Wokworks: Food Truck Ordering App
Sept 2023 - Dec 2023
Team of 5 : UX Research & Design
My Role
Primary Project Manager, UX Designer
Overview
In this comprehensive 11-week project, our team undertook the ambitious task of crafting a mobile food truck ordering app for Wokworks, renowned for its Southeast Asian-inspired cuisine. The primary goal was to create a seamless and efficient ordering app catered for pick up that not only aligned with but enhanced Wokworks' established identity & addressed the problem of long wait hours.
Stakeholders:
Wokworks Food truck
Customers (Drexel Students, Professors, Gymrat)
Philadelphia Local Community
Problems ⚠️
⏱️ Long Wait time: Minimizing wait times during rush hours, Lengthy queues and time constraints may deter potential customers from joining the line
📍Poor Visibility and Accessibility: Difficulty in locating the food truck could result in missed opportunities for sales and inconvenience for potential customers.
🎨 Rebranding challenge: Differentiation & Improvement, needs to offer unique features or improvements while ensuring it remains user-friendly and efficient.
Approach: Agile Framework
01 Plan 📝
Project Goals and objectives
02 Research 🔍
Market & User Research
03 Design 💎
Sketches, Wireframing, Prototyping, Iteration
04 Test ✨
Usability Testing, iteration
05 Reflection 🎊
Embracing Agile & Excited for the challenges
Plan📝
Project Goals and Objectives:
01 New Branding:
Implement re-branding for a modern and diverse audience, blending innovation with the essence of Southeast Asian-inspired cuisine.
02 Enhance Customer Experience:
Minimizing wait times during rush hours, providing diverse and convenient payment options, and improving the visibility and ease of locating the food truck.
03 Smooth ordering process:
Building a seamless and efficient ordering experience for customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Research 🔍
Understanding Wokworks :
In the business analysis phase, I did a examination of the then-current menu, website, and any active social media channels to gain insights into the target audience, the nature of their culinary offerings, and overall business operations. While my other team members explored physical location.
Understanding Customers :
For researching the target audience, I employed the research methodology involved a combination of observational techniques like "Fly on the Wall" studies, and also interviews with customers. The "Fly on the Wall" observations provided valuable insights into the demographic composition of our customers, revealing a predominant presence of college students in the 18-20 age range, potentially from Drexel or Penn. Additionally, occasional older individuals, possibly professors, were observed with formal attire and laptop bags.
key points from my condensed notes:
-
Customers displayed a decisive initial approach to WokWorks.
-
Menu decisions varied, with some patrons browsing extensively and others placing orders immediately.
-
During non - rush hours, the average wait time was short, averaging 4-5 minutes
-
Customers’ behaviors remained consistent while waiting, engaging in activities such as phone use or listening to music.
Employing the 5 Whys" technique developed by Sakichi Toyoda, I conducted Interviews with 2 customers of local food trucks to gain insights into potential users' perspectives. Interviewees shared their thoughts on various aspects such as prices, convenience, and food quality, providing valuable insights into their preferences and expectations. For a detailed view of interview notes, click the button below.
Competition Analysis
I dove into digital realm, conducting research on top 3 food delivery apps : Uber Eats, Grub hub, and DoorDash. Focused strengths & weaknesses, examining the respective apps & their features, and factoring in google reviews as well.
Business Canvas Model
Our research phase consolidated to this!
Design 💎
Visualize the Customer Experience
After synthesizing our research findings through affinity mapping and applying the NUF (New, Useful, Feasible) framework, we we transition to the intricate task of journey mapping for the app. This helped us identify various touchpoints, emotions, thoughts, and actions of the user throughout their journey, providing insights into their needs, preferences, and pain points at each stage.
Sketching UX Solutions
I love this phase, it opens up brainstorm possible UX solutions to address the pinpoints. I engaged in a brainstorming session to ideate screen layout ideas. The result was a series of screen layout ideas that aimed to enhance user experience and align with Wokworks' brand identity. These layouts were informed by user needs and preferences, with a focus on clarity, simplicity, and efficiency.
Prototyping Solution
The design process for the app unfolded through three key iterations, progressing from low fidelity to mid-fidelity and culminating in high fidelity. These iterative phases allowed for incremental improvements and refinements, ensuring a comprehensive and user-centric final solution.
In the early stages of low fidelity, our focus centered on critical aspects of the user journey, including onboarding, menu exploration, and the checkout process. Each team member conducted individual usability testing with prototypes, gathering valuable insights and reflections through post-interview questions.During the usability test analysis, our team systematically categorized insights into four distinct groups: critical, serious, minor, and scope creep. Notably, the critical and serious sections, highlighted in red and yellow, held more significance compared to minor and scope creep issues.
Advancing from low-fidelity to mid-fidelity marked a substantial stride in our design journey. Screens began to evolve with intricate details, introducing a more tangible representation of the app's interface. The iterative cycle of testing, learning, tweaking, and refining continued to shape the user experience.
In our third and final iteration at the high-fidelity stage, our design artifact showcased detailed visual polish, enhanced interactions, and pixel-perfect precision. This stage represented the culmination of our iterative process, with the team making final tweaks to achieve a polished and refined solution that aligns seamlessly with the project goals.
Peak into my usability testing
Solution ✨
Location-Based Menu Customization
The incorporation of three distinct food truck locations within the app significantly improved user experience. Users could effortlessly select their preferred location, ensuring location specific menu. This feature not only streamlined the ordering process but also catered to the diverse preferences and dietary needs of customers across different areas.
Detailed Item Customization for User Preferences
The item detail page provided a comprehensive platform for users to customize their orders according to specific preferences. From choosing toppings to specifying dietary restrictions such as vegan or gluten-free, the app catered to a wide range of dietary needs. The inclusion of special cooking notes ensured that customers could communicate precise instructions, resulting in a truly tailored ordering experience.
Diverse Payment Options, Including Cash
Recognizing the prevalence of cash transactions, the app included a cash payment option during the checkout process. This flexibility in payment methods ensured that the app was inclusive and accessible to a broader customer base, accommodating various preferences in payment.
Efficient Pick-Up Time Selection and Order Tracking
The ability for users to choose their preferred pick-up time added an extra layer of convenience. The order status page, featuring stages like "Order Confirmed," "Preparing," and "Ready for Pickup," allowed users to track the progress of their orders in real-time. This transparency and communication contributed to a sense of trust and reliability.
After the executing of 3 sprint cycles, the final solution features the app's primary focus is on the task flow of ordering Dan Dan Chicken Lo-mien. I and my team wanted make it more functional, but our journey was marked by collaboration and a user-centric approach, successfully meeting the goals and objectives of the project.
Reflection 🎉
Embracing Agile & Excited for the challenges
I thoroughly enjoyed my involvement in my favorite project, that deepended my passion for UX & accessibility. By meticulously defining essential features and tasks, and assigning priority levels, I learned to effectively navigate potential scope creep while ensuring the completion within schedule.
This experience has fueled my excitement to apply my research skills to future projects and tackle new challenges head-on. I'm particularly enthusiastic about continuing to embrace methodologies like Agile and usability testing, along with user-centric approaches.
These key takeaways have equipped me with valuable insights and tools, such as recognizing the importance of recognition over recall and employing techniques like 'What would my User do' and the '5 Whys' to uncover root problems during interviews. I am excited for future projects where I'll continue to apply and expand upon these learnings.