SUSHI delivery app- Kaiseki
Project overview
‘Kaiseki’ is a regional Sushi restaurant located in a metropolitan area in India. Kaiseki wants to deliver a dine-in like experience to its customers who are often too busy to go to the Japanese restaurant or make Sushi at home. It offers authentic, customized healthy food options from Japanese cuisine to Sushi lovers. The restaurant app aims to make the meal ordering and delivery process smooth and hassle free with exclusive features like meal scheduling, ’Make your own Sushi’ etc.
Challenge
Busy individuals often lack time to prepare healthy meals after work or go out to dine-in to experience authentic Japanese cuisine. Sometimes individuals lack skill to prepare Sushi at home. No exclusive apps to explore authentic Japanese cuisine out there.
Goal
Design an app for Kaiseki restaurant that allows individuals to order fresh and authentic Japanese food easily, customize their order and schedule meals in advance.
Role and responsibilities
UX designer designing an app for Kaiseki restaurant from conception to delivery.
Conducting interviews, paper and digital wireframing, low and high-fidelity prototyping, conducting usability studies, accounting for accessibility and iterating on designs.
Project duration
December 2022- January 2023
Understanding the user
I created empathy maps to understand the needs of the users after conducting interviews. By understanding the unique needs and preferences of the target audience, we wanted to design an app that enhances convenience, promotes the brand, and boosts customer satisfaction.
A primary user group identified through research was working adults who were too busy with work and socializing to be able to cook healthy meals for themselves very often. These people need healthy alternatives along with the rich culinary experience of trying out pan-Asian cuisine for its authenticity and health benefits.
This user group confirmed initial assumptions about available food delivery apps/services, but research also revealed that time was not the only factor limiting customers from cooking at home. Other user problems included seeing family/friends, hobbies/interests, or challenges in getting fresh groceries for cooking or going to a restaurant for dine-in. We also observed that making sushi at home is a bit of a difficult task as it takes skill and practice to get it right, which can be quite time-consuming to hone.
A primary user group identified through research was working adults who were too busy with work and socializing to be able to cook healthy meals for themselves very often. These people need healthy alternatives along with the rich culinary experience of trying out pan-Asian cuisine for its authenticity and health benefits.
This user group confirmed initial assumptions about available food delivery apps/services, but research also revealed that time was not the only factor limiting customers from cooking at home. Other user problems included seeing family/friends, hobbies/interests, or challenges in getting fresh groceries for cooking or going to a restaurant for dine-in. We also observed that making sushi at home is a bit of a difficult task as it takes skill and practice to get it right, which can be quite time-consuming to hone.
User research
To gain insights into user behaviors, preferences, and pain points related to food ordering apps, I used the following research methods :
Interviews: Conducted in-depth interviews with a diverse group of potential users, including sushi enthusiasts, busy professionals, and families. The interviews focused on understanding their motivations, habits, and pain points when it comes to ordering food online. Key questions revolved around their experiences with existing food delivery apps, their expectations from a sushi delivery app, and any specific challenges they faced with sushi ordering.
Findings:
Interviews: Conducted in-depth interviews with a diverse group of potential users, including sushi enthusiasts, busy professionals, and families. The interviews focused on understanding their motivations, habits, and pain points when it comes to ordering food online. Key questions revolved around their experiences with existing food delivery apps, their expectations from a sushi delivery app, and any specific challenges they faced with sushi ordering.
Findings:
- Users expressed a strong preference for convenience and time-saving features.
- Many users found the existing food delivery apps overwhelming with extensive menus and limited sushi options.
- A significant number of users mentioned difficulties in finding accurate information about sushi ingredients and descriptions.
- Users desired a personalized experience with recommendations based on their preferences.
- Many users found the existing food delivery apps overwhelming with extensive menus and limited sushi options.
- A significant number of users mentioned difficulties in finding accurate information about sushi ingredients and descriptions.
- Users desired a personalized experience with recommendations based on their preferences.
Market Analysis
Explored the existing competition in the food delivery space in India, specifically focusing on sushi delivery apps and popular food delivery platforms. A comparative analysis was conducted to identify strengths and weaknesses, unique features, and emerging trends.
Findings:
- Existing food delivery apps lacked a specialized focus on sushi, providing an opportunity for a dedicated sushi delivery app.
- Many apps had complex and cluttered interfaces, causing user frustration and drop-offs.
- Few apps provided detailed information about sushi ingredients, freshness, and dietary options.
- Limited personalization features were observed, with a potential for tailored recommendations to enhance the user experience.
- Many apps had complex and cluttered interfaces, causing user frustration and drop-offs.
- Few apps provided detailed information about sushi ingredients, freshness, and dietary options.
- Limited personalization features were observed, with a potential for tailored recommendations to enhance the user experience.
User research: pain points
1. Time: Working adults are too busy to spend time on meal prep, it takes time and skill to make Sushi at home
2. Accessibility: Apps are often not equipped with assistive technologies like screen readers, zoom out, text translation. Text heavy menu are often difficult to read and navigate
3. App interface: Users need safe, secure and simple interface to order food easily and track orders without much hassle
4. Authentic experience: Users crave for an experience authentic dine-in experience of diverse cuisines from the comforts of the home
User personas
Preeti Gupta is a 2nd grade schoolteacher with busy schedule who needs to quickly choose and order fresh and healthy food options because she wants to free more time to pursue her hobbies and maintain work life balance.
User journey map
Mapping Preeti’s user journey revealed how helpful it would be for users to have access to a dedicated Kaiseki’s Sushi delivery app
Ideation
I created storyboards to brainstorm and demonstrate how users will use this product and why it will be helpful to them.
Picture 1 - Big picture storyboard: It focuses on what the user needs, their context, and why the product will be useful to the user.
Picture 2 - Close-up storyboard: It concentrates on the product and how it works
User flow
I tried anticipating user needs when interacting with the product by creating a user flow where they completed a task from start to finish. This helped me to picture how users will move through the app overall.
Starting the design
Paper wireframes
Taking the time to draft iterations iterations of each screen of the app on paper ensured that the elements that made it to digital wireframes would be well suited to address user pain points. For the home screen, I prioritized a quick and easy ordering process to help users save time.
Stars were used to mark the elements of each sketch that would be used in the initial digital wireframes.
Digital wireframes
As the initial design phase continued, I made sure to base screen design on feedback and findings from the user research. We wanted to display items clearly with details to help users choose and order food in less time.
Low fidelity prototype
The low-fidelity prototype connected the primary user flow of picking and ordering sushi ready for delivery so the prototype could be used in a usability study.
Usability study: findings
I conducted two rounds of usability studies. Findings from the first study helped guide the designs from wireframes to mock-ups. The second study used a high-fidelity prototype and revealed what aspects of the mock-ups needed refining
Finding patterns
Identified themes and findings by using affinity diagramming. This method helped me in organizing the data into groups & sub groups (sharing common themes or relationships) to synthesize the insights
Round 1 findings
1. Users need crucial information about app’s features (e.g. ‘Make your own Sushi’, “meal scheduling” etc.) on the home page
2. Users want to sign-in to the app quickly and move backward/forward without much confusion
3. Users want to select and add right item quantity to the cart and see order cart details
Round 2 findings
1. Users would like to have more filling/ingredients options to ‘Make your own Sushi’ feature
2. Some users were confused while clicking few buttons on some screens e.g. home screen, meal scheduling, ‘Make your own Sushi’
3. Some users were frustrated about not being able to select data and time smoothly
Refining the design
Early designs allowed for some customization, but after I conducted usability studies, I added additional options for easy check out by directly choosing from past orders’ section or ‘favourites’ section, add more screens for easy navigation ,direct link to special features sections like meal scheduling, ‘make your own Sushi’ etc. on home page.
Designed improved interface of the ‘Sushi Bar’ to make customized Sushi with add to cart buttons, clear steps of making Sushi and diverse options of Sushi ingredients, sauces and toppings. Users can see all customization options on the main screen only. Added Carousal for easy viewing and scrolling.
The second usability study revealed frustration of not being able to click buttons to select date and time slot. Reworked on the main screen carousal for easy scrolling and animation between screen for easiness on eyes. Users were earlier confused about where to click on the screen to perform an action.
Enhanced the navigation of sign in page for quick sign in and signing up to reduce confusion.
Users wanted to smoothly track their orders with built in live location and approx. time of delivery. After-delivery support is also ensured with feedback option.
High fidelity mockups
High fidelity prototype
The final high-fidelity prototype presented cleaner user flows for ordering sushi from start to end. It also met user needs for more customization, pre-planning meals for delivery and accessibility in terms of colours, font size, use of alt text for images.
Design system
Visual design
Our visual design choices were meticulously crafted to capture the essence of Japanese cuisine in our sushi ordering app. Vibrant HD images were carefully selected to showcase the artistry and freshness of each sushi creation, instantly igniting the appetite of our users. Inspired by the elegance and precision of sushi craftsmanship, we curated a vibrant color palette dominated by shades of red, evoking a sense of passion and anticipation. The sleek interface, intuitive navigation, and elegant typography seamlessly guide users through a delightful ordering experience. By harmoniously blending stunning visuals with thoughtful design, our app becomes a captivating journey that celebrates culinary artistry and engages users through visual storytelling.
Accessibility considerations
1. Provided a way for users to turn on screen dictation (added alt text for images), zoom in/out button and language change feature. This can be found on the top bar of the home screen and profile screen. App also has ‘accessibility settings’ section on the profile page.
2. Used icons, bigger font for call to action’ button, colours with high contrast ratio to help make navigation easier and the overall app more inclusive
3. Used detailed and high resolution imagery alongwith GIF’s and videos along with clear description of item to make the app visually engaging and interactive. Videos showcases various delicacies of Japanese cuisine
Going forward
Takeaways
During the user research phase, I conducted interviews with sushi enthusiasts to understand their preferences and pain points when it comes to ordering sushi online. Through these interviews, I discovered that many users struggled with limited customization options. Armed with this insight, I proposed the innovative "Make Your Own Sushi" feature that would allow users to customize their sushi rolls with their preferred ingredients, toppings, and sauces. This feature not only addressed the customization challenge but also provided a unique selling point for the app.Users felt good about look and feel of the app.
One quote from peer feedback: “I really like this meal scheduling feature in the app, it is really solving this issue of the lack of time to think and pre-plan meals.”
What I learned
While designing the sushi app, I learned that the initial ideas for the app are only the beginning of the process. They ignite other possibilities to explore and try out.
I felt that designing an app takes a lot of effort and involves making design choices at every step. As I moved forward, my rationale for going with a particular choice became more concrete.
Listening to the users during the usability studies really helped me to pinpoint areas that I needed to improve or keep as they are. Designing this app was an emotional experience with quite a few ups and downs, as the look and feel of the app was constantly evolving.
Next steps
1. Expand the food options on the app and add more services e.g. Sushi making classes, membership offers etc.
2. Conduct another round of usability studies to validate whether the pain points users experienced have been effectively addressed. Think of more ways to make the app more inclusive and accessible.
3. Focus on organizing the sushi menu into intuitive categories (e.g., rolls, nigiri, sashimi).
Add advance search and filter function for users to easily find specific items
Let's connect
Thank you for your time reviewing my work on the Kaiseki sushi app! If you’d like to see more or get in touch, please drop a message.
