Duration
March 2021 - May 2021
UX research / mobile app / table reservation
Mumbai Cafe UX Design
Mumbai Cafe is a mobile app concept for a cafe in Mumbai that serves coffee, speciality chai, and healthy side dishes. The app focuses on helping students and working adults quickly reserve a table, especially during busy hours.
Role
UX designer responsible for the app from conception to delivery.
Goal
Design an app that allows users to easily reserve a table at Mumbai Cafe.
Project Overview
The Product
Mumbai Cafe targets students and workers who want to get a quick bite, host a party, or hold a meeting. The product direction centered on making table reservations quick and reliable.
The Problem
During peak hours, it gets hard to find a table at cafes in the area, which can cost customers valuable time.
Responsibilities
Conducting interviews, paper and digital wireframing, low- and high-fidelity prototyping, usability studies, accessibility considerations, and design iteration.
Understanding the Users
I conducted interviews and created empathy maps to understand the users I was designing for and their needs. A primary user group identified through research was working adults with busy schedules.
This group was generally short on time. During peak hours, it was difficult for them to find a table at any cafe. Sometimes they had to leave because the cafe was packed.
User Research: Pain Points
Accessibility
Table-booking platforms are not always equipped with assistive technology.
Time
Working adults are too busy to spend time looking for a vacant table.
Information Architecture
Text-heavy menus in apps are often difficult to read and order from.
Persona: Taniya Singh
Taniya is a busy working adult who needs an easy way to reserve a table at a cafe because she has no time to waste visiting a cafe only to find that no tables are available.
User Journey Map
Mapping Taniya's user journey revealed how helpful it would be for users to have access to a dedicated Mumbai Cafe app for reserving a table.
Starting the Design
Paper Wireframes
Drafting iterations of each screen helped ensure that the elements moving into digital wireframes were suited to user pain points. For the home screen, I prioritized a quick and easy booking process to help users save time.
Digital Wireframes
As the initial design phase continued, I based screen designs on feedback and findings from user research.
Navigation Wireframes
Easy navigation was a key user need, along with making the app work better with assistive technologies.
Low-Fidelity Prototype
The low-fidelity prototype connected the primary user flow for reserving a table, so the prototype could be used in a usability study with users. View the low-fidelity prototype.
Usability Study
Study Type
Unmoderated usability study
Location
India, remote
Participants
4 participants
Length
20-25 minutes
Usability Study Findings
- People wanted a better view of recent bookings.
- Users needed a separate page for entering booking information.
Refining the Design
Mockups
Usability studies produced actionable insights. One important change was adding separate pages for information within the app's reservation process to help users move through booking more clearly.
Key Mockups
High-Fidelity Prototype
The high-fidelity prototype followed the same reserve-table user flow as the low-fidelity prototype and included the design changes made after the usability study. View the high-fidelity prototype.
Accessibility Considerations
- Added alt text to images to support screen reader users and users with visual impairments.
- Used icons to make navigation easier.
Going Forward
Impact
The app makes users feel like Mumbai Cafe thinks about how to meet their needs.
"The app made it so easy to reserve table at the Mumbai Cafe, I would definitely use this app to secure my table at the cafe."
What I Learned
While designing the Mumbai Cafe app, I learned that the first ideas are only the beginning of the process. Usability studies and peer feedback influenced each iteration of the app's designs.
Next Steps
- Conduct another round of usability studies to validate whether user pain points have been addressed.
- Conduct more user research to determine any new areas of need.