ARM
An all-in-one system to manage restaurants by utilizing artificial intelligence to optimize workflow and boost customer satisfaction.
My Role
UX/UI Designer
Project
Self-intiated
Duration
3 weeks
Tools Used
Adobe XD, Illustrator, Google Form
Overview
The problem
The current landscape of restaurant management systems is overwhelmed with complex and fragmented applications, lacking a unified and minimalistic approach. This poses significant challenges for restaurant owners and managers in effectively leveraging autonomous systems to streamline operations, enhance efficiency, and maximize profitability.
The goal
Design a minimalistic application that attempts to utilize an autonomous system that provides management for restaurants.
Research
Brainstorm
Background Research
Research Goals
Identify existing systems that majority of up-to-date restaurants utilize to manage their restaurant.
Define the main pain points for managers and owners of the restaurants.
Examine the most used tools to minimize clutter and optimize the user overall experience.
Existing Systems
Quantitative & Qualitative Data Methods
Online survey (Google Form)
Target users
Managers & Owners
Toast
OpenTable
Square
UpServe
User Survey - Forums for Restaurant Owners & Phone Interviews
How many applications do you utilize that is restaurant related?
~3
POS System
Management Software (Toast, Square)
How frequently do you encounter inventory shortages or stockouts that impact your ability to meet customer demand?
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Most of the time
Always
0%
65%
25%
5%
5%
What are the most time-consuming tasks in your daily operations that you would like to automate?
Reservations
Employee scheduling
Inventory management
Menu planning and updating
What are the main difficulties you face when it comes to inventory management and tracking?
Too complicated
Clutter
Manual Tracking
Inaccurate forecasting
What are some strong points of automating employee schedules?
Time Efficiency
Reduce Errors & Conflicts
Real-Time Updates and Communications
Improved work relations
Fairness and Equity
Can you describe your experience using an all-in-one management system?
The lack of support due to minor bugs
Requires Wi-Fi to function
POS is easy to setup
The system had a lot of features
Pain Points
Lack of Real-time Insights: Restaurant managers often struggle to access real-time data and insights about their operations.
Inadequate Customer Insights: Understanding customer preferences, feedback, and behavior is crucial for improving the dining experience.
Limited Automation Capabilities: Existing restaurant management tools may not fully leverage automation capabilities
Design
Style Guide
Wireframe
Start
Login
Create an Account
Setup 01
Setup 02
Dashboard
Sales
Inventory
Item Page
Reservation Manager
Work Scheduler
Reviews
Prototype
Login Screen
Basic design with the inclusion of using other databases to help autofill information and speed up the process of creating an account.
01
Setup
Users will be able to enter the necessary information and commence their journey with the assistance of the AI bot. The synchronization process will encompass activities like scanning a menu and creating a digital copy with itemized listings, as well as integrating with pre-existing systems such as Square, Toast, and others.
02
Dashboard
From synchronizing of preexisting data will enable users to easily access a simplified format displaying daily sales analytics, inventory, work schedules, reservations, and reviews.
By incorporating an autonomous system, users will not only experience the benefits of enhanced functionality but also gain the remarkable capability to effortlessly locate and edit existing information without the hassle of manually opening separate applications.
03
User Testing
User Feedback
“The app seems user-friendly which made it incredibly easy to navigate and explore the menu.”
“It looks nice and easy to navigate.”
“I like your icon usage with the alert on the inventory, but I feel like you might be able to provide even more context.”
Takeaways
This self-driven project has been an invaluable experience, providing me with a realistic understanding of how projects unfold in the real world. Over the course of three weeks, I have gained a wealth of knowledge in conducting interviews and surveys, further expanding my expertise.
If this project were to progress further, I would place even greater emphasis on thorough research and extensive user testing to enhance the final design. From this project, I recognized areas I could improve upon and areas that interest me more.
In summary, this self-driven project has been a transformative experience, fueling my passion for UX design. Moving forward, my intention is to prioritize research and user testing, while delving into areas that pique my curiosity, in order to deliver an optimized and user-centric final product.