The Brava is a countertop cooking appliance that uses light to cook food.
The Brava is a countertop smart appliance driven by six powerful light bulbs. It cooks food like nothing else does. The lights operate by turnning on and off rapidly to cook food in a fraction of the time compared to traditional means. These sequences, called procedures, operate almost like a player piano. Each particular dish is associated with one or more of these 'songs' that can be used to cook the foods to the users' desired specifications. Because of this, the software is quite sophisticated.
Early in the project the device had a simple interface with a limited range of options and functions. Over time, hardware engineers and software developers implemented many new features. Part of my main responsibilities on this project involved evaluating the state of the product and bringing the software up to speed with the hardware. For example, over time it became necessary to add additional steps during the cook preparation flow. These tasks weren't necessarily required, but could prove useful for newer users. I wanted to make the experience truthful and informative while still allowing power users to skip any steps they were already familiar with. It was a tremendous challenge and also very rewarding.
On the visual side of things, my goals were to make the experience friendly and personal. High contrast, limited use of color, and round corners defined my revised version of the interface. These designs also closely matched the branding on our website and mobile app.
Throughout the development of the Brava software I designed and developed numerous functional prototypes. These served as vertical slices of specific features and experiences. These processes allowed for quick iteration and feedback.
