System Requirements Document (SRD)

Project Name: topaz-recipes

1. Introduction

Welcome to the System Requirements Document (SRD) for topaz-recipes, a modern, fully responsive cooking website designed to inspire culinary creativity and provide users with a seamless experience in discovering, saving, and sharing recipes. This document outlines the functional and non-functional requirements, design elements, and technical specifications for the project.

The vision for topaz-recipes is to create a warm, inviting digital space for food enthusiasts in Algeria (DZ) and beyond, with a focus on elegant design, user-friendly features, and high-quality visuals.

2. System Overview

topaz-recipes will serve as a comprehensive platform for discovering, saving, and sharing recipes. The system will cater to various user personas, including casual cooks, professional chefs, and food bloggers. It will feature responsive design, a warm color palette, and modern functionality such as dark mode, recipe submission, and user personalization.

The platform will prioritize accessibility, fast loading speeds, and SEO optimization to ensure a delightful user experience across devices.

3. Functional Requirements

User Stories:

• As a User, I should be able to toggle between light and dark mode, and my preference should persist across sessions.
• As a User, I should be able to search recipes by name or ingredients.
• As a User, I should be able to filter recipes by category, cooking time, difficulty, and ingredients.
• As a User, I should be able to sort recipes by popularity, newest, or highest rated.
• As a User, I should be able to view detailed recipe information, including ingredients, instructions, nutrition facts, and ratings.
• As a User, I should be able to save recipes to my favorites list.
• As a User, I should be able to submit my own recipes for publication.
• As an Admin, I should be able to review and approve user-submitted recipes before they are published.
• As a Guest, I should be able to browse recipes without registering.
• As a User, I should be able to register and log in to access personalized features.
• As a User, I should be able to sign up for the newsletter to receive updates.
• As a User, I should be able to leave comments on recipes.
• As a User, I should be able to contact the website team via a contact form.

4. User Personas

1. Guest

• Can browse recipes, view details, and explore categories.
• Cannot save recipes or submit their own.

2. Registered User

• Can save recipes to favorites, submit recipes, leave comments, and sign up for the newsletter.
• Can toggle between light and dark mode with preferences saved.

3. Admin

• Can review and approve user-submitted recipes.
• Can manage recipe categories and moderate comments.

5. Visuals Colors and Theme

Color Palette:

• Background: #FFF8E7 (Warm Cream)
• Surface: #F5E1C8 (Light Beige)
• Text: #4A2C2A (Rich Brown)
• Accent: #FF8C42 (Vibrant Orange)
• Muted: #D9BBA9 (Soft Light Brown)

This palette reflects the warmth and elegance of a culinary haven, evoking feelings of comfort and creativity.

6. Signature Design Concept

Interactive Recipe Carousel Homepage

The homepage will feature a dynamic recipe carousel as the hero section. Users will see a rotating selection of featured recipes displayed as 3D cards that subtly tilt and zoom when hovered over.

Key Features:

• Animations: Smooth transitions between cards with fade-in effects for text and images.
• Interaction: Clicking on a card will expand it into a modal with a brief recipe overview and a "View Full Recipe" button.
• Background: A living watercolor animation that shifts between warm tones (cream, beige, orange) based on the time of day.
• Micro-interactions: Hover effects on buttons and links that mimic the texture of a handwritten recipe note.

This bold, unforgettable design will captivate users and set the tone for the rest of the website.

7. Non-Functional Requirements

• The website must be fully responsive and optimized for mobile-first design.
• Dark mode preferences must persist using cookies or local storage.
• The platform must load in under 3 seconds for optimal user experience.
• SEO-friendly structure to improve discoverability.
• High-quality food images must be compressed for fast loading without compromising quality.

8. Tech Stack

Frontend:

• React for Web

Backend:

• Python
• FastAPI

Database:

• MySQL (with Alembic for migrations)

AI Models:

• GPT 5.4 for user-friendly responses

AI Tools:

• Langchain

Local Orchestration:

• Docker
• docker-compose

Server-side Orchestration:

• Kubernetes

9. Assumptions and Constraints

• Users in Algeria (DZ) primarily access the platform via mobile devices; hence, mobile-first design is prioritized.
• The website will support both Arabic and French languages in future iterations.
• User-submitted recipes will require admin approval before publication.
• Dark mode preferences will be stored locally on the user's device.

10. Glossary

• Responsive Design: A design approach ensuring the website adapts seamlessly to different screen sizes and devices.
• Dark Mode: A UI feature that switches the color scheme to darker tones for better readability in low-light environments.
• SEO: Search Engine Optimization, techniques to improve website visibility on search engines.
• Carousel: A rotating display of content, often used for showcasing featured items.
• Modal: A pop-up window that overlays the main content, used for displaying additional information.

This concludes the updated SRD for topaz-recipes. Let me know if there are any additional refinements you'd like to make, Ghaida!