UX Design | User Research | UI Design

Recipe Blog Redesign — Balancing UX & Revenue

This project focused on redesigning a recipe blog experience where users often felt overwhelmed by ads and cluttered content. The challenge was to improve usability and content accessibility without compromising ad visibility or affiliate revenue.

Business
Objectives

We worked to meet business goals without harming user experience by focusing on subtle, integrated design strategies:
‍
Generate Revenue‍

  • Integrated affiliate links into relevant recipe sections
  • Introduced a rotating sticky ad bar (4-second rotation) to increase ad impressions without disruption
    ‍

Increase Engagement‍

  • Added less intrusive, well-placed newsletter sign-up prompts
  • Improved visibility and placement of social sharing buttons
    ‍

Support SEO & Discovery‍

  • Consolidated excessive decorative images into a gallery to reduce scroll fatigue
  • Balanced keyword placement with clear headings and better page structure

User
Objectives

Our research revealed that users (primarily busy women ages 25–45, often mothers) wanted quick, no-fuss access to recipes and helpful tips. Based on this, we structured goals around the following needs:
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Efficient Recipe Access

  • “Jump to recipe” button prioritized
  • Reduced page clutter to minimize scrolling
    ‍

Clear Instruction Comprehension‍

  • Combined ingredient amounts directly into each recipe step
  • Enhanced step-by-step clarity with visuals and optional highlights
    ‍

Access to Supplemental Info‍

  • Added prominent CTAs for freezing tips, FAQs, and video walkthroughs
  • Designed contextual links that appear near the recipe, not below it

User Research & Testing

I conducted user testing and behavior analysis to identify core frustrations:
‍

  • “All I want is the recipe!” — Users skipped intro content using jump links
  • “Get me out of here” — Many users screenshotted recipes and left immediately
  • “AHHH so many ads” — In-content ads were overwhelming and often led to bounce
  • Low engagement with social CTAs and extra tips

UX Design Solutions

1. Sticky Ad Bar

  • Replaced large inline ads with a rotating sticky bar
  • Met ad impression goals without interrupting content flow

2. Inner Page Navigation

  • Introduced a floating table of contents to help users jump to key sections (e.g., recipe, tips, FAQs)

3. Condensed Image Gallery

  • Moved decorative images into a lightbox gallery
  • Left 2–3 Pinterest-friendly images within content for SEO and Pin engagement

4. Inline Ingredients + Actionable CTAs

  • Embedded ingredients within each recipe step to eliminate scrolling back and forth
  • Added in-flow CTAs for video walkthroughs and FAQs

The
Outcome

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bryceknapp.uxdesign@gmail.com
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