System Requirements Document (SRD) for winter-website

1. Introduction

The winter-website is a food recipe platform designed to help users discover recipes based on the ingredients they already have. This project, envisioned by Priya Mandaviya, aims to provide a user-friendly, visually appealing, and practical solution for meal preparation. The website will feature a modern, minimalistic design with card-based UI and food illustrations to attract users. It will also include advanced features like ingredient categorization, recipe suggestions, user accounts, and quantity selection for a personalized experience.

This document outlines the system requirements for the winter-website, ensuring alignment with Priya's vision and the needs of the target audience in India (IN). Locale-specific considerations, such as time zones (IST) and preferences for vibrant, energetic colors like orange and red, have been incorporated.

2. System Overview

The winter-website will serve as an intuitive platform for users to:

• Select ingredients they have at home, categorized into vegetables, spices, and other options.
• Receive recipe suggestions tailored to the selected ingredients.
• Filter recipes by cuisine type, preparation time, and other advanced options.
• Save preferences, ingredient history, and favorite recipes through user accounts.
• Specify ingredient quantities to generate more accurate recipes.

The system will feature a minimal, card-based UI with functional CTAs and food illustrations to enhance user engagement. The platform will be accessible via web browsers and optimized for both desktop and mobile devices.

3. Functional Requirements as Story Points

• As a User, I should be able to select ingredients categorized by type (e.g., vegetables, spices, etc.).
• As a User, I should be able to specify the quantity of each ingredient I have.
• As a User, I should be able to view recipe suggestions based on the selected ingredients.
• As a User, I should be able to filter recipes by cuisine type and preparation time.
• As a User, I should be able to create an account to save preferences, ingredient history, and favorite recipes.
• As a User, I should be able to view recipes in a card-based layout with food illustrations.
• As a User, I should be able to interact with functional CTAs on every page.
• As an Admin, I should be able to manage the recipe database, including adding, updating, and deleting recipes.

4. User Personas

1. Regular User

• Description: A home cook looking for meal ideas based on available ingredients.
• Goals: Discover recipes, save preferences, and explore new cuisines.
• Pain Points: Wasting ingredients, lack of meal ideas, and time constraints.

2. Admin

• Description: A system administrator managing the recipe database.
• Goals: Ensure the recipe database is up-to-date and relevant.
• Pain Points: Managing a large volume of recipes and ensuring data accuracy.

5. Visuals Colors and Theme

The winter-website will use a vibrant and energetic color palette inspired by popular food delivery platforms like Swiggy and Zomato. The colors are designed to evoke appetite and excitement while maintaining a modern aesthetic.

• Background: #FFF8F0 (Soft Cream)
• Surface: #FFFFFF (Pure White)
• Text: #333333 (Dark Charcoal)
• Accent: #FF5722 (Bright Orange)
• Muted Tones: #FFCCBC (Soft Peach)

6. Signature Design Concept

Interactive Ingredient Pantry with Animated Food Illustrations

The homepage will feature an interactive ingredient pantry where users can drag and drop illustrated ingredient cards into a virtual "recipe basket." Each ingredient card will feature a playful, animated illustration (e.g., a bouncing tomato or a spinning spice jar) to create an engaging and delightful user experience.

As users add ingredients to the basket, the background will subtly animate with a swirling effect of food-related icons (e.g., forks, knives, and plates). Once the user clicks "Find Recipes," the basket will transform into a recipe card deck that fans out dynamically, revealing tailored recipe suggestions.

Micro-interactions will include:

• Ingredient cards flipping when hovered over.
• A glowing effect on the "Find Recipes" button when the basket is full.
• Smooth transitions between pages with a sliding card animation.

This bold, interactive design will make the winter-website unforgettable and fun to use.

7. Non-Functional Requirements

• The system should load pages within 2 seconds for optimal user experience.
• The website should be responsive and accessible on both desktop and mobile devices.
• The platform should support at least 10,000 concurrent users.
• Data storage should be secure and comply with local data protection regulations.
• The UI should follow accessibility standards (WCAG 2.1).

8. Tech Stack

Frontend

• React for Web

Backend

• Python
• FastAPI

Database

• MySQL (with Alembic for migrations)

AI Models

• GPT 5.2 for user-friendly responses
• Google Nano Banana for food illustration generation

AI Tools

• Litellm for LLM Routing
• Langchain

Local Orchestration

• Docker
• docker-compose

Server-Side Orchestration

• Kubernetes

9. Assumptions and Constraints

• Users will have access to a stable internet connection.
• The platform will initially support English as the primary language.
• Recipes will be sourced from a pre-existing database and curated by the admin.
• The system will not include a shopping list or grocery delivery integration in the initial phase.

10. Glossary

• CTA: Call-to-Action, a button or link prompting user interaction.
• UI: User Interface, the visual layout and design of the website.
• WCAG: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, standards for accessible web design.
• LLM: Large Language Model, an AI model for generating human-like text.
• Pantry: A virtual space where users select ingredients for recipe suggestions.