Coolinarika: A Taste Study

A hungry person’s journey

In an age where we consume information faster than we breathe, it was necessary to rethink how Coolinarika delivers recipes and food-related content to its growing consumer base. We wanted to start from scratch, analyze how people were using Coolinarika ten years ago and rethink that experience based on their present habits. Today we use websites and apps as helpers in finding a solution quickly, rather than spending hours browsing recipes. It was important to tailor Coolinarika after that new consumer: the site needed to become the ultimate culinary assistant. While keeping some of that old Coolinarika charm.

Analyze, taste, adapt

We analyzed everything. From user habits and behavior to seasonal ingredients and the way people store recipes. We utilized several data analysis platforms to see the big picture and figure out how to put it all together. Just for the record, there was a lot of iterating. A lot.

The technology behind the food

Coolinarika has over 200.000 recipes and navigating through that database can be… challenging. We had to think of a way to make the experience smooth for the visitor. We came up with a new algorithm to manage all these searches, learning and adjusting to each user along the way. We needed a name for this machine. Machine.

That’s right!

Enter Taste Machine.

Taste Machine

Developing such an algorithm was not easy. We needed to take into consideration many factors – ingredients, time of preparation, likes, dislikes, seasonal availability, and many more. Taste Machine is constantly learning about Coolinarika’s users, continuously serving them content they will probably like. And as it does this, it gets smarter all the time. Taste Machine also needed to understand the language of its users as they come from all over the region and many different dialects are in play. On top of that, it needs to stay invisible while doing all this. To help Taste Machine on its mission we utilized different solutions (like Elastic Search), but we also made personalization transparent and easy to manage.

New tricks

To help Taste Machine on its mission we utilized different solutions (like Elastic Search), but we also made personalization transparent and easy to manage. Why wouldn’t you want a faster way to find 10 recipes for raspberry pizza?

New design

We split this website into three sections. The first one serves as always-on-hand navigation. The second is a content display section with large pictures of your favorite meals and a clear textual hierarchy. The third section is hidden until you need it, managing shopping lists and favorite recipes.

Ready to roll!

The end result is an evolution from a popular culinary community to a go-to place for all your culinary needs. Coolinarika has become an ultimate helper in and outside of the kitchen, having your back every step of the way while suggesting some new and crazy stuff. So things don’t become stale 🙂 The more you use it, the wiser it gets with these suggestions. So roll up your sleeves and start cooking.