Tony Steakhouse
— Food Service
Project Overview
Problem
Tony Steakhouse needs an app. The main goal of this app is to allow users to make reservations through it.
My Role
- Branding
- UX Research
- UI Design
Goal
Tony Steakhouse requires an accessible app for users. The main goal of this app is to design a reservation system. Since TS has guests from worldwide, it is essential to provide the service in their chosen language.
Summary
Tony Steakhouse is a high-end restaurant located in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Their menu revolves around a fusion of Argentine and Italian cuisine.
Brand Strategy
Who is the target user?
TS’s primary target users are mainly tourists. Hence, it is imperative to cater the services to a foreign audience. TS’s second target user is locals that enjoy high-end dinners.
What problem are we trying to solve?
TS needs primarily to cater to a foreign audience, allowing them to reserve their spot in the restaurant seamlessly.
How are different?
TS caters to tourists and wishes to make a pleasant experience from the moment they download the app. The app should allow people to submit their orders ahead of time if they want to do so.
How do we want to be seen by users?
Unique, bold, and tasty.
User Pain Points
- Restaurants in Argentina mostly have websites in Spanish
- Very few restaurants offer online reservations.
- Very few restaurants in Argentina display their menu on their websites, and most of the time, they don’t include pictures.
Target Audience
TS’s primary target audience is people visiting Buenos Aires who want to experience a high-end traditional meal. A second target audience is locals that enjoy having meal downtown. Since TS is a reservation-only restaurant, it needs a user-friendly app. The app should satisfy both target audiences. Hence, a multi-language app is a must.
Personas
User Journey
Analysis
Audits
Tony Steakhouse is a restaurant that provides high-end traditional Argentine meals. They cater mainly to tourists and additionally to locals that desire to have a fantastic dining experience.
To gather information about the competition, I separated them into two types: direct and indirect. For the direct competitors, I found similar Argentine steakhouse restaurants in downtown Buenos Aires, such as Cabana las Lilas, Steaks by Luis, Parrilla Don Julio, and La Cabana.
Here are the most relevant finds:
None of them provide phone apps
Most of them give only Spanish assistance
Most of them require reservations through a phone call
I based my research of indirect competitors on another tourist business that flourishes in Buenos Aires, Tango. The following businesses were indirect competitors: Luxury Rojo, El Mercado, Cafe de Los Angelitos, and Esquina Carlos Gardel.
The most relevant finds among these competitors were:
They all have booking services
They all provide descriptions in English
They all provide pictures of their services
None can be found in apps, nor do they have their own
User Flow
Research
Research Goals
Figure out how easily people can navigate through the app. We intend to see how easily people can make orders, view items, and edit reservations ahead of time.
Research Questions
How long does it take for someone to reserve a table?What can we learn from the steps users take to reserve a table and modify bookings?
Key Performance Indicators
Time on task
User error rates
Conversion rates
Methodology
Moderated usability study
Location: the United States and Argentina, remote (participants will go through the usability study in their own homes)
Sessions took place on July 25, July 26, July 30, and July 31, 2021
Five Participants completed booking a table through a prototype
Each session lasted 30 minutes and included an introduction, a list of tasks, and a short questionnaire
Summary
Two usability studies were performed remotely with participants from the US and Argentina. The first round was performed on July 25 and July 26, 2021. The second round of usability studies was made on July 30 and July 31, 2021. Insights and user pain points were taken from the first round to iterate over the design and re-test them.
The study was done using the prototypes made in Figma.
Round 1 Key findings
Edit Reservation details were not so relevant
Customizing a reservation was hard
Viewing current reservations is hard
Round 2 Key findings
Not enough contrast
Hard to edit meals in the reservation tab
Prices should be upfront
Design
Low-fidelity Designs
Low-fidelity Prototypes
High-fidelity Designs
Low-fidelity Prototypes
Conclusion
Final Thoughts
Tony Stake house was an exciting project that allowed me to integrate my psychology knowledge and UX concepts. Thanks to this project, I got certified in UX by Google. This project taught me that good design requires much more than simply designing. It involves research, perseverance, and endurance. No design decision is random, and putting the user first to the front is a must when developing technologies.
Thank you for your time!