David Morrison

Key Takeaways

For nondisclosure reasons, I can’t publicly divulge the name of the client. I am able to share most of the work created, and would be happy to clarify further.

• In a team, built a variety of features to increase awareness and encourage usage of the “Order From My Table” (OFMT) functionality in the mobile app; these include a revamped map screen and multiple methods of informing users about the feature

• Since the users loved the client’s recent app redesign, we prioritized consistency between existing features and our designs

• I created diagrams of the app organization and user flows to minimize intrusion on users while maximizing opportunities for onboarding of new features.

• Our research emphasized learning what customers enjoy (and dislike) about the dine-in experience and determining which users would most appreciate OFMT

• We discovered that groups organizing events on sites like Meetup were among the heavier users of OFMT. We built low-fidelity prototypes of bulletin board and group ordering features, which we’d like to refine further beyond the 3 weeks provided for the project

Clickable Prototype

Try the prototype yourself.

Background

Our client revolutionized the casual dining experience, paving the way with now-standard amenities such as free WiFi. The Order From My Table (OFMT) feature fits within this lineage. At participating cafes, a user may sit at a table and order from their app, at which point an associate will bring the order over.

The Problem

The OFMT feature is highly underutilized. Currently, a vanishingly small percentage of the consumer base engages with the feature. How might we increase customer awareness and use of OFMT?

Proposed Solution

By providing more opportunities for awarenesss and improving communication with the user, we will increase the feature's popularity.

Research

We surveyed, interviewed and conducted contextual inquiries with an array of current and former customers in determining their dining preferences.

Customers who used the app typically ordered to-go ("Rapid Pick-Up"). Users that preferred dining in were not app users, choosing to order with an associate at the register. None of our participants were previously aware of OFMT.

In our competitive analysis, we positioned our client as part of a spectrum. One end contains pure fast-casual restaurants where customers prefer to order quickly and get out - think Chipotle. Cafes that customers linger in and work at (such as Caffe Nero) represent the opposite end

Our client lies in the middle of these two extremes; OFMT is intended to position our client closer to the cafe experience. Many of our interviewees did not view the chain in this light, preferring to spend as little time there as possible.

We conducted interviews with several stakeholders, including the app's lead iOS developer and a manager at a cafe that supports OFMT. We discovered that orders placed via OFMT are equally split between individual and group orders.

Initial Sketching

We discovered that groups used sites like Meetup to organize community events such as game nights at the client’s cafe we had visited. Building features that catered to this audience seemed like an effective way allowing the client to stand out and bring them closer to the desired ‘coffee shop’ feel.

To this end, we sketched a group ordering feature. The first user/ ‘host’ would select an open table and ‘check in’ through OFMT. As other users arrive, they would check in and place their orders, nullifying issues with later arrivals.

Testing and Iteration

Testing the group ordering feature laid bare how we needed to better clarify how the system works. Users did not understand how payment was handled, and we realized there were many logistical factors that needed clarifying. We decided to drill down on the core concept of OFMT and de-emphasize group ordering.

Test participants were appreciative of the more modest features that we had added (with some caveats). Privacy was a major concern, with users outright telling us that push notifications upon arrival at a cafe with OFMT were creepy.

These factors made us ask: why would people use OFMT in the first place? Our earlier iterations had not effectively sold users on the benefits of OFMT over other order methods. Users found our informing/onboarding of OFMT in earlier prototypes to be insufficient.

App Organization/User Flows

Since the app was recently redesigned with user-friendly features such as prominent imagery, our proposed features sought to complement what existed. As we designed these features and adjusted them based on testing, I built an app map that illustrated our changes. To avoid our mistakes with the group ordering feature, I also built out user flows for several of our new features; this helped us account for the possible paths users might take in using the product.

Above: Excerpt of user flow for methods through which a user can order while inside the cafe, including methods not represented in the app. A detailed image of the entire user flow is available here.

Final Iterations

After perfecting the order tracker feature and onboarding process, we identified another area where awareness could be increased: the map. In the current app, the user must select a specific order method before they can see nearby cafes. We wanted to adjust this so filtering by order method is done in the map. Additionally, the radius for which the app searches for cafes is small. Since few cafes support OFMT, it is likely for a user to not see any OFMT cafes. If we expand the search radius, users will then be aware of OFMT as an option, even if the nearest cafe is distant.