Gino's Cafe- Food Customization App

Overview

Gino’s cafe is an Italian restaurant that accepts online food orders on its application. Through the app, users can customize their order and get it delivered to them. This project was a part of the Google UX Design Certification course on Coursera, which was a 6-month long extensive design course with projects, lectures and interactive activities for an end to end learning experience.

Tools I used

Figma, Sticky Notes, Miro

Key Responsibilities

User Interviews, Competitor Analysis, User Personas, User Journey Mapping, Storyboarding, Wireframes, Usability Testing, Affinity Mapping, Prototyping

Final Prototype

See Prototype

Project Timeline

March 2022- July 2022

Background

Being new to the field of UX Design, I learnt a lot through online courses, blogs, youtube channels and friends. When I came across the Google UX Design Professional Certificate on Coursera, I found it as an excellent method to understand the design process in depth and apply my knowledge on the project that is included in the course.

The Design Prompt

“Design a food customization app for a fancy restaurant”

The Process

The specialization comprised of 7 extensive courses that divided the design process into the following phases:

DISCOVER - THE JOURNEY STARTS HERE

User Interviews

I conducted user interviews with participants who frequently order food online. Before I started my user research, I listed down personal research goals that I wanted to keep in mind throughout the research phase.

Through user research, I wanted to:

understand the motivation behind ordering food online
identify and understand any challenges faced by users while ordering food online
understand the process users go through while ordering food online
understand what they like and dislike about their frequently used food-ordering app
understand the different preferences related to food for different people

Key Insights from User Interviews

Why do users order food online?

Most users prefer ordering food online as it saves their time, feels convenient due to their busy schedules and lets them explore different cuisines.

“It’s convenient and delivers to your home. You can order whatever you like and whenever you like and still do the work you’re doing.”

What do users feel while ordering food online?

A majority of the users have specific preferences when it comes to food and these requirements make them feel unsure and hesitant about the food items they order. They want to know the ingredients used in the dish and having that information gives them more confidence.

“I love ordering food online, but I’m also picky about the ingredients that are used in the dish. If I could know what ingredients are being used and replace some of the them with healthier options, I think I would enjoy my meals even more. It makes me feel better about ordering food online... “

“I am allergic to nuts, and I have to keep this in mind while searching for dishes. While selecting a particular food item, I feel like I’m taking a leap of faith as there is no way to know if it contains nuts. Instead of enjoying my meal and feeling satisfied, I end up feeling anxious and doubtful, which is kind of frustrating...

“I love trying out new dishes each time, but how do I select a new dish without knowing how it is in the first place? What if my exploration turns bad because I selected the wrong item...?

How do users feel about customizing their meals?

I wanted to know how users felt about having the option to customize their meals online. Suprisingly, all the participants preferred customizing their dishes according to their eating habits and food choices.

“I would love having an option to customize my meals. I would know the ingredients that are being used and remove the ones I don’t like. It just makes the whole experience more transparent and fun!”

“I believe it is better to have the option to customise food as some people hate few ingredients or toppings or sauces so it gives me the power to design my own meal..”

Direct Observation

Since my prompt was about food customization, I wanted to learn more about the customization process on other applications. I used the direct observation method to understand what a user feels or experiences while customizing food online. I assigned a set of tasks that included interacting with different applications and noted down my observations.

Dominos Customization

Mcdonalds Customization

Swiggy Customization

Competitor Analysis

Finally, I also analyzed the dedicated website and application experiences for Domino’s, McDonald’s, Swiggy and Zomato ( online food ordering apps based in India ) .

DEFINE - IDENTIFYING PAIN POINTS

Pain Point 1

There is no transparency with the ingredients that are used for the dish. Additionally, some users feel doubtful while trying out new dishes from the restaurant.

Users with particular food preferences ( food allergies, health enthusiasts, etc) feel hesitant or unsure about the food they order online

Pain Point 2

There are times when the restaurant doesn’t accept online orders leading to order cancellation. The refund procedure following this is frustrating because of the refund time and uncertainity of money returning to the users.

Users find the refund procedure on food ordering apps frustrating

Pain Point 3

Students who have no time to cook food at home rely on online ordering but are worried about the money spent in the process.

Users need a way of saving money while ordering food online

Pain Point 4

There are only limited restaurants that let people customize their food online. From the direct observation research method, it was clear that users faced roadblocks while customizing food leading to a confusing and frustrating experience.

Users find the customization process confusing

User Personas

I identified 3 user groups based on my research and created personas to better understand whom I’m designing for.

User Journey Map

I chose one of my personas, Mia Walker, and created a user journey map for her. Creating a journey map gave me the opportunity to think and behave like a user, and not a product designer.

How did I create a user journey map?

I identified potential actions required to complete the goal
I identified the tasks that my user would have to perform to complete each action
I identified how my user would feel at each point in the journey
I identified the potential improvements or design opportunities at every step of the journey

IDEATE - EXPLORING SOLUTIONS FOR USERS

Storyboarding

Before brainstorming solutions, I sketched out what the experience would look like for a user using 2 types of storyboards- big picture and close up.

Redefining the design challenge

“To design an application for a fancy restaurant which lets users customize their meals quickly and according to their personal food preferences...”

Wireframing

After having an idea on what the user journey can look like, I started brainstorming solutions by working on wireframes.

Customization

Reviews

Wallet

Usability Testing

I tested out my wireframes with 5 users by giving them tasks to perform on the low-fidelity prototype of the app and then recording their actions, observing their behaviours, opinions and attitudes and then identifying roadblocks in the journey.

USING FAILURE AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE

HIGH - FIDELITY PROTOTYPES

Problem 1

“How might we build the users’ confidence and trust while ordering food online..?”

The Solution

I designed the customization process in a way that lets users view all ingredient options that can be used in the food item and at the same time, select the ingredients they want, giving them the ability to build their meals from scratch.

Problem 2

“How might we simplify the refund procedure for users..? “

The Solution

I introduced an in-app wallet where the user can receive his refund back in the form of points which can be used later during the payment step. This makes the refund procedure hassle-free, quick and reliable, and cuts down on the waiting time for the users.

Problem 3

“How might we help the student community save more money while ordering food online...?”

The Solution

Users can earn points in their wallets by leaving their reviews for food items they tried. These points can be used during the payment process, which would reduce the order total and help users save money.

Problem 4

“How might we encourage users to try out new dishes without feeling hesitant..?”

The Solution

Reviews for every dish on the app are posted by people who have tried it. Users feeling unsure about a new dish can first check the reviews given by other people, and then decide whether to proceed with the selection or not.

Problem 5

“How might we help fitness and health enthusiasts make their meals healthier..?”

The Solution

Nutritional information according to users’s customization and ingredients selected. Additionally, users can replace usual ingredients with healthier options.