PotLuck
A real-time updated digital menu with a visible progress of the order
Order Food with Certainty
UX Designer
Tablet Application
Client
College Project
My role
UX/UI Designer
Duration
August 2022
Skills
UX Research
User Testing
Prototyping
UI Design
Tools
Figma
Figjam
Illustrator
Cognitive checklist
Overview
Potluck is a Chinese-style hot pot restaurant that is best enjoyed with family or a group of friends. This project is about redesigning the menu from a paper-based format to a digital menu for a restaurant-owned tablet.
Project Brief
The app is expected to display the restaurant’s complete menu options, which may vary depending on the day and time. It will be powered by an AI-based engine that personalises recommendations based on the user’s profile, previous orders, and current selections. Create a mock-up of three pages of the app-based menu on the tool (one for each of the ‘Entrée’, ‘Main’, and ‘Dessert’ screens).
Identified problems:
- Customers often struggle to decide what to eat.
- Health issues, such as the COVID-19 outbreak led to a trend to avoid sharing paper-based menus.
- Costs (restauranteurs often have to pay each time there is an update to the menu or when ingredients change, making the process costs prohibitive).
Design Process
About PotLuck
Target Audience
The app is expected to display the restaurant’s complete menu options, which may vary depending on the day and time. It will be powered by an AI-based engine that personalises recommendations based on the user’s profile, previous orders, and current selections. Create a mock-up of three pages of the app-based menu on the tool (one for each of the ‘Entrée’, ‘Main’, and ‘Dessert’ screens).
Cuisine
PotLuck, customers can enjoy delicious Chinese-style hot pot cuisine while customising their meals by selecting their preferred soup base, dishes, and sides.
How-to Order
PotLuck provides digital menus on every table, allowing customers to easily browse and select their desired items, and place their orders directly from the tablet. To begin their order, customers must first choose their preferred soup base and then select their desired dishes. Restaurant staff are always available to assist customers who require assistance.
Ideation
After reading through the brief, I did some brainstorming and decided to group the menus just like the diagram on the right.
Initial prototype
The prototype was created for the tablet that would be placed on each table in the restaurant, which enables customers to conveniently place their orders. The digital menu can be easily updated by the restaurant, in case a dish is unavailable or the price needs to be adjusted. The user-friendly app is designed to be intuitive, so customers of all ages can navigate it with ease.
To streamline the ordering process, the app features a recommended menu, and customers can use the plus and minus buttons under each menu item to add or subtract their desired dishes from the order list.
User Testing
There are two tasks that are given to the user to test the prototype:
- The user is asked to add a dish to their order.
- The user is asked to request assistance from a staff member using the app.
The user was generally pleased with the app’s design and concept, but had some suggestions for improvement. They suggested that the order list be moved to the right side of the screen for easier access, and that a feature be added to allow users to view their favourite menu items when logged into their account.
Lastly, the accessibility menu was not yet available during the user’s test of the prototype.
Cognitive checklist
Updated Prototype
After considering the feedbacks, there is some adjustment and more interactions are added.
- List of order menu is now on the right side to make it more accessible and easier to click.
- Accessibility settings at the bottom right of the screen in a fixed position to make it more noticeable for people with disabilities.
- Customers can now like their favourite dishes by logging into their account.
Although the prototype has been significantly improved by these changes, much work needs to be done to develop and improve it even more. In order to accomplish this, a thorough test of the prototype will be required to make sure it satisfies the requirements of its intended users.