The SnackShop app enables theme park patrons to avoid waiting on line to order food, pay, and pickup their order.

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Project Overview

The problem:
Theme park patrons are stuck waiting on long lines to order and pay for food. It is time consuming and takes away from their overall experience.

The goal:
To provide users a quick and easy way to order food while at a theme park.

Project duration:
February 2022 – June 2022

My role:
Lead UX Designer

Responsibilities:
User research, wireframing, and prototyping

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Understanding the User

User Research: Summary

I conducted interviews to better understand the wants and needs of my end user. Through research and interviews, I identified a primary user group as parents that need a quick and stress free way to order and purchase food while at a theme park. Through this research, it was evident that a major form of frustration is the ordering process. Interviewees found this to be time consuming and stressful, especially when taking care of young children.

User Research: Pain Points

1. Menu: It is difficult to not know what is on the menu until the customer is about to order.
2. Wait: It is time consuming and frustrating waiting on a long line to order food.
3. Confirming Order: It is frustrating to not know if the order was entered correctly, especially when placing a large order.
4. Payment: The current payment process of paying a cashier is time consuming and holds up the line.

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Starting the Design

Paper wireframes

I created five different versions of my wireframe and chose the best parts of each one for my final version. I placed the order button prominently in the center and also included the location and map of the snack shop.

 

Digital Wireframes

One point of frustration for those interviewed, particularly for those not proficient in English, were menus not having pictures. This menu clearly gives all the information the user would need.

Another point of frustration for those interviewed was having to wait on line to pick up their order. Through this app they can comfortably wait at their table until their food is ready.

Low-Fidelity Prototype

The goal of my low-fidelity prototype was for a user to order food as quickly and effortlessly as possible. I enabled users to navigate in the least amount of clicks possible.

View the low-fidelity prototype

Usability Study: Findings

I conducted two rounds of usability studies. After the first, I edited my wireframes before creating the high-fidelity mockups. I then conducted a second usability study to refine the my mockups.

Round 1 findings:

1. Users wanted clearer labeling for the menu
2. Users preferred not having to navigate to a new screen to check the status of the order
3. Users didn’t want to be redirected automatically to the cart

Round 2 findings:

1. Users want the order status available through the homepage
2. Users would like the option to get a text when their order is ready

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Refining the Design

The original version of this design had users click on a button to receive their order status. After two usability studies, I added the order status directly on the page. I also added an option to opt into text updates.

During the second usability study, users shared their frustration of not being able to access to their order status if they clicked off the the confirmation page. I added a button to the homepage to direct users back to the confirmation page.

High-Fidelity Prototype

The final high-fidelity prototype provides a simple and clear way for theme park guests to order and pay for food.

View the high-fidelity prototype

Accessibility Considerations

1. I confirmed that the text color meets accessibility standards.
2. I included pictures with all menu options for those who have trouble reading in English.

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Going Forward

Takeaways

Impact:
This app now enables patrons to quickly and easily order food.

What I learned:
I learned how important usability studies are in this process. Each usability study gave me important insights on how I could improve the user experience.

Next Steps

1. Conduct another round of a usability study to see if there are any other edits that need to be made to the app.
2. Conduct additional user research to understand if there are any other user pain points this app can address.

Contact

Thank you for reviewing my work! I can be reached by email at candicejohnsonux@gmail.com.