Summer 2020
Bar George Application
Elevating Dining with Tailored Reservations
I started this project inspired by the growing online restaurant reservation apps during the pandemic. Its primary objective was to empower customers to reserve tables and pre-order meals, thus enhancing their dining experience in a safe and seamless manner.
Product
Mobile Application
Skills
User research & testing
Visual & interactive prototyping
Product Discovery
My Role
UX/UI Designer
Timeline & Status
2 months
Problem
Through the research I found that the increasing trend of online table reservations had led to several key problems:
1- Unsupported
Bar George's website had no online reservation feature. This mean that people had to using third-party app or calling the restaurant directly to make reservations, leading to frustration and inconvenience.
2- Unintuitive
People found the website not user-friendly when it comes to the takeout feature and online ordering process.
2- Untrustworthy
Despite having reservations, people experienced excessive waiting times for seating upon arrival. There were delays in receiving service and getting their bills.
Opportunity
How might we make online reservation a better, faster, and relevent experience?
Researching customers & competitors
What methods of UX research will I use to help drive clarity and focus to my solution, and why?
My research included competitive analysis to better understand the user experience of restaurant reservation platforms,
and the flows of luxury bar and restaurants. User surveys helped me identify the right variables for reserving a table, and their motivating factors. Lastly, one-on-one interviews provided qualitative and emotional insight into key points of users’ journeys.
Survey & Interview
Get a big picture of the market.
I decided to send out a survey via social media and was able to get more than 60 responses from people who regularly do online reservation and food ordering. The user survey responses helped me to find out what they’re hoping to achieve and what their preferences, and behaviours. Interviews were conducted with individuals who frequent go to luxury bars and prefer to make reservations ahead of time.
Survey key outcomes and interview questions
Market Research & Competitive Analysis
It is really important to research other bar restaurants in the neighbourhood and third parties reservation platform they use, as their products will help me gather insights about their strengths and weaknesses. These insights also help me identify any gaps in features that Bar George might address for its users. I analyzed 3 indirect and 1 direct competitors as shown below, who are Bar George’s main direct competitor in terms of cuisine, atmosphere, target demographic and indirect competitors who are providing the reservation process for the restaurant.
Competitor Analysis including insights from 4 direct/indirect competitors
Research Takeaways
Efficiency & Expediency
Following a comprehensive research phase, I identified consistent themes that highlight user needs, expectations, and gaps in the current reservation experience. Below are the key takeaways synthesized across all research methods:
Key takeaways
Research Synthesis
User personas
After I compiled the outtakes from the research into the affinity map, I was able to create a persona that represents the main user group.
Exploring Key User Behaviors
By mapping the journeys of two key personas, I identified emotional and procedural pain points—such as anxiety about special requests being overlooked or frustration from reservation mix-ups. To be effective, the website must address these issues and avoid introducing new friction.
Goals
I converted the key problems into opportunities to solve for during the design.
Unsupported
→ Seamless
The online reservation feature eliminates the need for third-party apps or phone bookings. Customers can easily select preferred dates, times, and table preferences which will improve overall customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.
Unintuitive
→ Intuitive
Improve customer satisfaction and increase online takeout orders by creating a seamless and intuitive user experience on the website/app.
Untrustworthy
→ Reliable
The goal is to significantly reduce waiting times for customers with reservations, ensuring prompt seating upon arrival and timely service throughout their dining experience.
Solution
Create an online reservation feature that includes table selection, and precise timing prompts.
Task flows for online reservation and order take out food
Information Architecture
Onboarding Flow
The onboarding flow highlights the app’s three core services: reserving a table, booking a celebration event, and dining experiences. Each step uses clear visuals and concise text to help users quickly understand their options.
This focused introduction ensures users feel confident and guided from the moment they open the app.
Things That I Learned
When creating for a wide demographic, designing without bias is key.
Reframing the design process to understand that your work is disposable enables more iteration, and therefore more success
Because online reservation is such a wide subject, it is inevitable to get criticism on the subject, like I myself did.
Implementing big changes cannot happen overnight. Therefore, it is essential to develop strategically meaningful that guide progress in the intended direction.
Further iterations and testing prototypes, help refining the design with more effective solution.
If I Had Additional Time, I Would…