Designing a food menu application for a high-end restaurant
Spaghetti Carbonara
$30
1
-
+
Our Spaghetti Carbonara blends traditional Italian flavors with Japanese flair. This dish combines al dente spaghetti with a creamy egg and Parmesan sauce, enhanced by soy sauce, smoked bacon, nori, and a hint of wasabi for an East-meets-West culinary experience.
Add to Cart
Customization
Ingredients
Culinology
Nutrifacts
Pairings
Welcome Back,
Maxwell!
Daily Specials
See All
4.5 6k+
Scallop Risotto
4.8 1k+
Berry Panna Cotta
Chef’s Table Experience
$250
Happy Hour
$6
Tasting Menu
$200
Home
Reservation
Cart
Profile
Reserve A Table
Choose the Time
Date
Time
Guests
Next Step
Lunch
12:30
13:00
13:30
Dinner
18:00
19:00
19:45
20:00
21:30
22:00
Home
Reservation
Cart
Profile
OVERVIEW
In my personal project, I undertook the challenge of designing an application for Tekkiyaki, a high-end restaurant renowned for its unique fusion of Japanese and Italian cuisines.
ROLE
Solo Project
DURATION
09.2023 - 10.2023
SKILLS
User Research, Prototyping, Visual Design
THE PROBLEM
Many users have found that the menus for high-end restaurants are often overwhelming and lack information and some even find the navigation to be quite difficult.
THE GOAL
To create a food menu application that will let users comprehend dishes better while also being able to clearly navigate.
RESEARCH
TARGET
A primary group identified through research were educated working adults (25+) that have a preference in high quality food.
PAIN POINTS
01.
Overwhelming
Extensive menus with unfamiliar dishes and languages in restaurants can make ordering difficult for customers.
02.
Lack of Information
Menu apps often lack detailed information on dishes, such as sourcing and preparation methods.
03.
Navigation
An unfriendly user interface in menu apps can make it challenging for users to locate specific dishes.
COMPETITOR ANALYSIS
I conducted an in-depth analysis of popular food apps to better understand potential users' preferences and behaviors, focusing on interfaces, functionality, and user experience. Click the button below to see the results.
USER PERSONA
Lisa Chen
MARKETING MANAGER
AGE
30
EDUCATION
MBA
INCOME
250k
STATUS
SINGLE
LOCATION
VANCOUVER
Lisa is a marketing manager at one of the largest marketing firms in the world. She is also an avid foodie who constantly enjoys trying new restaurants with her friends. However, Lisa has specific dietary restrictions and hates when she has to communicate with the server to find out more about a certain dish. She and her friends often choose high end restaurants, but often find that the menus can be hard to navigate and lack information.
Goals
Wants to find the restaurant in Vancouver that will give her the best experience
Create a blog about her food experiences
Learn more about certain dishes
Frustrations
Finds most high-end restaurant menus too overwhelming (confusing terminology)
Lack of dish information
Finds it hard to navigate through menu apps
Her allergies make it hard to order
BRAINSTORMING & IDEATION
USER FLOWS
Helping lay the groundwork for the beginning of my wireframes and low-fi designs.
Open App
Make
Reservation
Login
Sign Up
Home Screen
Menu Screen
Rewards
Screen
Reservations
Screen
Search Bar
Appetizers
Entrees
Desserts
Select
Dish
Dish Info
Screen
Ingredients
Info?
Nutritional
Info?
Preperation
Methods?
Recommended
Pairings?
Recommend Pairings
Screen
Preparation Methods
Screen
Nutritional Info
Screen
Ingredients
Screen
Add to
Cart
Customization
Screen
Check
Out?
Order Summary
Screen
Confirm
Order?
Complete
Order
Order Confirmation
Screen
Exit
App
Customize
Order?
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
WIREFRAMES
Creating the initial wireframes helped me visualize the potential appearance of the app.
LO-FIS
Enhancing wireframes for user presentation.
Tekkiyaki
Daily Specials
Tekkiyaki
Login
SignUp
Username
Password
Login
Forgot Password?
Menu
Appetizers
Entrées
Dessert
1
Add to Cart
Ingredients
Nutritional Information
Preparation Methods
Recommended Pairings
Spaghetti Carbonara
Ingredients:
Spaghetti
Guanicale
Eggs
Yuzu
Pecorino Romano
Ground Black Pepper
Preparation
Timing:
Temp Control:
Marination:
Chef’s Artistry:
Equipment:
Presentation:
Cooking Technique:
Recommended
Pairings
At Tekkiyaki, we believe that the perfect
meal is a harmonious symphony of flavours and textures. To enhance your dining experience with our Spaghetti Carbonara, we offer the following recommended pairings that have been thoughtfully curated by our culinary experts
White Wine
Craft Beer
Red Wine
Sparkling Wine
Cocktail
Non-Alcoholic
Nutritional Info
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Lactose Free
More
1000
Cal
Fat 30g
Cholesterol 20g
Sodium 10g
Carbs 10g
5
Order Summary
Place Order
1
1
1
1
1
Order Received!
1
1
1
My Rewards
Copy
Reserve A Table
Guests
Date
2
Jan
Su
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
M
T
W
Th
F
S
Pick Specific Table
Available Times
Reset
Confirm
USER TESTING
TESTING PROCESS #1
Helping me gain insights.
In the first round of user testing, I conducted a usability test followed by a system usability assessment. Users were encouraged to delve into the core features of my app, engaging in a blend of guided tasks and open-ended exploration. The purpose was to gain insights into the areas where users faced the most challenges, observing their interaction and their navigation through the planned user journey.
INSIGHT #1
88% of users were uncertain if their reservation had been successfully made.
INSIGHT #2
100% of users were unable to make special requests to their order.
INSIGHT #3
76% of users found it difficult to visualize their selected dishes.
PROTOTYPE ITERATION
1
Made Reservations Clearer
Added a reservation confirmation page that
displays automatically after a user successfully
completes their reservation process. This aims
to improve user experience by providing
immediate, clear confirmation and peace of
mind that their reservation has been securely
recorded.
2
Increased Customization
Added a 'Customize' button that enables
users to personalize their dish by manually
selecting ingredients they wish to eliminate
or making special requests.
3
Enhanced Visual Representation
Added a section in the dish info page
where users can scroll or tap through
a collage of dish photos.
HI-FI TESTING & ITERATIONS
TESTING PROCESS #2
Gaining further insights.
Following the insights gained from my initial user testing, I further refined my design and repeated the user tests I conducted during Testing Process #1. I wanted to gain a better understanding of whether my app communicates information clearly and conveys the intended user experience effectively.
INSIGHT #1
Item count in cart difficult to view.
INSIGHT #2
Order Confirmation Page appears visually cluttered.
INSIGHT #3
Rewards page is unnecessary.
INSIGHT #4
FINAL SOLUTION
REFLECTION
Don’t Give Up
Embarking on my first solo UX/UI project, I often felt lost and considered quitting. Yet, these challenges turned into valuable lessons, encouraging me to find innovative solutions and think creatively. This experience underscored the value of perseverance and embracing uncertainty, which fueled my design innovation. It not only honed my skills but also heightened my appreciation for the iterative design process.
Be Open to Experimentation
Experimentation can serve as a learning process to determine whether certain aspects are effective or not. It’s not just about exploring new ideas and innovations that could potentially improve the user experience, it also fosters a culture of continuous improvement. In this culture, iterative design changes are based on actual user interactions and feedback, leading to more user-focused and effective design solutions.