Increasing Access to Local Cafes Through a Mobile Ordering App
As a coffee lover, I am always on the hunt for new coffee shops to try. However, I find that not only are a lot of these local shops under the general radar, but they are usually not the first option that comes to mind when I am in need of a coffee on a busy day. I often find myself ordering from larger corporate brand coffee shops instead, as their mobile ordering systems make it much more convenient.
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As I’m sure many others can relate to this, I wanted to create a way that will not only level the playing field between privately owned cafes and corporate brands, but provide others and myself an efficient way to order from our favorite local cafes any time.
Project Overview
The Problem
While coffee shop lovers are able to comfortably make themselves at home at their local cafe on a weekend afternoon, it becomes a struggle when they want to order their favorite drinks from these same cafes on a busy Monday morning. Without a mobile order system set up, it is easy for long lines of customers and orders to pile up. This not only becomes a hassle for the employees rushing to correctly fill each order to satisfaction, but also for the customers who are impatiently heading to their busy schedules.
The Solution
Drip is the result of a ground-up rethinking of mobile ordering that is directed at addressing the goals of both customers and the businesses of local coffee shops. This app
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Showcases a large collection of local coffee shops all around the country
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Users will be able to leave reviews for the cafes they visit, and browse cafe options specific to their needs, such as those offering free Wifi, are accessibility friendly, or have dietary restriction menu options
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Supports mobile ordering for each of the participating cafes, enabling customers to directly place orders through the app for pick up at a time of their convenience
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Is available in a wide array of languages so that non-English speakers can just as efficiently view menus and place orders without the language barrier they might otherwise face when ordering in person.
Goals
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User - easily find a cafe suitable to their preference and order directly from the app
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Business - increase engagement of users and customers
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Product - supports local and private owned businesses; generate revenue
Research
Determined to establish a goal directed design approach, I first conducted user interviews to uncover the frustrations of users with current methods of ordering from cafes (in person and mobile). I began this qualitative research with a focus on some key questions.
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Who is the target audience for the product?
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What are the biggest frustrations users have when ordering from cafes?
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What do our users need the most when ordering mobilly?
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What do users feel is missing from current products?
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Who are our biggest market competitors and what do users see as their biggest strengths and weaknesses?
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What challenges can we anticipate for the future?
The Users
User Pain Points
With the feedback from these interviews, I was able to highlight four main pain points of users.
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Coffee enthusiasts often struggle to find new coffee shops to explore outside of their location. Those who like to do work at coffee shops also find it difficult to find ones that fit their preferences (e.g., quiet environment, free Wi-fi available).
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Users are too busy to always spend time waiting in line to order and again to receive their orders. Many who dine in at cafes also find it inconvenient to have to leave their table to place an order.
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Individuals with disabilities and have assistive devices such as wheelchairs, find it difficult to navigate in stores whose layout is not wheelchair accessible.
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Non-English speaking individuals, including tourists, often shy away from ordering due to the language barrier that prevents them from understanding the menus and communicating their orders to employees.
Competitive Analysis
To better finalize designs that address all user pain points and wants, I also conducted a competitive analysis to see the strengths and weaknesses of the current products available in the market. Based on my review of these apps as well as online customer reviews, it was revealed that the majority of features between these competitor apps were similar, but the main contributors to highly rated user experience were
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Flexible payment methods
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Straightforward user flow (e.g., sign in, reordering past orders, order confirmation)
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Built in loyalty rewards program
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Specified notification settings
Design Process
To kickstart the design process, I created a user flow that maps the journey of a user completing an order on the app. This allowed me to better visualize navigation through user goals to ensure a straightforward and efficient user flow and experience.
Wireframes
I conducted two separate rounds of moderated usability studies, one with low-fidelity prototypes and another with high fidelity prototypes before making insights for iterations that led to the finalization of designs.
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View full research plan here
Wireframes
High Fidelity Designs
Language Selection
A key pain point revealed by user research was the language barrier that a lot of non-English speaking users have when communicating their orders. This challenge is eliminated in the product which allows users to select their preferred language at the very start of their user journey.
Users are also given the option to browse the mobile app as a guest, without having to create an account. This not only saves time, but also allows those who just wish to explore the app to browse without commitment.
Browsing Cafes
Another challenge highlighted by users is the difficulty in finding new coffee shops to visit. More specifically, it is hard to find ones that cater to their needs, whether that be in terms of location, environment, accessibility, resources available, or menu options. This is addressed in the mobile app, where users can sort and filter out participating cafes by specific factors and characteristics to make it more efficient to find ones that fit what they are looking for.
Item Customization
A unique feature of this mobile ordering app is the customization of menu items to each user’s preferences. No matter the cafe that users choose to order from, they are able to customize drinks and food items to their liking, as well as input any special requests they have, such as allergies or other nutritional requirements. Detailed nutrition information is also easily accessible for users to view on the page.
Pick-Up Time and Details
The long waiting time and uncoordinated ready time of orders is one of the biggest pain points noted by user research. Drip’s mobile ordering app solves this problem by allowing users to select a specific time they would like to pick up their order, whether it be as soon as possible, or at a later time of their convenience. Users are also able to choose between pick-up in store or curbside pick-up if it is inconvenient for them to go into the store.
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Upon placing an order, users are also able to track the continuously updated progress of their order as well as see a Google Map estimation of their commute time to the pick up location depending on their transportation method. This makes it easier for users to coordinate their travel to pick up their order and limit waiting time.
Results and Next Steps
Although Drip is not a product that was officially launched, the feedback it received from potential users was nonetheless positive. Many praised not only its convenience and effectiveness in saving time, but more importantly in its meaningful efforts to level the playing field of privately owned cafes against corporate coffee brands, whose own established mobile ordering systems have won customers with its efficiency. Moreover, the straightforward user flow of the design is an added bonus noted by many.
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“Drip makes it so easy to order drinks to-go from my favorite local coffee shop! I'd order every morning before work and when I'd stop by, my drink was ready and waiting on me."
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"After starting my new job, I found myself drinking more and more coffee. However, standing in line at a coffee shop takes time away or makes it hard to get to work on time. This app has been a HUGE time saver!"
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"Very helpful with allowing me options to choose what I want specifically in my drink. Awesome that I can support local businesses, earn rewards, and discover new shops with such convenience."
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To monitor the success of the product in reaching its set out goals, I would
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Measure the number of accounts created and orders made through the app
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Keep up to date with user reviews and feedback to see the product’s adaptability in the real world
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Make adjustments and updates when necessary
Takeaways
As my first UX design project, this whole process not only exposed me to the aspects of product design, but more importantly, allowed me to see the meaning of user experience. Although I spent a great amount of time trying to perfect the visual designs of the app, I realized that the core of a good product lies in not the design of the product itself, but more so how users will perceive and use it.
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The multiple rounds of user research conducted taught me that “users” is not just a single group of people, but consists of individuals that each have their own ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving. This emphasizes the importance of flexibility in UX design - from being able to really visualize the impact and reaction that each outcome will generate from all perspectives possible, to continuously reiterating on designs that adapt to the needs of potential users.
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For future projects, I would like to further explore visual design aspects to learn to better tailor aesthetics to product purpose. However, as a user-centered design approach proved successful for this project, I will continue to put users as my goal, and focus my design process on truly understanding what the priorities of users are in that respective product’s market. To do so, I would like to conduct more in depth rounds of research, including a more extensive competitor analysis to understand which user pain points are priorities to target in our product, and more usability testing to then see user interaction specific to the product. I believe that when the goal is to design for the users, the product and business goals are also naturally met.