Flora Bar + Kitchen
APP DESIGN
The Product:
Flora Bar + Kitchen is a coastal Italian restaurant with a menu that brings on a modern approach to classic Italian cuisine using cheeses, breads and meats from local food artisans, and fresh ingredients from local sources.
Project Duration:
December 2022-February 2023
The Problem:
The lack of healthy authentic Italian restaurants that offer a delivery service.
The Goal:
Design an app for Flora Bar + Kitchen to allow users to easily place orders on demand for fresh, homemade Italian dishes.
My Role:
UX designer designing an app for Flora Bar + Kitchen from conception to delivery.
Responsibilities:
Conducting interviews, paper and digital wireframing, low and high-fidelity prototyping, conducting usability studies, accounting for accessibility, and iterating on designs.
User Research: Summary
I conducted interviews and created empathy maps to understand the users I’m designing for and their needs. A primary user group identified through research was working adults who aren’t able to access authentic Italian cuisine for on demand delivery.
This user group confirmed initial assumptions about Flora Bar + Kitchen’s customers, but research also revealed that lack of options was not the only factor limiting users having this need. Other user problems included obligations and challenges that make it difficult to go to restaurants in-person.
User Research: Pain Points
1
Platform for ordering food is not equipped with assistive technologies.
2
Busy professionals and caregivers not able to make time to cook authentic Italian meals.
3
Difficult to navigate how to customize menu options and add additional notes, as well as payment options.
Persona: Fernando
Problem Statement:
Fernando is a busy professional who needs to order healthy authentic Italian meals that deliver to his office, because he does not have time to leave his desk to order lunch for himself and his law firm.
User Journey Map
Affinity Diagram
Paper Wireframes
Taking the time to draft 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 simple to understand ordering process to help users save time.
Digital Wireframes
As the initial design phase continued, I made sure to base screen designs on feedback and findings from the user research. Simple navigation was a key user need to address in the designs, as well as enabling the app to work with assistive technologies.
Low-fidelity Prototype
Using the completed set of digital wireframes, I created a low-fidelity prototype. The primary user flow I connected was placing an order in a food delivery app, so the prototype could be used in a usability study. View the Flora Bar + Kitchen low-fidelity prototype
Usability study: Findings
Findings from my usability study helped guide the designs from wireframes to mockups. The high-fidelity prototype uncovered what aspects of the mockup needed polishing.
1
Users want to order authentic Italian meals
2
Users want more customization options
3
Users want more payment methods
Mockups
After the usability studies, I added more customization options, as well as additional payment methods.
High-fidelity prototype
The final high-fidelity prototype met user needs for an additional payment methods, as well as more customization. View the Flor Bar + Kitchen high-fidelity prototype
Accessibility Considerations
1
Used detailed images of food menu items to help all users understand the designs and items offered.
2
Used icons to help users navigate easier throughout the checkout process.
3
Added adding alt text to images for screen readers to provide access to users who are vision impaired.
Takeaways
Impact:
The app made users feel like Flora Bar + Kitchen really cares about how to meet their needs. One quote from peer feedback:
“I liked how the app was so structured and easy to understand. It had lots of images to help me pick quality authentic Italian meals and and I look forward to using it again!”
What I Learned:
While designing the Flora Bar + Kitchen app, I learned that usability studies are such an important part of the design process as they influenced each iteration of the app’s designs.
Next Steps:
Conduct another round of usability studies to validate whether the pain points which the users have expressed have been effectively addressed. Add a new feature and conduct more user research to determine if it is a need for the user.