Duration

Nov 2023 - Dec 2023

UX/UI design, Product Design

Type

Overview

This was a two-week project at our studio, undertaken under tight deadlines. Despite the time constraints, I focused on optimizing user experience within the given timeframe.

The project centered on enhancing communication in restaurants by enabling swift ordering, easy refill requests, prompt feedback, and more, all aimed at streamlining interactions between servers and customers for efficiency and speed.

In simple termsโ€ฆ

ServeSpeak is like a little helper on your table at restaurants. It's there to make eating out easier and faster. You won't have to wait to catch the waiter's eye to order food, ask for more water, give your thoughts on the meal, or pay your bill. With ServeSpeak, everything you need is right at your fingertips.

๐Ÿง Let's dive in and see how this little buddy can make your meal out both smooth and speedy!


The main elements include a screen, a central bell button, and a ring of lights around the button.
It's slightly larger than a palm๐Ÿ–, making it easy to move around as needed๏ผ

Here are some of the screens Iโ€™ve designedโ€ฆ


If there's any feedback, like slow service or if there's an issue with the meal, customers can directly communicate that to the server through the device.

The main screen has four key pages:

'Order Food,' 'Feedback,' 'Water Refill,' and 'Pay Bill.'

if yo want to order or add dishes, just simply hit 'Order Food,' and tap your phone, and you can add dishes.

And when it's time to settle the bill, tap 'Pay Bill,' and the device will ask if you want to use your phone or a card to pay.

If your request isn't one of those four basic onesโ€ฆ you can just press the big bell button in the middle!
The device will then show 'Request Sent.' Next to the button, the blue light will start flashing. It'll keep flashing until the server gets your request, and once they do, the flashing stops.

For a water refill, there's the 'Water Refill' icon.

To help you all get a better grasp of how everything works, let's go through the storyboards! ๐Ÿ˜›

Soโ€ฆ

How did I choose this topic and, through research, identify the pain points and needs of users to develop this product?

๐Ÿ˜Let's move on and see what I did before making the final design...

Discovery research

Staff-to-Guest Ratio Issue:

  • Ideal ratio: 1 staff per 10-15 guests.

  • Challenging to maintain during peak times.

Interview

To gain a deeper understanding of customer-server interactions in mid-range restaurants, I interviewed 6 friends about the most common situations and needs that prompt them to call a server. Through these interviews, I pinpointed several key reasons for customer requests:

๐Ÿ’จ dissatisfaction with a dish or service

๐Ÿ’จ needing water refills

๐Ÿ’จ placing additional food orders

๐Ÿ’จ requesting the bill.

Opportunity & Pain Points

Staff-to-Guest Ratio Issue:

  • 63% notice understaffing.

  • Uncertain wait times cause frustration.

๐Ÿ’ก Response Time to Customer Requests:

  • Pain Point: Slow responses to requests like refills or bill.

  • Opportunity: Device for fast communication, improving service speed.

๐Ÿ’ก Immediate Feedback Requirement:

  • Pain Point: Customers want fast confirmation of their requests.

  • Opportunity: Device instantly confirms requests, reassuring customers.

๐Ÿ’ก Busy Hour Service Challenges:

  • Pain Point: Difficult for customers to catch server's attention during peak times.

  • Opportunity: Device ensures efficient communication, speeding up service in busy periods.

Ok... I've grasped the market, potential issues, and user needs.

๐Ÿ˜Ž Now, let me set a framework for my design through the design statement!

Design Statement

Design Statement

Purpose

To transform the restaurant experience by streamlining communication between diners and staff, focusing on efficiency and responsiveness, especially during busy hours.

Goals

  • Reduce Service Wait Times: Enable quicker responses to customer requests.

  • Boost Server Efficiency: Help servers manage workloads more effectively during peak times.

  • Ensure Prompt Feedback: Instantly acknowledge customer requests, providing reassurance and improving experience.

Core Technology: Near Field Communication (NFC)

Concept Development - Workflow

Before finalizing the design for a complete server and customer interaction system, I've mapped out the entire workflow. This helps visualize the interactions between four key players: the customer, the server, the server's handheld device, and the ServeSpeak device on the customer's table.

I've used different colors in the workflow to represent each participant, making it easy to see who does what.

Concept Development - Sketches