dining app prototype – Hailey Fetting | UX Designer, Product Designer

dining app protoype

Client | Bradley University

Date | Aug. 2021 – Dec 2021

Role | UI/UX Designer

project overview

In Fall of 2022, I independently developed a prototype for a dining app specifically for our university.

The only digital infrastructure we have for our dining program is a very technical site to view dining dollar and meal swipe amount, so I set out to make a more friendly design. Below you can find technical descriptions of users, business, and what would be needed to make this prototype a reality.

old design

new design

B-Eats just got a refresh!

The grey and red scheme was dropped for a cleaner red-orange gradient and white look. Soft corners and softer shadows replaced the square rows of the original. The text was swapped from Dunbar to Sulfur Point for a hipper, more fun look. The print go-to Avenir was replaced with a tried-and-true digital favorite Nunito Sans.

new prototype

This prototype utlizes logic to create a more realistic experience

Order a Chick-N-Mini from Chick-Fil-A – but make sure to save the Chick-N-Mini promo so that you can apply it at checkout! Don’t forget to add your sauces.
Check out your favorites at Geisert Dining Hall. You can filter today’s selections to your liking.
You forgot how much you like fish – add another food item to your favorites.
You just got your paycheck – go to your wallet and add another 10$ to your account.
Check out the promos that are available to you this week, and save the ones that you want to use from today. You can save on the home page too, and they’ll still populate on the home page!

User Research

The app will be specifically designed for Bradley Students. Because the school has a unique requirement of having students live on campus for two years, the app will be specifically targeted at underclassmen, who have less experience on campus and who also are dependent on a full meal plan, and who would benefit the most from having easily accessible information about campus dining options.

Description of Users

At Bradley, every restaurant and convenience spot has different hours on different days of the week. It is a struggle for many to remember when places open and when they close. With an easily accessible app, there won’t be anymore guessing or outdated Google hours. The user will also be able to look at menus of locations from their phones. This will streamline the ordering process for students who are not familiar with one of the locations that they are going to, and removes some user anxiety. Users will also have better access to information regarding their dining services, like deals and specials that are going on.

This app will be a helpful tool to help students take advantage of limited time offers. Users will have an easier time checking their balance, and with a quick toggle can see how much they have left to spend if they have a purchase they would like to consider.

Goals & Objectives

The goal of this app will make information about the Dining Services more accessible and organized in a user-friendly way. Currently, the information for these services are spread out and a hassle to keep track of. With this all-in-one app, students will be able to view menus, campus currency balances, location specials, and more. On the current system, you can see the menu for the day at the dining halls, which will be included. The markers for vegan, vegetarian, and healthy options will also be there, along with dairy-free options and icons to warn about allergens. You will be able to view hours for locations, and updates if there are any changes.

Business Goals

When the consumer has more information about the services provided, it benefits both the user and the business. The dining services on campus will now have an easy, effective way to push products and promotions that would have been otherwise done through a social platform or signs. Awareness about limited time offers and promos brings in more profit for vendors and sponsors of the school. The app will connect the business and the consumer in a direct, easy to manage fashion that is effective for smooth communication.

Golden Thread

1. Student, Jill, wakes up for a 9am, MWF math class, but she’s hungry and wants to get Moe’s before class.

2. When she opens the app to figure out what she wants to get, she realizes it is still closed until 10:30am, because it is greyed out.

3. However, the Chick-fil-a is lit up in the restaurant options, and she decides she can get breakfast there instead.

4. As a freshman, she doesn’t quite remember where the Chick-Fil-A is, so she tabs over to the map icon, which gives a quick view of all the locations and where she is. She hadn’t even realized that she could use their dining dollars at a Chick-Fil-A! She can tell this because there is a Dining Dollar icon under the restaurant selection option, as well as an icon for quick cash, cash, and debit/credit.

5. She starts to make her way over to the Chick-fil-A, and while she walks she is able to look through the menu and figure out what she wants before she even gets there

6. When she exits out of the menu tab, she sees a banner to the side of their screen – there is a buy-9-get-10th-free deal that is going on at Chik-Fil-A! She clicks on it to get started with that special.

7. When she clicked on that banner, it also recommended other specials that the Student Center had going on – like a buy-one-get-one-free of Lifewater. She’ll have to pick some of those up later.

8. When she gets to the restaurant, she knows what she wants as soon as she gets up.

9. Later in the day, she is out with friends and she all wants to go somewhere off campus for dinner. When she looks at their map on the app, she can see that Noodles & Company takes Quickcash, so she all drives down there.

10. On the way she is able to look at the menu as well, and suddenly she gets worried that she may not have enough QuickCash to cover a meal.

11. She easily tabs to her account information, where it gives them an immediate, updated balance of their Dining Dollars, Quickcash, and board swipes.