. By aligning clear visual design with functional simplicity, Sortizy effectively reduced users' cognitive load, earning recognition from Google Play Store as one of its Top 10 Essential Apps of 2021 soon after launch, a standout solution for everyday cooking.
The challenge was to design a single platform that could serve as a personal cooking assistant making recipe discovery effortless, meal planning smart, and grocery management seamless—while remaining relatable to India's diverse culinary traditions.
The challenge was to design a single platform that could serve as a personal cooking assistant making recipe discovery effortless, meal planning smart, and grocery management seamless—while remaining relatable to India's diverse culinary traditions.
The challenge was to design a single platform that could serve as a personal cooking assistant making recipe discovery effortless, meal planning smart, and grocery management seamless—while remaining relatable to India's diverse culinary traditions.
COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT
COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT
COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT
India has a large and fast growing digital ecosystem for food apps. Especially when it comes to recipe discovery that works flawlessly for 90% of its population.
India has a large and fast growing digital ecosystem for food apps. Especially when it comes to recipe discovery that works flawlessly for 90% of its population.
India has a large and fast growing digital ecosystem for food apps. Especially when it comes to recipe discovery that works flawlessly for 90% of its population.
RESEARCH AND INSIGHTS
RESEARCH AND INSIGHTS
Technology & Market
Explored the Indian cooking app landscape to identify gaps in integration between recipe discovery, meal planning, and grocery management.
Technology & Market
Explored the Indian cooking app landscape to identify gaps in integration between recipe discovery, meal planning, and grocery management.
Technology & Market
Explored the Indian cooking app landscape to identify gaps in integration between recipe discovery, meal planning, and grocery management.
Technology & Market
Explored the Indian cooking app landscape to identify gaps in integration between recipe discovery, meal planning, and grocery management.
Cultural Context
Studied regional cuisines, cooking habits, and dietary restrictions to ensure inclusivity and relatability across different user segments.
Cultural Context
Studied regional cuisines, cooking habits, and dietary restrictions to ensure inclusivity and relatability across different user segments.
Cultural Context
Studied regional cuisines, cooking habits, and dietary restrictions to ensure inclusivity and relatability across different user segments.
Cultural Context
Studied regional cuisines, cooking habits, and dietary restrictions to ensure inclusivity and relatability across different user segments.
RESEARCH
User Behavior
Lack of User Awareness
Lack of User Awareness
Interviewed home cooks to understand their daily cooking routines, challenges in decision-making, and frustration with existing tools.
Limited understanding of how technology can enhance meditation practice
Competitor Benchmarking
Analyzed leading apps in the recipe and grocery space to identify usability pitfalls and opportunities for differentiation.
Competitor Benchmarking
Analyzed leading apps in the recipe and grocery space to identify usability pitfalls and opportunities for differentiation.
Competitor Benchmarking
Analyzed leading apps in the recipe and grocery space to identify usability pitfalls and opportunities for differentiation.
Competitor Benchmarking
Analyzed leading apps in the recipe and grocery space to identify usability pitfalls and opportunities for differentiation.
INSIGHTS
PROCESS
PROCESS
PROCESS
PROCESS
An adaptable design process guided the creation of Sortizy, evolving continuously through real user feedback and cultural insights. By working closely as a team—sharing ideas, testing concepts, and refining flows—we ensured the app addressed genuine cooking challenges faced by Indian households. Every iteration was shaped by the voices of home cooks, resulting in a solution that felt practical, culturally relevant, and delightfully easy to use, turning everyday meal planning into an enjoyable, stress-free experience
An adaptable design process guided the creation of Sortizy, evolving continuously through real user feedback and cultural insights. By working closely as a team—sharing ideas, testing concepts, and refining flows—we ensured the app addressed genuine cooking challenges faced by Indian households. Every iteration was shaped by the voices of home cooks, resulting in a solution that felt practical, culturally relevant, and delightfully easy to use, turning everyday meal planning into an enjoyable, stress-free experience
An adaptable design process guided the creation of Sortizy, evolving continuously through real user feedback and cultural insights. By working closely as a team—sharing ideas, testing concepts, and refining flows—we ensured the app addressed genuine cooking challenges faced by Indian households. Every iteration was shaped by the voices of home cooks, resulting in a solution that felt practical, culturally relevant, and delightfully easy to use, turning everyday meal planning into an enjoyable, stress-free experience
OVERCOMING OBSTACLES
OVERCOMING OBSTACLES
OVERCOMING OBSTACLES
No effort for users, but lots of it for us
No effort for users, but lots of it for us
No effort for users, but lots of it for us
Using already existing patterns is just so much easier and it took a while to ideate and build alternative prototypes. And once it all came together, I was told that the flow and many of its features were not compatible with the guidelines of the Chef's Enterprise (Sortizy parent company).
Giving up and sticking to a more common design was an obvious option, especially considering the required effort to somehow change their outdated regulations. Yet I insisted on the negotiation process and, in the end, personally convinced the Chef's Enterprise’s board of directors to authorise my design solution
Discover Recipes
Discover Recipes
Discover Recipes
Ingredient-based discovery that feels natural
Ingredient-based discovery that feels natural
Ingredient-based discovery that feels natural
Challenge
Challenge
Challenge
Users couldn't easily find recipes based on what they already had at home. Traditional search required knowing exact dish names, leading to decision paralysis and repeated grocery runs for single recipes.
Solution
Solution
Solution
enabled ingredient-based search (e.g. 'broccoli and eggs'), mood tags (e.g., comfort, quick, immunity), and curated content cards to kickstart meal ideas. The discovery flow felt more like browsing a personalized magazine than searching a database.
enabled ingredient-based search (e.g. 'broccoli and eggs'), mood tags (e.g., comfort, quick, immunity), and curated content cards to kickstart meal ideas. The discovery flow felt more like browsing a personalized magazine than searching a database.
enabled ingredient-based search (e.g. 'broccoli and eggs'), mood tags (e.g., comfort, quick, immunity), and curated content cards to kickstart meal ideas. The discovery flow felt more like browsing a personalized magazine than searching a database.
Plan & Shop
Plan & Shop
Plan & Shop
Seamless connection from inspiration to action
Seamless connection from inspiration to action
Seamless connection from inspiration to action
Challenege
Challenege
Challenege
The disconnect between finding recipes and actually shopping for ingredients was painful. Users would screenshot recipes, manually write lists, forget items, and often abandon cooking plans entirely.
The disconnect between finding recipes and actually shopping for ingredients was painful. Users would screenshot recipes, manually write lists, forget items, and often abandon cooking plans entirely.
The disconnect between finding recipes and actually shopping for ingredients was painful. Users would screenshot recipes, manually write lists, forget items, and often abandon cooking plans entirely.
Solution
Solution
Solution
Iintegrated a weekly meal planner that auto-generated editable grocery lists categorised by aisles for efficient shopping. The system learned user preferences and suggested substitutions based on dietary needs and local availability.
Iintegrated a weekly meal planner that auto-generated editable grocery lists categorised by aisles for efficient shopping. The system learned user preferences and suggested substitutions based on dietary needs and local availability.
Iintegrated a weekly meal planner that auto-generated editable grocery lists categorised by aisles for efficient shopping. The system learned user preferences and suggested substitutions based on dietary needs and local availability.
Cook with Ease
Cook with Ease
Cook with Ease
Multiple formats for every cooking style
Multiple formats for every cooking style
Multiple formats for every cooking style
Challenege
Challenege
Challenege
Existing recipe formats were either overwhelming with too much text or frustrating with video-only instructions that required constant pausing and rewinding during actual cooking.
Existing recipe formats were either overwhelming with too much text or frustrating with video-only instructions that required constant pausing and rewinding during actual cooking.
Existing recipe formats were either overwhelming with too much text or frustrating with video-only instructions that required constant pausing and rewinding during actual cooking.
Solution
Solution
Solution
Developed step-by-step recipe cards with text, images, and optional audio, minimising the need to pause or rewind. Users could choose their preferred format, visual learners got clear images, audio learners got narration, and text readers got concise instructions.
Developed step-by-step recipe cards with text, images, and optional audio, minimising the need to pause or rewind. Users could choose their preferred format, visual learners got clear images, audio learners got narration, and text readers got concise instructions.
Developed step-by-step recipe cards with text, images, and optional audio, minimising the need to pause or rewind. Users could choose their preferred format, visual learners got clear images, audio learners got narration, and text readers got concise instructions.
Cultural Context
Cultural Context
Cultural Context
Regional relevance that builds trust
Regional relevance that builds trust
Regional relevance that builds trust
Challenege
Challenege
Challenege
Most cooking apps ignored the diversity of Indian cooking traditions, dietary restrictions, and regional preferences, making recommendations feel generic and irrelevant to users' actual lifestyles.
Most cooking apps ignored the diversity of Indian cooking traditions, dietary restrictions, and regional preferences, making recommendations feel generic and irrelevant to users' actual lifestyles.
Most cooking apps ignored the diversity of Indian cooking traditions, dietary restrictions, and regional preferences, making recommendations feel generic and irrelevant to users' actual lifestyles.
Solution
Solution
Solution
I built in cultural and contextual content—from regional cuisine filters to personalized meal suggestions based on festivals, seasons, and dietary preferences. Multiple Indian languages and region-specific recipes reinforced local relevance.
I built in cultural and contextual content—from regional cuisine filters to personalized meal suggestions based on festivals, seasons, and dietary preferences. Multiple Indian languages and region-specific recipes reinforced local relevance.
I built in cultural and contextual content—from regional cuisine filters to personalized meal suggestions based on festivals, seasons, and dietary preferences. Multiple Indian languages and region-specific recipes reinforced local relevance.
BEHIND THE SCENES
BEHIND THE SCENES
BEHIND THE SCENES
None of this could happen without a proper environment. Every week our team conducted UX tests, pair design and brainstorming sessions, and we built the processes around our needs
None of this could happen without a proper environment. Every week our team conducted UX tests, pair design and brainstorming sessions, and we built the processes around our needs
None of this could happen without a proper environment. Every week our team conducted UX tests, pair design and brainstorming sessions, and we built the processes around our needs
Collaboration and Team work
Collaboration and Team work
Collaboration and Team work
On a regular basis I recorded my ideas and new iterations with Loom. That approach allowed our team to stay synchronised, track progress and share feedback in a less formal yet thoughtful way.
On a regular basis I recorded my ideas and new iterations with Loom. That approach allowed our team to stay synchronised, track progress and share feedback in a less formal yet thoughtful way.
On a regular basis I recorded my ideas and new iterations with Loom. That approach allowed our team to stay synchronised, track progress and share feedback in a less formal yet thoughtful way.
Components that speed the game up
Components that speed the game up
Components that speed the game up
We needed to test and scale all sorts of things so it was crucial for our tools to support that. For our design system I designed components with a structure that allowed to use dozens of cell variants and iterate with greater pace.
We needed to test and scale all sorts of things so it was crucial for our tools to support that. For our design system I designed components with a structure that allowed to use dozens of cell variants and iterate with greater pace.
We needed to test and scale all sorts of things so it was crucial for our tools to support that. For our design system I designed components with a structure that allowed to use dozens of cell variants and iterate with greater pace.