Satisfy your hunger anytime, any place. Divide the bill, not your friends.
Check Mate; a complete all in one dining app for restaurants, delivery, and take out. Satisfy your hunger, or enjoy an evening with friends and family, all while simplifying the process of "splitting the bill."
Overview
Just Imagine
We’ve all been there, you’re catching up with old friends, or building a bond with friends of new, doing so in the best way possible by breaking bread together over a delicious meal. The vibe is as perfect, as the food was delicious and satisfying. When all of a sudden, the bill comes, and immediately tension begins to stir amongst the table. See, the restaurant you’re dining in only allows to split the bill up to three ways, and since you’re a party of five, this becomes a slight inconvenience. Some of your friends use Venmo, while others use Zelle, and insist that you do the same by expecting you to download yet another payment processing platform right then and there.
The Problem
People need an all inclusive platform that allows them to discover new restaurants, browse menus, place orders and most importantly split the bill amongst multiple dinner party members.
The Solution
Check Mate Dining introduces an innovative design that calculates the bill amongst multiple party members, across all payment processing platforms.
Individuals can now create or join dinner parties by inviting guests to join their table, and place orders to the bill by paying their share using a personal profile; customized QR codes, as well as airdrop.
With Check Mate, users also have access to features that will assist them in discovering new restaurants using an algorithm that suggests new dine in, or take out take out locations based on previous searches, frequently visited categories, as well as location settings and map features. Customize your hunger profile, create a friends list of frequent dinner guests, receive notifications when payments are requested, and even order through the app with the option paying in full or splitting the bill.
USER FLOW: HOME PAGE TO CHECKOUT
Home
Friends List
Add people to your friends list to make paying amongst friends even easier. Search their names, scan their QR codes, or receive them over airdrop.
Dinner Mate Notifications
Party members are notifying you that they are sending their share of the bill, or requesting yours.
Billing Address and Payment Method
The Process:
We begin by conducting research to understand how users (college students) purchase text books for university courses, investigating stressors that make that process difficult. To get a better understanding of our user problem, and target users, our research goals are to:
Discover any problems or obstacles they encounter when preparing to start the semester.
Empathize by developing an understanding how students perceive their college lifestyle on an educational and social basis, as well as their pain points and strengths as students.
Ideate a host of problem solving brainstorming sessions amongst designers to produce as many ideas as possible.
Define a solution based on tool(s) participants currently use to find and purchase their text books in juxtaposition to the solution BookSmart will provide.
Analyze user interviews by gathering insight into with the users needs, empathizing for their reasoning, and using such information to define user personas, affinity maps, and empathy maps.
Sketching wireframes helps us visualize the necessary path to achieve our solution .
Bringing this solution to life, we prototype our solution in low, and high fidelities that will be reiterated, and refined, as we conduct several usability tests in the final stages of our research.
The Research:
1. What factors influence your decision when choosing a restaurant, and how important are online reviews in that decision-making process?
2. Can you share an experience when the ambiance or atmosphere of a restaurant significantly enhanced or detracted from your dining experience?
3. How do you typically discover new restaurants, and to what extent does social media play a role in your decision to try a particular place?
4. When dining out, how important is the menu variety, and do you have any preferences for specific cuisines or dietary preferences?
5. Have you ever used a restaurant app or reservation platform to enhance your dining experience, and if so, what features do you find most valuable?
6. How do you feel about the role of technology in restaurants, such as digital menus, online ordering, or contactless payments?
7. Can you recall a memorable customer service experience at a restaurant, and what made it stand out to you?
8. When it comes to portion sizes, do you prefer larger portions for value or smaller portions for a more refined dining experience?
9. How do you handle dietary restrictions or preferences when choosing a restaurant, and how important is it for you that a restaurant can accommodate those needs?
10. Do you often participate in loyalty programs or take advantage of discounts and promotions offered by restaurants, and how does this influence your dining choices?
11. In your opinion, what makes for an ideal dining companion, and how does the social aspect contribute to your overall restaurant experience?
12. When it comes to restaurant cleanliness and hygiene, how much does it factor into your decision to dine at a particular establishment?
13. Have you ever provided feedback to a restaurant, either positive or negative, and what channels do you prefer for sharing your thoughts on your dining experience?
14. How do you feel about open kitchen concepts, where you can see the chefs at work, and does this influence your perception of the restaurant?
15. How do you manage wait times at restaurants, and what do you consider a reasonable wait time for a table or food during peak hours?
Interview Insights
When dining, people often look for a combination of factors to ensure a satisfying experience. These may include:
1. Food Quality: High-quality and well-prepared dishes that meet or exceed expectations.
2. Flavor and Taste: The overall taste and flavor profiles of the dishes, meeting individual preferences.
3. Menu Variety: A diverse menu with options catering to different tastes, dietary preferences, and restrictions.
4. Ambiance: A pleasant and comfortable atmosphere that aligns with the occasion, whether it's casual dining or a special celebration.
5. Service: Attentive and friendly service from staff, including promptness, knowledge about the menu, and responsiveness to customer needs.
6. Cleanliness: Clean and well-maintained surroundings, including tables, utensils, and restrooms.
7. Price Value: Perceived value for money, balancing the cost of the meal with the quality and quantity of food.
8. Social Experience: A positive social environment, whether it's a cozy setting for an intimate meal or a lively atmosphere for a group outing.
9. Innovation: Unique or creative elements in the menu or presentation that distinguish the dining experience.
10. Health and Dietary Considerations: Options for those with specific dietary requirements, such as vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, or other preferences.
11. Technology Integration: Convenient technologies, such as online reservations, digital menus, or contactless payment options, that enhance the overall dining experience.
12. Location and Accessibility: Convenient location and ease of access, especially for casual or spontaneous dining occasions.
13. Reviews and Recommendations: Positive reviews, recommendations from friends, or online ratings that influence the decision to try a particular restaurant.
14. Ethical Practices: Increasingly, people consider a restaurant's commitment to sustainability, ethical sourcing, and environmental responsibility.
15. Special Offers and Loyalty Programs: Discounts, promotions, or loyalty programs that provide added incentives for repeat visits.
Ultimately, the specific priorities may vary from person to person and depend on factors like personal preferences, the occasion, and individual expectations for the dining experience.
User Persona
Affinity Map
Map Insights
Site Map
Wireframes
Interactions
First Iteration
Final Prototype
Usability Test Results
Objective: To evaluate the usability of the dining app, focusing on navigation, ordering process, and overall user experience.
Participants:
1. User A: Frequent app user, aged 28, familiar with various dining apps.
2. User B: Infrequent app user, aged 40, prefers traditional dining but willing to explore digital options.
3. User C: Tech-savvy user, aged 23, regularly uses apps for various services.
Key Findings:
1. Navigation:
- Pros: Participants found the app's navigation intuitive, with clear categories for cuisine, dietary preferences, and location-based search.
- Suggestions: Minor confusion noted in locating the filter options; some participants suggested enhancing the visibility of these features.
2. Search and Filtering:
- Pros: Efficient search functionality for finding specific restaurants or dishes.
- Suggestions: Participants expressed interest in more advanced filters, such as sorting by customer ratings or delivery time estimates.
3. Menu Browsing:
- Pros: Visually appealing menus with high-quality images; participants appreciated the detailed dish descriptions.
- Suggestions: Participants suggested an option to customize menu view preferences, like grid or list format.
4. Ordering Process:
- Pros: Smooth and straightforward order placement process, with clear instructions and an easy-to-follow checkout.
- Suggestions: Some users requested the ability to save favorite orders or create a personalized menu for quicker reordering.
5. Payment and Checkout:
- Pros: Secure payment options and seamless checkout experience.
- Suggestions: Participants emphasized the importance of visible and straightforward discount application during checkout.
6. Communication and Updates:
- Pros: Real-time order updates and timely notifications on order status.
- Suggestions: Participants suggested an option for live tracking of delivery, enhancing transparency.
7. User Support:
- Pros: Quick access to customer support through the app; participants noted helpful and responsive support.
- Suggestions: Integration of a more comprehensive FAQ section to address common user queries.
8. Performance:
- Pros: App performance was smooth with fast loading times for menus and images.
- Suggestions: Minor lag reported during peak usage times; participants recommended optimizing for high traffic periods.
Overall Impression:
The dining app demonstrated strong usability, meeting the needs of both frequent and infrequent users. Participants appreciated the intuitive design, efficient ordering process, and the overall user-friendly interface. While minor suggestions for improvement were noted, the app generally received positive feedback for enhancing the dining experience through its digital platform.
