Restaurant Self-Ordering System
Contextual Inquriy Study
Project Intention
The idea of this restaurant ordering system came to me from this experience: One time while at an Olive Garden, I experienced a great deal of trouble figuring out what dishes contained an ingredient I am allergic to, so I thought about creating an ordering system that would make that easier.
I worked on this project by exploring the self-ordering kiosk tablets at Olive Garden. My major focus was on the substitution of ingredients that may cause allergies.
Problem Statement
How can I improve the ordering experience in contactless ordering kiosks for people with allergies ?
Contextual Study
Field Study and Observation
To gain more insights about practices and issues with the current contactless ordering system, I went to Olive Garden and observed users using the Kiosk tablet available at every table in the restaurant.
The focus of my observation is with how users navigate the system and how they order from the menu.
Observation Insights
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People prefer using the paper menu and ordering through the server
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Customers cannot order main course menu items through the kiosk
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The kiosk can be hard to navigate when looking for specific items
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The ordering system is prone to errors and it is hard to correct errors because there is no back button
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Allergen menu is hidden in the "more menus" button
adapbility on newtechnologies may vary
searching button is not spported
Main Menu is not listed on the homepage
Allergy ingredient lists are hidden
Obeservation Summary
Conducting an observation study at the actual location was a pivotal step in gaining practical insights beyond theoretical knowledge confined to a lab environment. It allowed me to immerse myself in real-world challenges and understand the intricacies of the problem firsthand. This hands-on experience was instrumental in identifying genuine issues and honing the methodologies I employed to complete the study effectively. Moreover, it served as the foundation for creating personas, transforming proposal ideas into tangible prototypes by grounding them in the authentic needs and behaviors of my target users.
Ideation Concept
Design a contactless ordering system where the system shows all the allergen ingredients included in the food item. There is also an option to filter through the menu items based on allergen ingredients. The system will also give the customer an option to remove certain ingredients or substitute them whenever possible (e.g. gluten pasta -> gluten-free pasta, dairy milk -> oat milk). This could be through a remove or substitute button, or through a special request/ additional comments box sent to the staff of the restaurant.
Wireframes
Information Architecture
Interfaces & Functions
Below is a mockup of what the kiosk interface would look like for ordering system. Since the focus is on being able to identify allergenic ingredients and find substitutions, I wanted the ingredients to be easy to view from different steps in the ordering process. The calling function serves as a fallback in case the customer would rather ask a waiter about ingredients or ask additional questions they couldn't find answers to in the ordering system.
Main Entree
Calling Function
Main Entree
With customized filter
Appetizer Selected
with Substitutional Options
Entree Selected
After Filtered Ingredients
Dish filtered
After Optional Ingredients
Try out the interactive prototype