heirloom

• 

Prototype link: Figma Prototype

Describe your project

Heirloom is a digital space where recipes are preserved the way they were originally taught: through voice, memory, and shared experience. It bridges generational gaps by preserving family recipes alongside the irreplaceable stories and voices behind them. Unlike traditional recipe apps, Heirloom captures the full sensory and emotional experience of cooking with elders.

Instead of focusing on optimized instructions or perfect measurements, Heirloom centers the stories, traditions, and life moments tied to each dish. Elders record cook-along narration and oral tips that cannot be written down, preserving culture, dialects, and lived context along the way. Younger users are guided through cooking as if standing beside someone in the kitchen, listening, learning, and reflecting. They can add personal notes, revisit memories, and pass recipes on to others.

Designed to be slow, human, and intergenerational, Heirloom preserves more than flavor. It carries memory, wisdom, and belonging from one kitchen to the next.

Research process and findings

Describe your research process and findings. If you conducted any surveys or interviews, please include the survey form and/or interview questions here. If you conducted secondary research by pulling from online sources, please include a link to your sources.
I conducted secondary research across three interconnected domains: generational communication gaps within families, recipes as a form of storytelling and cultural memory, and the effectiveness of intergenerational programming. This was paired with market research on cooking behaviors and digital recipe platforms to understand both the emotional and economic landscape of the problem space.

The Generational Divide Crisis
Generational communication gaps within families have reached concerning levels. Research indicates that 50% of adolescents and 40% of parents acknowledge a meaningful communication gap exists. However, the same research emphasizes that empathy-driven, shared activities can effectively bridge these divides (University of Mumbai).

Recipes as Intergenerational Storytelling
Family recipes carry more than cooking instructions. According to Talker Research, 55% of Americans have a treasured family recipe passed down through generations, with over 52% of those recipes being more than 25 years old (Talker Research). Additionally, research on food-evoked nostalgia shows that revisiting familiar dishes promotes social connection and identity continuity across the lifespan, positively influencing mood and emotional well-being (Australian Health Promotion Association).

Intergenerational Connection
Loneliness among older adults remains a critical issue. In 2024, 33% of older adults reported experiencing loneliness, and 29% reported social isolation (University of Michigan). Furthermore, one in four adults over 65 don't use the Internet (International Journal for the Semiotics of Law), limiting access to digital social place and thus exacerbating isolation.
However, intergenerational engagement has proven benefits across age groups. Notably, 92% of Americans believe intergenerational activities help reduce loneliness for both younger and older participants (Generations United).

Market Research
From a market perspective, cooking remains a deeply embedded daily behavior. The global recipe app market was valued at approximately USD 724.4 million in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 2.27 billion by 2033, signaling sustained interest in digital cooking tools (Global Growth Insights). In the U.S., 81% of consumers prepare more than half of their meals at home (Research and Markets) and 53% of adults used a recipe app or website at least once per month in 2023 (Coolest Gadgets).

Notably, recipe platforms are not purely utilitarian. Social and sharing features influence approximately 45% of user interactions, highlighting a strong desire for community and shared experience alongside functional cooking guidance (Global Growth Insights).

Design Implications
Together, these findings reveal a clear opportunity: a recipe-sharing platform that can act as an intergenerational bridge, transforming cooking into a storytelling practice that evokes nostalgia, reinforces identity and belonging, and creates meaningful human connection across generations.

Important design decisions

Describe your most important design decisions. What research findings and/or user testing results led you to make these decisions?
Design decisions were guided by research on generational communication and online recipe-sharing behavior. Each decision addresses specific problems while fostering intergenerational connection and preserving cultural memory.

Accessibility-First Design
Because the platform is intended for multiple generations, accessibility was a critical design consideration. I implemented WCAG AA-compliant high-contrast colors, selected legible, scannable typefaces, and avoided overly dense layouts. Clear hierarchy, generous spacing, and straightforward navigation also helped to reduce cognitive load while remaining visually engaging for younger users. Touch targets and spacing were designed for users with motor challenges, and layouts were simplified to avoid overwhelming information. These choices ensure the platform is usable and welcoming across generations, bridging differences in technology comfort and supporting independent use by older adults.

Visual and Verbal Tone
The app uses a warm, comforting color palette and approachable language to reflect the emotional connection behind family recipes. Muted tones with rich accent colors give the interface a cozy, inviting feel that evokes nostalgia. Typography is clear and readable, with soft curves and a simple hierarchy that makes content easy to scan. Copy is friendly and personal, highlighting stories and memories rather than just instructions.

Voice-First Features
Likes and followers were excluded to encourage thoughtful, respectful engagement and reduce anxiety for elders. At the same time, research showing that social-sharing features influence user engagement guided the design of “Passed to You” and other community-driven flows, highlighting recipes shared by family and friends. This supports meaningful intergenerational exchange while mirroring traditional methods of passing down recipes.

Intentional Interactions
Excluded likes, followers, and feeds. This encourages thoughtful, respectful engagement, reducing anxiety for elders and promoting meaningful dialogue rather than performative activity. In addition, since market research revealed that social-sharing features influence roughly 45% of user interactions in recipe platforms, we designed sections such as “Passed to You” and community-driven discovery flows that highlight recipes shared by family or loved ones. This decision supports intergenerational exchange and mirrors how recipes are traditionally passed down through personal relationships.

Story-First Structure
Research revealed that recipes are deeply tied to memory, identity, and storytelling. Many users seek family dishes because they evoke nostalgia and emotional comfort. This informed the decision to pair each recipe with a personal story and position it before instructions, emphasizing cultural and emotional meaning. By emphasizing stories, the design reinforces that cooking is not just about food, but about preserving and sharing lived experiences.

AI Utilization

If applicable, describe how you utilized AI in your design process in detail. Please explain where AI fit into your workflow, which tools you used, and the specific purpose AI served at that stage. Include a concrete example of how AI influenced a design decision.
AI was used as a support tool throughout the design process. Specifically, I used ChatGPT and Claude to (1) conduct preliminary secondary research and (2) draft and refine copy in multiple tones for a multi-generational audience.

For research, AI helped quickly surface sources on generational communication gaps, recipes as storytelling, and the effectiveness of intergenerational programming, which I then verified and synthesized manually.

For copy, AI was particularly useful in generating multiple phrasing options for headings, descriptions, and story snippets. This ensured the language felt warm, inclusive, and easy to understand across age groups, especially under the time constraints.

For example, AI generated mock content for the “Apple Crumble Pie” recipe, allowing me to populate the interface with realistic data and ensure the app’s tone and storytelling felt authentic.

Built With

• figma