Project details
Context
A practical challenge I’ve been working on during my Android Developer Specialisation by Meta.
PROBLEM
In today's fast-paced digital age, providing a seamless and convenient experience to customers is essential for businesses.
Little Lemon, a popular restaurant, faces the challenge of not having an online reserve-a-table feature on their website. This limits customer convenience, as reservations must be made through phone calls or in-person.
In this case, the objective is to design a solution that addresses a problem by implementing an online reserve-a-table feature on the Little Lemon website.
How can the table booking feature be personalized to enhance the user experience?
SOLUTION
By designing and implementing an online reserve-a-table feature, I aim to provide a solution that allows customers to easily book a table at Little Lemon without the need for phone calls or in-person inquiries. This feature will enhance the user experience by offering a convenient and efficient way to secure a table reservation. The online reserve-a-table feature will involve designing a user-friendly interface where customers can select their desired date, time, party size, and provide additional preferences or special requests.
The system will then confirm the reservation, providing a confirmation message and email to the customer.
This solution will benefit both the customers and the restaurant. Customers will have a seamless and convenient method for reserving tables, saving them time and effort. The restaurant will have an organized and efficient process for managing reservations, reducing the dependency on manual methods and potentially increasing customer satisfaction.
Research
COMPETITOR ANALYSIS
In this competitive analysis, I explored and evaluated the table booking feature on three relevant websites: OpenTable, Yelp, and Resy. The goal was to gain insights into their user experience, functionality, and design to inform the implementation of a similar feature on a restaurant's website.
User Experience: a seamless user experience with a straightforward and intuitive interface. The booking process is simple and efficient, allowing users to search for available tables based on location, date, and party size.
Functionality: a wide range of features such as real-time availability, restaurant reviews, and the ability to customize reservations. It integrates well with various platforms and provides a comprehensive management system for both users and restaurants.
Design: a clean and modern design with an emphasis on search functionality. The layout is well-structured, making it easy for users to find and book tables. The use of clear visuals and descriptive information enhances the overall experience.
User Experience: Yelp's table booking feature aims to enhance the overall restaurant discovery experience. It allows users to search for restaurants based on location, cuisine, and reviews. While the booking process is available, it is not as prominent as in OpenTable.
Functionality: a basic table booking functionality, but it relies heavily on third-party integrations with platforms like OpenTable and Resy. Users are redirected to complete the booking process.
Design: Yelp's design focuses more on restaurant discovery rather than table booking. The interface can be cluttered with additional information, reviews, and ads. The table booking feature is integrated but not the central focus, which may lead to a less streamlined user experience.
User Experience: a user-friendly experience with a sleek and modern interface. It offers a curated selection of restaurants and highlights unique dining experiences. The booking process is straightforward, allowing users to search for available tables based on location, date, and party size.
Functionality: a comprehensive table booking system, catering to both users and restaurants. It includes features like waitlist management, dynamic pricing, and mobile integration. The platform also provides exclusive access to high-demand restaurants.
Design: Resy's design is visually appealing, with a focus on showcasing featured restaurants and popular dining spots. The interface is clean and well-organized, making it easy for users to navigate.
Online survey
I have conducted an online survey in order to gather a quantitative data on habits of users regarding dining at the restaurants, naturally with a focus on a reservation / booking.
The Survey Questionnaire.
Interviews
To understand the authentic problems, frustrations and challenges, the restaurant visitors face, I conducted an interview with 5 participants, who regularly, habitually dine at different restaurants.
Users say…
"Real-time availability is a game-changer for me when booking a table online."
— Interviewee 2
"A well-designed booking system on the restaurant's website can sway my decision to choose one place over another."
— Interviewee 3
"Limited information during the booking process, like not knowing the available seating options or wait times, can be frustrating.
— Interviewee 4
"I appreciate direct booking on the website. It saves time and hassle, and I can see the available options without having to navigate through multiple pages."
— Interviewee 5
KEY INSIGHTS
User preferences
Participants generally prefer the convenience of booking tables directly on a restaurant's website rather than relying solely on third-party platforms. Offering a seamless and user-friendly booking experience on the restaurant's website can enhance user satisfaction.
Personalisation
Users appreciate the ability to provide additional information during the booking process, such as dietary preferences or special requests. Implementing customization options can enhance the user experience and cater to individual preferences.
Essential features
Participants expect key features such as date and time selection, party size customization, and real-time availability information. Clear calls-to-action and intuitive navigation are crucial for a positive user experience.
Real-time availability
Providing real-time availability information, including the number of available tables or wait times, is highly valued by users. This feature helps users make informed decisions and improves transparency.
Frustrations
Participants mentioned challenges such as slow loading times, limited information during the booking process, and complex navigation. Streamlining the user flow and addressing these pain points can significantly improve the overall experience.
Mobile optimization
Participants did not explicitly mention mobile usage, but considering the widespread adoption of smartphones, optimizing the table booking feature for mobile devices is crucial to meet user expectations.
Competitive advantage
Participants confirmed that a well-designed and efficient booking system could influence their choice of one restaurant over another. Offering a superior user experience through personalized features and a streamlined process can give a restaurant a competitive edge.
Defining user
User Persona
User Journey
Task flow
Considering the findings and incorporating the identified design opportunities, the task flow creates a user-centric journey that aligns with Emily's needs and expectations.
Wireframing
Apart from implementation of a feature to book a table, I wireframed the home page, in order to keep the design concise, and a prototype more self-explanatory, for the sake of usability testing and preference testing.
desktop - high fidelity
home
book a table
booking summary
mobile - high fidelity
home
menu
book a table
book a table (2)
finalise booking
Prototyping
I prototyped the app using Figma, creating a flow that allows user to access the feature of booking a table.
Try prototype
For better experience, maximise the view ( top right corner of a Figma plugin ).