The Redwood Cafe
Don't wait to grab your lunch when you're hungry
Project Overview
Challenge
The Redwood by Chef Julien is a local cafe offering a variety of food and beverages. Situated within the Palo Alto Community Center, the cafe primarily attracts customers from the elder demographic due to its proximity to the community center. Despite this, the surrounding area is home to diverse businesses, and the cafe is missing opportunities to serve them.
Opportunity
Customers are facing delays in ordering and receiving their food during lunchtime, exacerbated by inadequate information resulting in incorrect orders.
Solution
Offer customers the convenience of ordering ahead for pick-up or dine-in through our informative website, saving them valuable time.
00 My Story
I frequently visit a café adjacent to my workplace for Lunch and prefer to take a Walk afterward before returning to the office. I sought to place my order In Advance to reduce Waiting Time, but the café does not offer an Online Ordering option. Upon discussing this with my colleagues, I learned that they utilize other restaurants with Pre-Order systems to better manage their time and led me to initiate this case study focused on enhancing the user experience for individuals ordering food from the café within Time Constraints.
“The line for ordering and picking up from the restaurant is excessively long.”
Marcel P.
“I don’t know what to get for lunch.”
Emily K.
“Understanding the menu without visual information is quite challenging.”
Peter J.
“I'd like to take a leisurely walk after lunch.”
Jasmine H.
01 User Research
Conducted Interviews with 6 Employees across Various Industries to gather insights into their lunchtime experiences and identify obstacles hindering an enhanced user experience
Each interviewee opts to Pre-Order their lunch for pickup in order to minimize Waiting Time.
They typically place their orders through the Mobile Application, and if the application is not accessible, they resort to the Website for the same purpose.
The majority of them have a tendency to visit the Website primarily to seek out Additional Information regarding the food items they intend to order.
Revealed valuable insights into the Essential Features that are vital for enhancing users' preordering experience by undertaking a thorough Competitor Analysis.
This comprehensive examination of competitors' offerings allowed to Identify and Prioritize the essential functionalities that the platform should provide.
Creating Points of Views (POVs), and How Might We's (HMWs) based on users' experiences elucidated the problem to be addressed through design and lead to Storyboards and Personas with conditions such as Time Constraint and Mindful Selection, caused by medical conditions or beliefs, which have the potential to experience the Problem Hypothesis, to amplify users' goals and obstacles with respect to the product
Point of View
I would like to explore ways to allow users to order their foods on their mobile device in advance to pick up at the desired time.
I would like to effectively convey crucial information about the menus, helping users in making informed decisions.
I would like to explore streamlined task flows for users making purchases, simplifying the process to enable them to complete tasks more efficiently.
How Might We
How might we be able to allow users to order their foods on their mobile device in advance to pick up at the desired time?
How might we be able to effectively convey crucial information about the menus, helping users in making informed decisions?
How might we be able to explore streamlined task flows for users making purchases, simplifying the process to enable them to complete tasks more efficiently?
Storyboard - Time Constraint
Persona - Time Constraint
Storyboard - Mindful Selection
Persona - Mindful Selection
02 Feature and Information
To ensure the successful development of the product, it is essential to organize and integrate the established Business Objectives, Technical Requirements, and User Research findings. Venn Diagram approach facilitated the creation of a well-defined Set of Features for the product.
Prioritizing these features based on their Relevance and Impact enables to make informed decisions that align with both the strategic Business Goals and the User Needs, ultimately enhancing the effectiveness of the product.
The Essential & Impact Matrix was utilized to prioritize features by their significance, emphasizing the delivery of the utmost value within a constrained timeframe.
This methodical approach ensured that critical features were addressed promptly, aligning with User Need and Project Objectives while optimizing resource allocation.
03 Design Development
Lo-Fidelity Wireframe
Throughout the Wireframe Process, the primary focus was on establishing a platform structure that embodies clarity and logical organization, Multiple Layouts, and Information Architectures to pinpoint the most efficient ways of delivering information to users
Developed the wireframe based on Card Sorting, which informed the creation of the information architecture and ultimately led to the development of the Site Map, Task Flow, and User Flow
Card Sorting
Utilized Card Sorting to delve into user mental models, understanding how individuals recognize and group information while making appointments.
The outcomes were leveraged to craft an Information Architecture facilitating seamless navigation and information retrieval, subsequently informing the creation of a Site Map.
Site Map
Developed a Site Map to detail the structure by mapping the organization and interrelationship of the pages, ensuring users can access the desired information with ease.
User Flow
To understand the decisions users would make as they navigated through the website was a critical aspect, structured a User Flow that guided individuals through the ordering process.
Task Flow
Following comprehensive research and gaining a deeper understanding of user needs, developed multiple essential Task Flows to provide a visual representation of the pathway for the website.
High-Fidelity Wireframe
The Design System was applied to the Low-Fidelity Wireframe, resulting in the generation of the High-Fidelity Wireframe.
The Font was carefully considered to strike a balance between minimalism and readability, ensuring the suitability for users across a Wide Spectrum of Users. Sours Sans Pro was chosen for headlines, and Source Serif Pro was used for body text.
The Color Pallet was derived from an inspirational photo to establish a cohesive tone and mood for the design.
Usability Test
The objective of the Usability Test was to systematically assess the ease of use of the product, analyze user navigation behavior, and acquire valuable insights into the overall user perception of the product
In response to feedback from usability testing participants, Refined and Iterated upon the design
04 Final Design
If you are ready to have a lunch…
Can’t decide what to get?
Try Popular Selection!
Can’t fine what you want?
Customize!
Place the order with
Preferred Device!
Conclusion
Overall
The Redwood Cafe offers the ability to pre-order, users can effectively cut down on time typically spent waiting in line or for their food, enhancing their dining experience by allowing for seamless planning and navigation without the inconvenience of long queues or service delays. Moreover, the design enables users to thoroughly review information before making decisions, further enhancing their overall satisfaction and convenience.
The solution proves to be efficacious for both END-USERS and the BUSINESS.
End - User
Users have the convenience of pre-ordering their meals through the website prior to their visit. This feature affords them ample time and information to thoroughly explore the menu, enabling them to make informed selections and ultimately saving them valuable time during their dining experience.
Business
The website expands the reach of the restaurant's menu and services, mitigating complaints by furnishing clear information and allowing ample time for customers to peruse the menu, thereby minimizing the likelihood of inconveniences.