Cookwell - Mobile Recipe Manager.

My history of Cookwell goes as far back as my history with coding. This project started in winter 2018 when I had when I learned the power of programming. Not being on a meal plan meant I needed to make meals in college. I was excited to pick up something new and give it a try. When I was in the mood for a new recipe, I would search for an "easy college recipe" or "10 ways to spice up your instant ramen" and give it a shot. The following week, when I was craving the same meal, I searched and searched, unable to find the recipe. So I wanted to create a way to store recipes. That's when Cookwell hit me.

At the time, there was not much on the market. It was primarily lackluster apps and websites that only allowed you to save their recipes. So I started creating the project in Java. I didn't have much experience with the language, and I had never seen any graphics except for outputting to the console. It wasn't until three semesters later, in the fall of 2019, when Designing Mobile Apps CS230 hit the timetable. The course outline stated that we would publish an app on the app store by the end of the course. Fast forward to the end of 2019, on December 13, Cookwell released for android devices. With a total of one user, probably my professor, this was something that I was proud I followed through. Having completed my first project, I didn't care what it looked like or what the traction (or lack of it) was.

I got a taste of Cookwell, but if I were going to fulfill my vision, I would need to make substantial changes. The app did not reach nearly 50% of its potential. Firstly, UI was terrible, Firebase, and stuck on just Android. I wanted more from it. It wasn't until a year later, in 2020, that I would find something more suitable. I scoured articles and sites, figuring out the best way to learn mobile app design and create something for multiple platforms. I chose to learn Dart through a Udemy course and leverage it to re-create Cookwell. I could give the app a better look, feel and most importantly, it can release on Android and iOS simultaneously.

To me, the evolution of Cookwell is analogous to a crazy bodybuilder transformation. The project has developed in parallel with me. As I learn, Cookwell improves and gets fancy new upgrades. I've learned a lot from this project, from OOP basics to UI, to multiplatform development. The project has taken me through three different IDEs and many blueprint plans. I may not have much to share, but the learning has been immense. Overall, the app still needs a lot of work. Dart has all of the tools required to make Cookwell the next big thing. The following steps are to devote time off to follow Cookwell 2 to completion.