Context: Cakery is an early-stage startup that aims to transform the custom cake ordering experience through a visually engaging, intuitive platform that empowers customers to design, price, and order cakes seamlessly while providing bakers with valuable insights and order management tools they’ve traditionally lacked.
Rice Design Consulting: Cakery
CONTEXT
ROLE
TEAM
TIMELINE
SKILLS/TOOLS
UX Design Consultant
3 UI/UX Designers
Jan 26-28, 2024
Figma
User Interviews
Prototyping
Market Research
Design System
SUMMARY + IMPACT
I served as a UX design consultant for Cakery, a startup building a centralized national platform connecting customers with local bakers. Partnering closely with the founder, Makenzie, my incredible team and I helped shape a dual-sided business model to bring the company's vision to life.
In Figma, I created high-fidelity prototypes for onboarding, marketplace navigation, and order management. Many of these designs were implemented directly into the MVP, enabling rapid iteration as development progressed.
Despite limited direct access to end users, I leaned on research to clarify key workflows and influence design decisions.This project strengthened my ability to deliver in fast-moving, ambiguous startup environments while ensuring design decisions aligned with both stakeholder goals and user needs.
PROJECT PROCESS
01
02
03
05
Research
Design
Final Deliverable
Reflection
01
RESEARCH
Bakers often go through unnecessary communication with customers who realize that basic logistics prevent them from ordering a cake.
Bakeries current way of communicating makes it hard for customers to visualize what their cake will look like and how many people it will feed.
From our client interview, we analyzed the problem and defined must have features on our favorite tool,
Figjam!
The Problem: Communication
1. Make the cake quoting process easier by reducing barriers?
2. Connect bakers and customers through a centralized platforms to increase accessibility?
Eliminate time wasted between baker and customer if the customer has personal constraints that the baker cannot meet.
1.1
ACTION
How might we…
Time Optimization
Personalization
Quoting Process Ease
Centralization
Value Creation
1.2
CLIENT INTERVIEWS
When asked about the purpose of the platform…
…to provide a seamless platform for customers to customize and purchase cakes, with the main goals of enhancing personalization, streamlining the ordering process, and connecting talented bakers with their target audience.
THE PURPOSE
1.3
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
We conducted a competitive analysis of similar two-sided marketplace platforms.
Our Key Takeaways:
Good filtering systems
Consistent Branding
Visible Reviews
Unintuitive Navigation
Clutter
1.3
IDEATION AND NARROWING OUR PROBLEM SPACE
We conducted a competitive analysis of similar two-sided marketplace platforms.
02
DESIGN
When working amongst other designers, communicating consistency is key. Together, we created a design system and brand guide that reflected the community centric goal of Cakery.
2.1
DESIGN SYSTEM
I was responsible for organizing and designing the profile page for bakers' order management. I wanted to replicate familiar interfaces like AirBnb for status updates with the heart icon being easily accessible.
Bakery Order Management Lo-fis:
2.2
BAKERY INPUT FLOW
There were several input variables to consider from the baker's end. I analyzed which would be the most important in an MVP and how to organize this in a way that would be more intuitive for bakers with different backgrounds in technology use.
Flavor
Sizing
Pricing
Photos
Customization
Input Fields:
Given these various category input fields, I had to determine what the layout would look like from the baker's ends and account for the versatility between variables included by different businesses.
We also did not want to overwhelm the user with too many input fields.
2,3
ITERATE, ITERATE, ITERATE
Iterations is an instrumental part of the design process. I iterated within the lo-fi flow to make steps more succinct and in consideration with varying backgrounds in technology use.
2.4
CUSTOMER SIDE ITERAITONS
In designing the onboarding profile flow, I iterated within this page to be more accessible (reflects reading left to right + higher contrast components).
2.5
BAKERY SIDE HIGH FI
In designing the onboarding profile flow, I iterated within this page to be more accessible (reflects reading left to right + higher contrast components).
03
DEMO TIME
04
REFLECTION
An initial MVP was launched on March 27th!
This was the first time I was a part of a live development process, and it was so inspiring to work with such a driven founder like Makenzie alongside a passionate team.
We got the opportunity to be filmed for an episode highlighting startups
here's a picture of my PM (lucy!!) and I at the Cakery Launch Party!
Teamwork makes the dream work (literally).
Working in a startup especially so closely with the founder was very rewarding as we were able to literally help Makenzie's dream come to life.
In sometimes ambiguous startup environments, keeping the user at the center is key.
Ambition drives startups, but this project taught me how to take a step back and look at what the user needs.
In this two-sided business model, we had to consider what initial features would be a priority before getting too ahead of ourselves.
Iteration is not failure.
Working in a startup especially so closely with the founder was very rewarding as we were able to literally help Makenzie's dream come to life.
peep my incredible team—
shoutout dominique, lucy, ellie, grace, and our amazing founder kenzie + meghna <33
4.1
KEY TAKEAWAYS
a flower for stopping by ᵕ̈
<< sowed with love, jo anil © 2025
