56. UX Lessons From the Culinary World With Anne Cantera

This week, we explore the parallels between the restaurant industry and building software with Anne Cantera. We dig into how the high-pressure, fast-paced culinary world can enrich the practice of UX design.
Is it shocking to compare working in a restaurant to UX design?
If you’ve ever worked in a restaurant, I don’t think it would come as such a surprise.
Celebrated chef turned UX designer, Anne Cantera would agree.
In this episode, I chat with Anne whose career has simmered in both the culinary and tech industries. Anne’s journey from the heat of the kitchen to the digital design world brings an intriguing perspective to the table.
Puns intended😉
Anne shares how her experiences in high-pressure, fast-paced restaurant environments have enhanced her understanding of UX design. She draws a parallel between the urgency of a kitchen service and the user-centric world of software development. She emphasizes the importance of precision, timing, and customer satisfaction in both domains.
We dig into the concept of ‘mise en place’ - a culinary practice of setting up and organizing ingredients before cooking. Anne beautifully related this to the planning and organization required in designing user-friendly software. This analogy serves as a reminder that success in both cooking and design relies on preparation and clarity of vision.
Anne’s insights are peppered with personal anecdotes and practical wisdom, making our discussion both educational and entertaining. Her unique blend of culinary and UX expertise serves as a reminder that diverse experiences can enrich our professional abilities, offering fresh flavors to traditional practices.
DISCLAIMER: There are some serious spoilers in this episode from the Hulu series “The Bear.” So if you haven’t watched it yet, go binge the series and come back to listen to this episode!
Topics:
• 12:42 - Mis en place
• 17:53 - User-centered approach
• 26:52 - Iterative process
• 38:05 - Workflow efficiency
• 39:37 - Prototyping
• 45:24 - Collaboration
• 47:39 - Empathy
• 51:09 - Adaptability
• 55:36 - Feedback integration