Pizza Mastery
Inspiring future pizzaiolos, with new ways to master the art and science of pizza-making.
Ooni, 2023
Inspiring future pizzaiolos, with new ways to master the art and science of pizza-making.
Ooni, 2023
Pizza Mastery was my first major project with Ooni's Learning & Inspiration team. Led by the CMO, we created a polished pizza-making masterclass featuring video lessons with seasoned pizza chefs to showcase Ooni's expertise and credibility.
Targeting Ooni's vibrant online community, the masterclass aimed to make pizza-making accessible for beginners and offer advanced instruction for enthusiasts.
The company had previously sold online pizza-making classes, and market data showed users would be willing to pay for high-quality instruction. To get some feedback and check the product's revenue potential, I helped build a prototype.
My team (a project manager, three engineers, and me) developed an eLearning platform, creating the content model, designing the platform, and validated those ideas through user testing.
The success of Pizza Mastery hinged on high-quality content and presentation. We opted for a simple, scalable interface familiar to streaming service users, with features like 'Continue Watching.'
The content model was structured like a TV series, with modules containing lessons. We filmed and edited a pilot module to get early feedback from Ooni customers. While producing the video, the software team developed a product strategy, and I built a semi-functional prototype for testing.
User feedback validated our assumptions and reshaped our strategy. We paused the project to focus on areas with a bigger impact on Ooni's digital offerings.
Before building an eLearning platform from scratch it was worth exploring other options. Available hosting services were expensive, lacked features, or didn't meet our needs. We defined a premium feature set and I pushed for a prototype to validate our assumptions and test the product's viability.
Accessibility was integral to Pizza Mastery's design. The video lessons were mainly instructional, supported by written content like links, blog articles, recipes, and FAQs. Users could revisit challenging lessons or tips of interest.
Collaborating with Ooni's brand team, I turned early marketing mockups into workable UI components. Each module, representing a different pizza style, used distinct colours to emphasise its identity. We created a beautiful, accessible visual identity aligned with WCAG 2.1 Level AA.
The platform's design mirrored video streaming services with a minimalist UI that highlighted content and brand identity. To keep customers engaged, I conducted a UX workshop to generate and test new concepts, like a splash page with perks and badges, enhancing user experience without extra workload for the video team.
I built a high-fidelity desktop and mobile prototype in Figma, including a "working" video player. Using edited videos from the pilot module, users could experience the platform and provide feedback.
We had users complete the first module and conducted remote video interviews for feedback on the content, product, and their pizza-making journey. I compiled a detailed report in Notion with our findings and conclusions.
Feedback was positive; users loved the content and found the platform engaging and easy to use. However, most users wouldn't pay for it, citing free alternatives like YouTube. The high production costs made the product unviable in a crowded market.
The project was put on hold, with the pilot module videos now available on Ooni's social media. Meanwhile, Masterclass and BBC Maestro have released their own pizza-making courses.
Pizza Mastery taught me the value of failing fast. A great idea doesn't always lead to a viable product. Through user research, we validated our assumptions and shifted strategy. Shelving the project freed up resources to enhance Ooni's digital experience in other areas, like recipe pages and onboarding flows.
The Build-Measure-Learn approach has been crucial in my career. Prototyping allows you to test ideas quickly, and make better decisions. From Pizza Mastery, I moved on to apply a user-centric approach to other features, improving the experience for more Ooni customers.