EPICURIOUS versus BIG OVEN{A brief review of two iPad recipe apps}

The graphic interfaces of the Epicurious and Big Oven apps are very polished, with vibrant graphics and well-organized layouts.

But the user interface—how people actually search and use recipes—

hasn’t been as carefully considered. Let’s view each app’s landing screen, attempt a search, read a recipe, add ingredients to a

grocery list and then check the list.

As a quick visual cue, Epicurious screens will have a gray backgrounds, while Big Oven will have white.

EPICURIOUS Landing Screen (Part 1)

Tapping Featured shows Epicurious’ seasonal

search categories

Users can also select Search or Favorites, or

their shopping list

EPICURIOUS Landing Screen (Part 2)

Users can search by entering text AND by

tapping icons, leading to confusing results

This pop-up search method is inefficient.

Users must swipe to find the correct icons,

and the complicated interface is hard to use.

Easy search is key: better to have provided

a text search field at the top of the pop-up

BIG OVEN Landing Screen

Well organized, easy to scan, with the

tabs providing filters along the side

Recipes can’t be rated on the iPad,

diminishing positive user experience

EPICURIOUS Search Results

EPICURIO US ve rsu s BIG O V EN

Recipe tags are not helpful due to repetition

(main dishes) and confusing categories

(what’s the difference between ribs, roasts,

steaks and chops etc?).

Preparation and total cooking times

would be more helpful.

BIG OVEN Search Results

Users must repeatedly tap between the

ingredients and the recipe to make the dish

EPICURIOUS Recipe

The ingredients can only be seen in the

pop-up, which obscures the recipe text

Tapping Prepare redraws the screen with larger text and extends the iPad’s active-screen

timer, though few users will realize it

The ingredients and recipe are shown

together, making it easy to follow.

BIG OVEN Recipe

EPICURIOUS Add to Grocery List

Tapping this icon the changes its color,

indicating ALL ingredients have been

added to the grocery list. Ingredients can’t be individually added

Sure to confuse users, boxes can be checked...

...OR text can be tapped, which highlights the row

and provides a pop-up. Neither method actually functions correctly, and

ALL of the ingredients will be added to the list.

BIG OVEN Add to Grocery List

No indication of checkboxes’ function

Items cannot be deleted on this screen, only on the recipe screen. Few

users will discover that. The list will become too long and users will avoid

this function entirely

EPICURIOUS Grocery List

Custom items can be entered here, but users might assume these are

labels for the columns below. Leading off with the word “Add” would

provide a visual cue

Users have to tap Edit and enter another

pop-up to delete items, neither

intuitive nor efficient

Poor information architecture has led to

two unusable entries (how big a roast? what’s

missing from Other?)

No indication of checkboxes’ function

BIG OVEN Grocery List

In summary, both apps have appealing graphic interfaces which take good advantage of the iPad’s amazing screen fidelity.

Unfortunately neither user interface has been planned out

carefully enough, and users will be frustrated by some overly-complicated search functions, difficult recipe usage and disastrous grocery lists.