Solo UX/UI Designer, Research, Ideation, Wireframes, Low Fidelity Design, High Fidelity Design, Prototyping, Usability Testing.
Primary research (competition)
Secondary research (usability study)
Processing & analyzing the data
User personas, User flow, Sketching and Prototyping
Low fidelity & High fidelity design
User testing
Increase customer satisfaction and operational efficiency by streamlining the ordering process, offering both counter pickup and table delivery options. This addresses concerns about convenience and security, ensuring patrons can place orders without leaving their belongings or losing their table.
To achieve the set goals, I studied the target market of coffee drinkers aged 18 to 65 who purchase coffee at least twice a month, with a focus on those who prefer to dine in. I analyzed their user flow to understand their ordering habits and enhance the app’s functionality for a better in-house experience.
To achieve the set goals, I studied successful competitors with similar selections, atmosphere, and app features to the coffee house. I then identified and analyzed the most successful competitors in the sector, focusing on their user checkout flow.
Research stages:
Identify 3 of the most successful local competitors in the coffee house industry
Identify the user journey from finding an item to completing a successful order
Make a visual comparison
Research methods:
Review and search for the necessary information on the internet
Competitors analysis and audit report
Goal
Analyze and compare the in-app and online purchase processes across three direct competitors to identify differences in user experience, efficiency, and design.
Key competitors
Most of the competitors are direct and have more than one location. They all have values that make them unique, and millennials are the target audience.
Product type and quality
Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters (direct) - are known for their specialty coffees, as well as their cooperation with the original Hoopla Donuts. However, their service is slow and the hours of operation could be extended, particularly in the summer.
Barrow Espresso (direct) - is known for its espresso-focused beverages but could explore taste testing to demonstrate all its different espressos’.
Monogram Coffee (direct) - emphasizes artisanal brewing methods but could provide more detailed information about the origins and sourcing of their beans.
WOW Bakery & Café (indirect) - are famous for their Korean and Japanese-styled baked goods. They could enhance their offering by allowing people to pre-order online.
Starbucks (indirect) - offers a wide variety of coffee beverages as well as merchandise.
How do direct competitors position themselves in the market?
Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters are typically coffee enthusiasts and connoisseurs who value specialty coffee experiences. They are likely to be in the 25-40 age range, residing in urban areas, and have a higher disposable income. These customers are willing to explore unique and high-quality coffee blends, appreciate artisanal craftsmanship, and seek out a more refined coffee-drinking experience.
Barrow Espresso’s target audience is likely to be young urban professionals and students in the 20-35 age range with a higher disposable income. These customers prioritize quality coffee and espresso-based drinks that boost energy during their busy routines. They may also appreciate minimalist and modern aesthetics, seeking a stylish and efficient coffee experience.
Monogram Coffee appeals to both a sophisticated and family customer base, that values mainly artisanal coffee craftsmanship. Ideal customers are likely to be locals with a higher disposable income, particularly in the 25-45 age range. They are willing to invest in high-quality drinks and homemade pastries.
How do direct competitors talk about themselves?
Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters: Not only boast about their vast specialty coffee but also about their partnership with Hoopla Donuts. These are locally made and designed to reflect a unique taste and look, such as Fruit Loops donuts, Mango-coconut donuts, Earl Grey donuts, etc.
Barrow Espresso: In addition to coffee and pastries, serve gelato and sorbetto which is unique to the other local coffee shops.
Monogram Coffee: Have a small menu, but seasonal selections of beverages based on what is readily available during these months or themes.
Strengths
Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters
· Local community engagement
· Coffee subscription services
· Barista expertise
· Coffee origin exploration
Barrow Espresso
· Creates a consistent quality of many espresso-based beverages
· Minimalist approach to their aesthetics and
· Quick service
Monogram Coffee
· Particularly good at maintaining a loyal client base
· Attention to customer-based detail
Weaknesses
Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters
· Transparency when ordering coffee beans and beverages
· Communication of ingredients and nutritional information for their baked goods
Barrow Espresso
· Should add a digital loyalty program to reward loyal customers
· Host coffee workshops regularly
· Diversify its menu and revisit its website
Monogram Coffee
· An oversimplified menu
· Small sized café with limited indoor seating
· Lack of creativity in its presentation
Additional gaps
· Fail to maintain educational opportunities
· Bring people in for unique experiences
· Do not have items that are more cost-friendly for the clientele that do not have a high disposable income
· Short hours that will start early, but direct competition closes early
· Special rewards: It feels like forever to reach the next reward level
Potential opportunities
Pair with trained staff to provide courses that are unique, hybrid online, frequent and at a much lower cost. Extend hours on busier days. Create a reward system that does not feel impossible to reach levels for free food or beverages. Celebrate birthdays with a free coffee or pastry!
At first, it was assumed that users visited primarily for beverages or social interactions. However, through observation and engagement, it became clear that ambiance and comfort play a crucial role, with many seeking cozy spots for extended stays rather than only a quick caffeine pick-me-up or snack. These insights shifted design priorities, highlighting the importance of creating inviting spaces that encourage relaxation and longer visits.
Pain point 1
Long lines cause frustration, prompting a need for a more efficient ordering system to improve service speed and user experience.
Pain point 2
Insufficient seating leads to discomfort and overcrowding, underscoring the need to optimize space with diverse and comfortable seating options.
Pain point 3
High noise levels disrupt conversations and focus, suggesting the value of sound reducing structures or quiet areas to suit different customer preferences.
Pain point 4
Confusion over menu options and ingredients can alienate customers with dietary needs, highlighting the importance of clear labelling and accessible digital menus.
I needed to create the primary user persona to cater to the design decisions toward product users.
The primary user, Nadir is a programming freelancer who wants to use the coffee house app for tableside delivery so he doesn't have to stop working longer than necessary. He can order and get back to work without much thought.
With the purpose of visualizing the process a user goes through to accomplish a goal and based on my User Persona, along with previous research, I created a User Journey Map for a coffee house user.
Since a priority task was to create both table-side delivery and counter pickup options inside the app, I designed a user flow that maps the entire journey, from opening the app to completing the order process.
The scenario involves allowing users to place orders for sit-in service, so their items are brought directly to their table, enhancing the coffee house experience.
I began by brainstorming and creating hand-drawn wireframes, developing five prototypes for the menu page that addressed key research insights. Each one explored layout, navigation, and content organization before progressing to low and high-fidelity wireframes.
These low-fidelity wireframes represent the initial design before conducting secondary research through participant interviews. The arrows highlight the proposed user flow, guiding users from the homepage to order confirmation, and providing a foundation for future refinements based on user feedback.
I began the testing phase with a structured user research study plan to ensure the design met user needs and expectations. This involved developing a detailed study plan and a tailored script to guide participants through key tasks. The feedback and findings from this study provided invaluable insights into user behaviour, guiding further iterations of the design.
Introduction:
● Title: Creating Kat’s Coffee House Convenient Ordering & Pick-up or Delivery Options App
● Author: Katherine, UX researcher, katherine@katscoffeehouse.com
● Stakeholders: Kat’s Coffee House customers, employees, Kat (Owner/Founder), VP of design, CTO
● Date: September 24, 2024
● Project background: The ordering app project at Kat’s Coffee House aims to enhance customer experience and operational efficiency by streamlining the ordering and pickup process. Recognizing the need for convenience, patrons can pick up at the counter or have their order delivered to their table. This addresses concerns from multiple patrons who expressed discomfort leaving belongings unattended or losing their table while retrieving their orders.
● Research goals: Evaluate whether table delivery affects availability, customer convenience, and operational efficiency.
Research questions:
● How often do you prefer to have your orders delivered directly to your table or pick them up at the counter?
● How would you rate the convenience of table delivery compared to picking up orders at the counter on a scale from 1 (complete fail) to 10 (perfect)?
● Can you describe your experience with the ordering process? What aspects do you find easy or difficult?
● Have you ever had trouble finding a table due to orders being delivered to other tables?
● Do you believe that table delivery slows down the overall service and increases wait times for other customers?
● Have you noticed any improvements or drawbacks in the overall efficiency of the coffee house's operations since the implementation of table delivery?
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):
● Time on task: How much time did users usually take to choose & customize their items, select pickup or delivery, and feel confident before placing their order.
● User error rates: How often users make mistakes while ordering or get distracted while making an order.
● Conversion rates: The number of users who complete the checkout process and complete their order.
● System Usability Scale (SUS): Did the user find the ordering process to be unnecessarily complex or intuitive?
Methodology:
● Moderated usability studies.
● Location: Calgary, Canada, selecting hallway studies near coffee houses downtown, universities, residential neighbourhoods and food courts (5-10 samples from each location).
● Date: Saturday, September 21st mid-day & Monday, September 23rd morning (rush hour) and again a few hours before closing.
● Five participants complete the ordering tasks on their own and complete a questionnaire on their experience.
● Each session will last 30 minutes and include an introduction (verbal if in person), a written list of tasks (such as placing multiple and singular orders, and time how long each takes), followed by a short questionnaire.
● Data will compare people who prefer to pick up orders vs table delivery. Their reason why cross-referenced by age group.
● Since there are not many employees to make deliveries during rush periods, further research may be required later on order efficiency when there is more staff.
Participants:
● An assortment of people who place orders at a coffee house at least twice a month, and others who order more frequently (1-2 times per week). Whether as a business task or a social task. These orders could be for office meetings, social visits or solo coffee house visits.
● Participants don’t have to be coffee drinkers themselves as the Coffee House offers more than just coffee.
● Participants that can be affected by distractions (e.g. people with young children or service animals, multitasking, mental difficulties, people concentrating on work, etc.).
● At least 2 males, 2 females, 1 non-binary, all aged 18–65 years old.
● 1 user of assistive technologies (e.g. keyboard, screen reader, audio, etc.)
● 1 user that has physical difficulties moving around and 1 who is visually impaired.
Target:
● Users that frequently come to a Coffee House to do work for their job or school. The app should make it easy to place an order fast so they don’t break their focus, in addition, they might appreciate a choice to have their order delivered or counter pick up.
● Visually impaired Users. To see if the app is easy to visually understand and navigate. It would tell us if the app is instinctual for anyone.
● Users with babies, young children or service animals, as they typically cannot be unattended. The app should be easy to use while keeping an eye on them, and they are more likely to place an order to be delivered to the table.
● Users that come to a Coffee House with one or more people, or to meet someone. They should be able to instinctively use the app while keeping a conversation. They may be interested in having the choice to pick up at the counter or have table delivery.
● Users that prefer to mainly pick up orders at the counter. The option to deliver to a table may affect their ordering process on the app and the efficiency of service by employees.
I conducted a moderated usability study, designing user-centered tasks around the core function of the app, such as placing an order from start to finish. Participants were asked to create and customize a drink order, ensure it was set for delivery to their table, and complete the transaction. Throughout the process, I tracked the user’s navigation path, observed behaviours, noted any issues or areas of confusion, and gathered their feedback. I also recorded notable quotes—both positive and negative—and, finally, rated the overall difficulty of the task.
4 out of 5 Users understood and completed all tasks with minimal prompting
3 out of 5 Users found the navigation to be simple and intuitive
3 out of 5 Users thought the customization page did not have enough options
2 out of 5 Users found there to be too many steps involved
2 out of 5 users found the homepage too busy and struggled to locate the start of an order
I refined my prototype based on user feedback, incorporating clearer navigation, enhanced visuals, and improved interaction elements, closely resembling the final product experience. Each change was driven by real user insights, ensuring the design meets user needs and expectations better.
After presenting the wireframes above, I’ve selected a few key samples to demonstrate how the ordering process flows, from choosing items on the menu to completing the final order. These examples highlight the streamlined, user-friendly design in action.
I genuinely enjoyed both learning from and working on this project. The iterative testing and refinement have shaped the design into something that closely resembles a final product. Though the project concluded after the second round of testing, if I were to continue, I would focus on the following:
Expand functionality: Develop features that allow users to save favourite orders in their history while automatically clearing previously placed orders for a cleaner, more personalized experience.
Enhance design skills: By continuing to learn more about UI and graphic design, I could further broaden the app's functionality and improve the overall intuitive experience for users.
1) Solving even small problems can improve people's lives. It was rewarding to hear from participants that their feedback contributed directly to the development of this application. Many appreciated features that they hadn’t encountered in other coffee house apps, demonstrating how attention to user needs can set a product apart.
2) Simplifying user interactions enhances usability. Participants found that features like the drop-down menu for navigation, reducing the number of screens for ordering, and the ability to easily dismiss windows by tapping outside made the app more efficient and intuitive. Adding an area to include additional information also addressed gaps found in competing apps.
3) Rapid iteration fosters continuous learning and improvement. Conducting two rounds of design and testing helped me quickly validate hypotheses and make effective improvements. This process reinforced how iterative feedback accelerates meaningful progress.