A User-Friendly Canteen App: A UX Design Case Study

Overview

The college canteen is an important hub on campus for students, faculty, and staff to grab a quick bite between classes. However, the traditional food ordering process can be time-consuming and inefficient, causing delays in daily schedules. Moreover, the canteen owner has to manually note down orders and payments, leading to a cumbersome process of verifying orders and payments at the end of the day.

We conducted surveys, interviews, and contextual inquiries with users to identify pain points. We used affinity mapping to analyze the data and developed a design that addresses the needs of users while also improving the canteen owner’s operations. Overall, our goal was to create an app that improves the ordering experience for users while also benefiting the canteen owner’s business.

My Role

To address these challenges, our team at the Google Developer Student Clubs, IIIT Nagpur undertook a project to design and develop an app that streamlines the food ordering process for the college canteen. My role in this project was as the lead UX designer, working closely with a team of developers and stakeholders including the canteen owner and staff. The project was completed over a span of three months, including research, design iterations, and testing.

Not me inviting crowd to contribute :)

User Research Process

To design a solution that addresses the needs of both the users and the canteen owner, our team conducted a thorough user research process. This involved surveys, interviews, and contextual inquiries with students, faculty, and staff who use the canteen regularly.

The survey aimed to gather information about the users’ current experience of using the canteen, their pain points, and their suggestions for improvement. We received over 200 responses to the survey, which helped us to identify the most significant problems faced by the users.

Based on the survey results, we conducted one-on-one interviews with a select group of users to delve deeper into their experiences and gain a better understanding of their needs. We also conducted contextual inquiries by observing users’ behavior and interactions with the canteen staff and the ordering process during lunch hours to identify pain points and areas for improvement.

Key Findings

Based on the user research, we identified several pain points and needs of the users, which are listed below.

1. Problem: Long waiting times Several users expressed frustration with the long waiting times in the canteen, which can cause delays in their schedules and lead to wasted time.
2. Problem: Manual order-taking and payment processes Many users expressed dissatisfaction with the manual order-taking and payment processes, which can be slow, error-prone, and lead to long queues.
3. Problem: Lack of menu information Users expressed a need for more detailed and descriptive menu information to help them make informed choices.
4. Problem: Rush during peak hours Many users expressed that the canteen is overcrowded during peak hours, which can cause chaos and lead to order mix-ups.
5. Need: Pre-ordering and payment options Many users expressed a need for pre-ordering and payment options, which could save time and reduce waiting times.
6. Need: Easy payment options Users expressed a need for easy payment options, including cashless payment methods, which can help to save time and reduce errors.

Solutions

The app offers the following features:

1. Easy menu navigation: The app provides a user-friendly interface with detailed menu information, including ingredients and nutritional values, to help users make informed choices. This helps to address the pain point of lack of menu information and the need for more descriptive information.
2. Pre-ordering and payment options: The app offers a pre-ordering feature that allows users to place their orders in advance and make payments through a cashless payment gateway. This helps to address the pain points of long waiting times and manual order-taking and payment processes. Users can also choose their pick-up time, which helps to reduce waiting times during peak hours.
3. Real-time order tracking: The app provides real-time updates on the status of the order, including preparation time, pick-up time, and order completion. This helps to address the pain points of rush during peak hours and order mix-ups.

The solution not only benefits the users but also the canteen owner. The app helps to improve the operations of the canteen by automating the order-taking and payment processes and reducing the workload of the canteen staff. The app also provides valuable data analytics that can help the canteen owner to make informed decisions regarding menu offerings, pricing, and promotions.

Low-fidelity Wireframes

Key Design Decisions

A Closer Look at the Mobile App for Canteen Management

User’s UI:

1. Placing a search bar at the top of the home screen: We observed that users often come to the canteen with a specific dish in mind, and searching for it can be time-consuming. By placing a search bar at the top of the home screen, users can quickly search for the dish they want to order. This saves time and makes the app more user-friendly.
2. Displaying categories and Repeat Orders section on the home screen: Based on our research, we found that 65% of the canteen users order the same food they had earlier. Hence, Repeat Orders were given priority on the home screen. We also displayed categories to help users quickly find the food they are looking for.
3. Including the “Ready in” section in the order page: We added a “Ready in” section in the order page to help users estimate the time it would take for their order to be prepared. This feature not only helps users plan their time better but also helps the canteen owner manage orders more efficiently.

Canteen Owner’s UI

1. Home screen showing recent orders and order status dropdown: The home screen displays the user’s recent orders, and the order status dropdown lets them update the status of their orders (prepared, ready, delivered). This feature helps users keep track of their orders and helps the canteen owner manage orders more efficiently.
2. View Insight section displaying total orders and earnings: The View Insight section displays total orders, earnings, and other insights. This feature helps the canteen owner track sales and make data-driven decisions.

the team :) PS: the GDSC Merch was Designed by me!