Order

In restaurant management, time is of the essence. The faster customers are served, the more satisfied they are, and the more customers you can attract. Taking orders is a critical moment. The server must be quick and efficient and avoid making mistakes.

Issues

Current digital solutions are not ideal. They cannot be customized to suit the specific needs of the restaurant or the server’s work habits. There are opportunities to improve the restaurant’s overall productivity with a more suitable tool.

Objectives

Server Objectives

• Save time when taking orders
• Having a customizable product
• Being able to update the app

Bar Manager Objectives

• Track transactions in real time
• Process orders faster
• Reduce customer wait times

Design Process

User Interviews

The first step was to understand the challenges and expectations of users of restaurant management apps: servers, bar managers, kitchen managers, and so on. I sent a questionnaire directly to a sample group of restaurant owners, consisting of open-ended questions followed by closed-ended questions. I joined restaurant owner communities on social media to send them my questionnaire remotely.

Wireframe

Based on an analysis of the responses from my panel, I began modeling my application by designing wireframes with Balsamiq. Balsamiq is the industry standard for wireframing tools—it’s simple, intuitive, and lets you work quickly.

Design system

The next step was to implement the Design System so that interfaces could be modified quickly and easily. I used Sketch and created a naming convention to work efficiently.

Place your order!

I then moved on to the final design. I worked iteratively to achieve a compelling result. Check out the process from A to Z here, from onboarding to payment.

Prototype

To better explain how the app works, I also created an animated prototype. I used Adobe XD's prototyping tool to create the animation.

Visual Identity

This is the final stage of the project. I chose a visual identity that stands out from the norm in the restaurant industry: green as the main color and plenty of illustrations to make the interface more user-friendly and simplify the adoption of the app.

Let's eat! 🍽️

The Order project is exactly the kind of app I would have loved to have as a server—a simple, fast, and user-friendly interface. Thank you to everyone who helped me and to the restaurant professionals with whom I was able to discuss this topic.