TECHFOOD
Designing an Information Service for Smart Campus Food Court
- The Best Thesis Award -
Overview
TECHFOOD is my master's graduation project, and this is based on the concepts of a smart campus and uses the campus food court as an example. The aim of TECHFOOD is to provide customers with a new design strategy of information service to optimize their service experience.
My Role
I acted as a researcher and designer. My contributions include: doing qualitative research such as user interviews and observational approach, establishing ideation and UX strategy, developing user flow and information architecture, delivered UI and visual design.
Background
1. The Rising Age of Experience Economy
Perfect service planning allows the customers to not only have distinctive service experiences and memories but also enhance their revisit intention.
2. The Role of Information Service
Information service plays a significant role in the process of consumption but this importance is always being ignored in the food and beverage industry.
3. The Development of Smart Dining
More and more service providers in the dining industry begin to develop smart dining. How to create a suitable smart information service becomes a major trend in current.
Challenge
“How to create the unique information service for customers and increases their quality of service experience?"
Discovery
First, I conducted the observational approach and interviewed with 30 current students to realize the current information service and the customers' past experience. Second, I did the customer journey map to define the information service issues related to campus food court and the effect on service experience. The followings are the paint points I have defined:
1. Inefficiency of Delivering Information
Because of the inappropriateness of information layout and position, it is difficult for customers to read the information like the menu.
2. Inconvenience of Information Medium
The current information mediums, such as paper and human, make it inefficient and inaccurate for customers to receive the information.
3. Insignificancy of Information Contents
Insignificancy of information content has an impact on customers’ behavior and makes the customers feel disturbed while purchasing as well.
4. Misunderstanding of
Information
Because of inappropriate information layout, the misunderstanding of information causes mistaken behaviors for customers.
New Design Goal
Design new information services to meet customers’ needs in order to improve the efficiency in the new customer journey. Eventually, achieve to increase customer's satisfaction and positive emotions and then enhance their revisit intention.
Design Solution
1. New Information Medium
Use a mobile device as a new information medium to integrate the numerous information contents and increase the convenience and interaction in the new customer journey.
2. New Information Contents
Based on the advantage of IoT and cloud computing, develop the new clicks-and-mortar information architecture and process to provide personal and appropriate information content to customers.
3. New Information Layout
Combine graphics and texts together to strengthen the association of information and use graphic design to provide visual comfort in new information services.
New Service Process
1. Discover TECHFOOD
Customers discover TECHFOOD on campus or website. After downloading the TECHFOOD, customers will get the information about the location and site plan of the campus food court.
2. Make an order
Through TECHFOOD, customers can know the current status of the campus food court and different stores to decide to dine in or take out and know more detailed information about different cuisines to make an order.
3. Track status of the order
After making an order, it is available for customers to check the status of the order at any time. While the order is finished, customers will receive the notification of order-completed on TECHFOOD.
4. Go ahead to the food court
Customers are allowed to get the information about AR walking directions displayed by TECHFOOD and arrive at the campus food court successfully.
5. Pick up the meal
When customers arrive at the stores, they need to show their electronic tickets to the clerk to check the pick-up number and meal. If everything is done, customers can pick up the meal and enjoy it.
6. Rate the experience
After purchasing, customers can give feedback about their personal experience on TECHFOOD, and get the coupon as a gift which will make customers feel positive and enhance their revisit intention.
Design Feature
01. Track the status of campus food court and stores
Customers are able to get the information about current numbers of people and available seats in the campus food court and the information about opening hours, predictive waiting time, and waiting people for different stores on APP. All of these can help customers select the stores and decide here or to go.
2. Appropriate meals information
It is available for customers to know detailed meals information such as price, comments, flavor, and ingredients which can help customers select the meals and make an order.
3. Track the status of orders
Customers can track their orders. There are four different kinds of statuses including order- unaccepted, order-confirmed, order-preparing, and order- completed. While their orders are done, customers will receive a notification on APP.
4. Information about AR walking directions
This information service can help the customers, who haven't been to the campus food court before, arrive successfully. After arriving, customers will go to the pick-up counter for online ordering to take their meals.
5. Different notifications for different customers
To customers who dine in, they will receive the notification of returning reusable plates, and to customers who take out, they will receive the notification of knowledge of resource recycling.
6. Give the feedback and get the coupon
After purchasing, customers are allowed to give the rate and comments about their experience on APP, and then they will get the electronic coupon as a gift which may make customers feel positive and enhance their revisit intention.
Takeaway
TECHFOOD won the best thesis award at the design academic seminar. It is my first time conducting comprehensive and solid research by myself and it is a good lesson for me. (1) It is important for the designer to dive into the why and reason before design. (2) Choose the appropriate research methods you really need in order to find the problems you want.
To designers, realizing the user's needs and defining the pain points are the first priority things to do, and design is a kind of way to solve the problem.