Imagine this: A busy Friday night at your restaurant. The phone rings off the hook with takeout orders, the wait for a table stretches long, and your staff juggles deliveries, dine-in service, and frustrated customers. You know you’re losing business and goodwill with every missed call and long wait.

There has to be a better way.

(This is where SwiftServe comes in…)

“From frantic Fridays to happy hours, SwiftServe empowers restaurants to streamline operations, delight customers, and boost revenue. It’s the all-in-one recipe for success in the digital age.”

THE PROBLEM

Restaurants struggling with:

• More efficient takeout & dine-in ordering leads to satisfied customers and lost sales.

• There is a need for more loyalty programs to retain customers.

• Low average table value due to traditional ordering methods.

• Long wait times hurt customer experience, especially during peak hours.

• Staff shortages cause delays and order mistakes.

• Inaccurate inventory management leads to stockouts and wasted food.

• Lack of a mobile ordering solution requiring expensive hardware.

• Difficulty integrating online ordering with existing Point-of-Sale systems.

• Inability to keep customers informed about their order status.

Goal

By streamlining the takeout and dine-in ordering process, this software boosts restaurant efficiency and customer satisfaction while revolutionizing the restaurant experience for both staff and customers.

Step 1

Preliminary UX Heuristics Audit and Competitive Research

UX Heuristics Audit

This will help you identify any usability issues in existing restaurant apps. By following established design principles (like Nielsen’s heuristics), you can identify common problems like confusing layouts, unclear navigation, or frustrating checkout processes. This will help you ensure SwiftServe offers a user-friendly experience for restaurants and their customers.

Competitive Research

Here, you’ll be analyzing what other white-label restaurant app solutions are out there. Look at their features, pricing models, strengths, and weaknesses. This will help you identify any gaps in the market and position SwiftServe to offer a more compelling and differentiated solution.

Target Restaurant Nuance

• Startups within Chains: While targeting big chains, consider the unique needs of new restaurants within those chains. These locations may need additional support with menu setup, marketing tools, and staff training for the app.

• Rapid Growth: New restaurants within large chains often experience rapid growth. Look for apps that can scale quickly and adapt to changing menu offerings and customer preferences.

Then, I went on to start iterating designs for the actual screens. This is a screenshot of all the work behind it before the designs were finalised.

We are implementing a simple signup process for restaurant owners.

Your restaurant profile will be set up correctly in your POS system with as little detail as possible.

1. Inventory Management

Integrating an inventory management system into the interface allows users to seamlessly track and manage their products. This includes features such as monitoring mineral usage and updating product details.

Why are we placing the “Add” button at the top?

Placing the “Add” button at the top of the interface follows a fundamental UX design principle aimed at enhancing user experience and accessibility. Here are the key reasons.

Why are we using a sidebar with icons, names, and colour changes?

1. Enhanced Navigation: A sidebar ensures easy and consistent access to different sections, improving the user journey.

2. Recognition Over Recall: Combining icons and text helps users recognize functions quickly, reducing cognitive load.

3. Clear Visual Feedback: Color changes provide immediate feedback on the current section, aiding navigation and reducing confusion.

4. Accessibility: Icons and names make the interface accessible to a wider audience, including those with impairments.

2. Oder Place

Integrating an inventory management system into the interface allows users to seamlessly track and manage their products. This includes features such as monitoring mineral usage and updating product details.

Why are we placing the “Add” button at the top?

Placing the “Add” button at the top of the interface follows a fundamental UX design principle aimed at enhancing user experience and accessibility. Here are the key reasons.

Why are we using a sidebar with icons, names, and colour changes?

1. Enhanced Navigation:

   A sidebar ensures easy and consistent access to different sections, improving the user journey.

2. Recognition Over Recall:

   Combining icons and text helps users recognize functions quickly, reducing cognitive load.

3. Clear Visual Feedback:

   Colour changes provide immediate feedback on the current section, aiding navigation and reducing confusion.

4. Accessibility

   Icons and names make the interface accessible to a wider audience, including those with impairments.

Why is the order creation flow designed to be so simple?

1. Accessibility

   The software is designed for users who may not be highly educated or tech-savvy, ensuring ease of use for everyone.

2. High Turnover

   Many restaurant workers, especially students, work in shifts. A simple interface allows new users to understand and use the system without extensive training quickly.

3. Efficiency

   A straightforward order creation flow speeds up the process, allowing staff to be more efficient in a fast-paced environment.

4. Minimizing Errors

   An uncomplicated process reduces the risk of errors, ensuring accurate order entry and maintaining service quality.

And…that’s a wrap!

Usability testing was extremely helpful in understanding everything from the end user’s perspective. It helped validate a lot of my assumptions, as well as identify few pain points that were solved in further design iterations.

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