01 / Independent product prototype
PlateIt
Inspired by my goal of making good food on a college budget, PlateIt turns food photos into recipe ideas with ingredient alternatives and estimated nutrition.
Read the full case study ↗Product portfolio / 2026UIUC · Illinois
Chisato
Numata
Exploring the space between people, data, and useful products.
Featured project / 01PlateItExplore project ↗Introduction01 / 04
Hi, I’m Chisato.
I’m learning by building.
I’m currently a student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign interested in product management and data. I’m curious about how people use technology in everyday life and how thoughtful product decisions can make those experiences better. Through projects like PlateIt and my growth work at Biome, I’m learning to connect user needs, experimentation, and practical solutions.
01 / ObserveUser needs
Understanding what people are trying to do and where an experience falls short.
02 / TestExperimentation
Trying focused ideas, learning from feedback, and adjusting the next step.
03 / DecideData & product
Connecting patterns and evidence to useful product choices.
Featured project02 / 04
Product case study / PlateIt03 / 04
From a photo
to a meal idea.
As a college student, I wanted to keep food costs low while still making meals I enjoyed. I created PlateIt to explore how food photos, recipes, and ingredient alternatives could make cooking at home easier.
01 / The problem
My starting point was a personal need: making good food within a college budget. Turning a meal idea into a practical recipe means knowing the ingredients, cooking steps, and possible substitutions.
02 / The prototype
I built a flow for photo upload, suggested recipes and instructions, estimated calories and macros, saved history, and dietary filters. An easy and fast recipes section includes ingredient alternatives.
03 / The decision
I began with sample image predictions to explore the recipe experience before building full food recognition. Next, I want to observe people using it and learn what makes the suggestions useful and trustworthy.
PlateIt is an evolving prototype. Its sample food predictions and nutrition figures are demonstrations and estimates, not verified identifications or measurements.
Experience & involvement04 / 04
I’ve also explored how people discover, adopt, and return to digital experiences through growth and community work.
01
Biome Growth marketing intern
Worked on onboarding experiments, user interviews, and ideas to improve retention and feature adoption.
02
MeaVana Digital marketing intern
Explored search visibility, social content, and performance reporting to understand what brings people to a product.
03
Japanese Student Association Marketing committee
Created event content and helped rethink promotion and programming when weekly attendance was low.