ORDER IN South Minneapolis
the challenge
Locally-owned restaurants in South Minneapolis are struggling due to the ongoing pandemic and the uncertainty of the economy. Additionally, third-party delivery apps charge excessive fees which negatively impact both restaurants and their customers.
the solution
After conducting user research with three busy residents of South Minneapolis, I came up with a concept for a cost-sharing, member-based service that would enable users to easily order food for pickup or delivery from locally-owned restaurants from a single website.
methods
Directed Storytelling
Sketched & Digitized Wireframes
Architecture Diagram
Basic Prototype
Concept Evaluation & Usability Testing
deliverables
User Research Report
Wireframes
User Flow Diagram
Interactive Prototype
Findings & Recommendations Report
tools
Zoom
Otter.ai
InDesign
Sketch
Axure
overview
My user group is busy, working parents living in South Uptown, Minneapolis who value and support local restaurants and want to be able to order high-quality food for delivery or takeout with the ability to customize orders for each member of their family.
user research
To begin the process of exploring solutions rooted in data, I conducted user research remotely via Zoom with three busy residents of South Minneapolis using the directed storytelling method. I reviewed the video and transcript documentation looking for patterns and commonalities and used affinity diagramming to cluster similar themes and determine the priority of needs and wants.
Support locally-owned restaurants
Capability to easily customize orders
Keeping the cart visible at all times with options to add/remove/edit items
Access to order history and option to re-order
Clearly show information about order deadlines, time estimates and pickup details
Sort feature for restaurants that are open late or have fast prep/delivery times
Ability to call the restaurant
Option to switch between delivery and pickup without losing the order
what the users said
“I feel a responsibility to support local restaurants and always tip more than 20%. I can afford it and so it’s what I can do during the pandemic.”
“I do not use third party apps, I always go directly to the restaurant site. I don’t like to order through delivery apps because I know how terrible they are for the restaurants. So I uninstalled all of my delivery apps.”
—user #1
“I had to try three different apps before I found one that was actually allowing orders to be done with special instructions because my wife is rather particular about her ingredients.”
“I would like a feature that let you know how long you had to order. Sometimes apps will let your start an order but won’t let the transaction go through. It would be nice if they didn’t just post, times the restaurants are open but times, they can actually accept orders.”
—user #2
“I have completely given up ordering it on the computer, it is actually easier to order on the phone.”
“We always tip a minimum of 20%. And, you know, because I just feel like especially now we have to support local restaurants. We’re lucky in that we can afford to pay to tip the appropriate amount or more to have someone deliver our food.”
—user #3
wireframes and architecture diagram
The next step was to create wireframes—first by hand and then digitally in Sketch—to help determine how to integrate the key needs and wants of the users. I considered hierarchical organization, mental models and familiar experiences from popular food ordering websites. Creating an architecture diagram helped define and refine the user flow and overall navigation.
basic prototype
Using Axure, I created a basic prototype that included user flow scenarios focused on the most important features. During the prototype process, I also revised and refined the site design and navigation.
usability testing
I conducted Think-aloud testing with five user testers. The tests were conducted remotely via Zoom and lasted approximately 30 minutes each. The tests were recorded on Zoom and Otter.ai with permission from users.
To ensure consistency between users, I wrote a script that included an overview of the process, request for permission to record, demographic questions and five tasks users were asked to perform using the prototype. The goal was to evaluate the overall concept and the usability of key features of navigating the website and customizing an item to be ordered.
The results were sorted using affinity diagramming to determine patterns, commonalities, key takeaways and recommendations for improving the website experience.
what the users said
“I’ve never started by choosing delivery or pickup before. That’s interesting. Okay, well, you know, do you want to delivery or do you want to pick it up because maybe there’s no delivery option available. So that might filter restaurants that only allow pickup, so I can see where that could be handy.”
—user #1
“We typically know what what we want to do and we just go ahead and get it. There was a time when browsed menus looking for what I wanted to eat but at this point it’s kind of like, just sticking with the tried and true. Also, I’m doing most of my ordering from my phone, especially if I know that I’ve got it set up.”
—user #2
“So I mean, you nailed it. The purpose is to reduce the fees and let local restaurants cooperate, and maybe have a shared delivery team. So they’re making more money and the third party apps aren’t stealing all their revenue. And it’s also a way to know that you’re making a difference in helping support local restaurants.”
— user #4
recommendations and next steps
Based on the feedback and insights from the concept evaluation and usability testing, I created a report that summarized and organized the findings into demographic details, key takeaways, task results, user suggestions and most importantly, recommendations for improving the usability of the website.
Next steps would be to implement the recommendations and continue building out the prototype for future testing and development of the concept.
