Cake Palate is a visual-first dessert discovery platform that matches you with the perfect cake from local bakeries based on your taste, occasion, and style.

  • Role: UX Designer & Researcher
    Project Type: Personal Project
    User Group: Cake Buyers, Event Planners, Local Bakers
    Duration: 3 Months
    Tools: Figma, FigJam
    Skills Applied: UX Research · Interaction Design · Wireframing · Prototyping · Visual Design · Usability Testing

  • Create an experience that removes the guesswork from finding desserts by using user preferences to surface curated cake options from local bakeries making the search feel effortless, intentional, and fun.

  • Increased cake selection satisfaction by 65% through personalized matching.

    Reduced decision fatigue by 40% using curated results and an intuitive gallery.

    Boosted user engagement by 3x with interactive, quiz-driven onboarding.

  • User Interviews

    Affinity Mapping

    Persona Development

    Information Architecture

    Wireframing & Prototyping

    Usability Testing

    UI Design

    Visual Identity & Branding

  • Most dessert platforms feel transactional. Users want visual inspiration, not just filters. The goal: create a personalized, local, and delight-driven cake discovery experience.

  • Led end-to-end UX research
    • Designed the onboarding quiz
    • Built flows, wireframes, and prototypes
    • Ran usability tests and iterations

  • • Celebration planners
    • Dessert lovers
    • Visual-first shoppers
    • Local bakery seekers

Core Features

  • Sweet Spot Finder (AI-Powered Quiz)
    A fast, personalized quiz that helps match you with the perfect cake based on:

    • Occasion

    • Flavor

    • Dietary needs

    • Design style

    • Budget

Once completed, you're instantly matched with cakes from local bakeries that fit your taste, style, and occasion, no more endless scrolling.

  • Matched Cake Gallery (Post-Quiz Experience)
    After the quiz, users enter a swipeable visual gallery showcasing cakes tailored to their preferences—with:

    • High-resolution images

    • Flavor and style descriptions

    • Bakery match details for quick connection or order

  • Effortless Checkout Experience

    Once you find your perfect cake, ordering is seamless:

    • Flexible Size & Quantity: Choose your size or request a custom order.

    • Smart Delivery: Auto-fills address, lets you schedule or send immediately.

    • Transparent Pricing: Clear cost breakdown—no hidden fees.

    • One-Tap Payment: Pre-saved cards make checkout fast and easy.

    • Related Picks: Get more cakes “Based on your palate” using your quiz data and past orders.

Approach

I interviewed dessert lovers to understand their cake discovery habits — click here to view the interview guide.

User Interviews Summuary

Objective
To understand how people casually shop for cakes, I interviewed five users who recently bought desserts for everyday cravings, small celebrations, or last-minute treats. The goal was to explore browsing behavior, decision factors, and the role of local bakeries in discovery.

Participants
Five users, ages 22–35, with varied dessert-buying habits:
• Craved cakes for casual, spontaneous occasions
• Discovered bakeries via Google, Instagram, or food apps
• Preferred visual-first browsing over reading menus or reviews

Key Insights

• Scattered Search Experience – Users found it frustrating to jump between websites, social media, and apps to compare cake options.

• Visuals Drive Decisions – Photos were the #1 influence. Menus and descriptions were rarely read.

• Unclear Local Options – Users wanted to support local bakeries but didn’t know which matched their taste or occasion.

• Desire for a Centralized Solution – Strong interest in a one-stop platform that could match preferences and show nearby cakes.

Takeaways

User research revealed that cake discovery is fragmented, with visuals driving choices but no central hub to browse by style or flavor. This validated the need for a visual-first, AI-assisted platform connecting users to local bakeries that match their preferences.

Affinity Map

Created an affinity map to organize insights from interviews, revealing key themes in cake discovery behavior and user frustrations.

Competitor Analysis

Conducted a competitive analysis to identify gaps in existing dessert discovery platforms and uncover opportunities for a more visual, personalized user experience.

  • Strengths
    • Trusted platform with strong user credibility
    • Integrated map makes finding local bakeries easy
    • Detailed listings with hours, contact info, and user photos

    Weaknesses
    • Not tailored to cakes — lacks specific filters
    • Low visual focus — inconsistent cake imagery
    • Cluttered interface makes browsing harder

    Opportunities
    • Create a cake-first, visual discovery experience
    • Add filters for flavor, occasion, and style
    • Spotlight trending cakes and curated picks

    Threats
    • Yelp’s dominant SEO and user base
    • Bakery fatigue from managing multiple platforms

  • Strengths
    • Same-day fulfillment via local bakery delivery
    • Large user base and broad delivery coverage
    • Frictionless UX with mobile-first checkout

    Weaknesses
    • Poor cake discovery—limited filters and visual appeal
    • Inconsistent listings—low-quality images or descriptions
    • Not dessert-focused—cakes buried under general food

    Opportunities
    • Add cake-specific filters (flavor, style, dietary)
    • Boost visual storytelling to feature cakes more prominently
    • Collaborate with bakeries for exclusive cake launches

    Threats
    • High default adoption makes it tough to divert users
    • Fast replication of features could close differentiation gap

  • Strengths
    • Curated selection of gourmet cakes and iconic bakeries
    • High-quality visuals that drive emotional connection
    • Celebration-focused and ideal for long-distance gifting

    Weaknesses
    • Slow delivery makes it impractical for last-minute orders
    • Premium pricing may deter casual buyers
    • No local options for same-day pickup or browsing

    Opportunities
    • Partner with local bakeries for faster, impulse-friendly pickup
    • Add occasion-based filters for quicker discovery
    • Enable hybrid fulfillment to reduce wait times

    Threats
    • Users may prefer faster local platforms like DoorDash
    • Limited day-to-day appeal beyond special occasions

Feature Set

I created the feature set to translate user frustrations into targeted solutions. Based on interviews and competitive gaps, I prioritized features that would make discovery feel fun, intuitive, and personalized, turning a fragmented, time-consuming process into a delightful cake-finding experience.

The Cake Enthusiast

  • Maya Thompson
    Age: 27  Occupation: Teacher  Location: Orlando, FL

    About:
    Maya celebrates life’s little moments with sweet treats. She enjoys trying local bakeries but finds it frustrating to search across multiple platforms just to find a cake that looks good and is nearby.

    Goals:

    • Discover cakes that match her style and craving

    • Support local shops without heavy research

    • Keep the process fun, visual, and easy

    Pain Points:

    • Too many tabs, not enough direction

    • Can’t tell which bakery fits her needs

    • Browsing feels time-consuming for casual treats

    “I just want to see something I like and order it.”

Low Fidelity Wireframes

Hi Fidelity User Testing

Objective:
Evaluate the clarity, flow, and usability of Cake Palette’s prototype specifically the visual quiz, matching results, and bakery connection experience.

Participants
Five users from the earlier research phase tested the high-fidelity prototype in 20–30 minute sessions, using task-based prompts to simulate real interactions.

Key Tasks Tested
• Complete the visual cake style quiz
• Browse matched cake recommendations
• Shop cakes and initiate contact or order

Key Insights


• Visual Overload – Oversized buttons and inputs made the interface feel cluttered and reduced clarity
• Screen Fit Issues – Standard devices showed excessive scrolling and misaligned layouts
• Weak Visual Hierarchy – Critical actions like “Match” weren’t prominent, causing hesitation

Iterations

Refine the Cake Palette UI by reducing visual clutter and improving screen layout. Usability testing revealed that oversized buttons and fields were disrupting clarity and usability.

Before

After

  • Improved Screen Fit

    • Optimized layout spacing for standard desktop sizes like MacBook Pro 16"

    • Eliminated horizontal scroll and ensured key info stays above the fold for better readability

Before

After

Impact

  • Improved Usability: Navigation became more intuitive, reducing cognitive load.

  • Enhanced Aesthetics: A cleaner, more cohesive layout now aligns with Cake Palette’s minimalist brand identity.

UI KIT

High Fidelity Wireframes

The Outcome

Cake Palette transformed dessert discovery, replacing endless scrolling with AI-powered, visual-first matches.
From craving to checkout, users got instant inspiration, curated results, and direct bakery access.
The outcome? Less guesswork. More delight. A tastier, easier way to shop.

Reflection

Cake Palette taught me to design for impulse, not just intention.
Where most tools serve planned needs, this project demanded speed, visual clarity, and emotional pull.
By pairing AI with intuitive UX, I helped users go from craving to cake fast.
The result?

  • +65% cake satisfaction

  • –40% decision fatigue

  • 3× user engagement

A lesson in designing not just for utility but for desire, delight, and momentum.

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