Introducing: OpenTable for campus dining
Timeline
September - December 2020
September - December 2020
Team
Independent project
Independent project
Role
UX researcher and designer
UX researcher and designer
Platform
Figma
Figma
Problem
Current situation
To regulate dining room capacities and safely distance students during the current COVID-19 pandemic, Cornell University partnered with OpenTable when campus reopened for the 2020-20201 academic year. However, OpenTable is part of Booking Holdings, a company that services international travel and booking search engines, so its main users aren’t college students.
This partnership has created a few problems for college users. Firstly, universities have their own student meal plans, payment methods, and check-in systems in place, which usually don't align with the policies of public restaurants. Rewards, points, and membership systems also don't apply to meal plans. Additionally, college dining facilities have low visibility in the app because search results promote local restaurants.
Examples of current issues
User research
On OpenTable, there are two main types of college-age diners:
1. Students who live off-campus and aren't on a meal plan occasionally visit dining halls and rarely use the OpenTable app.
2. Students who live on campus and are on a meal plan visit dining halls regularly and use the OpenTable app to make reservations.
2. Students who live on campus and are on a meal plan visit dining halls regularly and use the OpenTable app to make reservations.
I interviewed four Cornell students. My goal was to identify key pain points in the reservation process that might be discouraging them from using the app by answering these questions:
• What barriers do users face when making a reservation on OpenTable?
• How do users get the information they need to make a reservation?
• How does the pandemic influence their dining decisions?
• What barriers do users face when making a reservation on OpenTable?
• How do users get the information they need to make a reservation?
• How does the pandemic influence their dining decisions?
Research synthesis
Interestingly, trends in my results showed that before users can even make a reservation, they have a lot of trouble finding the place they want to eat at in the app.
Key insights
• Most users navigated to the search feature tab first to look for a search bar.
• Users couldn't see dining halls until they specifically searched for the name of one.
• Users prefer takeout over dining in to save time.
• Users were unsure if they successfully made a reservation.
People problem
OpenTable allows college students to make reservations at dining halls ahead of time. However, it is hardly used because:
1. They have a hard time finding relevant search results.
2. The app doesn't communicate enough information about reservations to users.
Key insights
• Most users navigated to the search feature tab first to look for a search bar.
• Users couldn't see dining halls until they specifically searched for the name of one.
• Users prefer takeout over dining in to save time.
• Users were unsure if they successfully made a reservation.
People problem
OpenTable allows college students to make reservations at dining halls ahead of time. However, it is hardly used because:
1. They have a hard time finding relevant search results.
2. The app doesn't communicate enough information about reservations to users.
Current search feature
Current filter feature
User flow
Users were frustrated because they couldn’t find relevant results very quickly with the app's current search tool. After analyzing user insights and identifying the core issue, I created a user flow to determine the clearest and most impactful entry point for a solution.
Users were frustrated because they couldn’t find relevant results very quickly with the app's current search tool. After analyzing user insights and identifying the core issue, I created a user flow to determine the clearest and most impactful entry point for a solution.
User flow
Entry points
A brief evaluation of the most promising places for a new search feature.
Entry point exploration
Option A: Moved the hidden search bar from the “All restaurants” filter on the main search page to the top of the screen. Keeps the current homepage the same.
Option B: Redesigned the homepage to double as a search page.
Decision: Option A included in final interaction
User research showed participants first looked for the search tab at the bottom of the screen. Testing also later revealed some users didn’t like pages serving multiple functions.
User research showed participants first looked for the search tab at the bottom of the screen. Testing also later revealed some users didn’t like pages serving multiple functions.
Feature
After sketching a few of my ideas, I identified some key requirements for a search-by-categories feature.
After sketching a few of my ideas, I identified some key requirements for a search-by-categories feature.
Advanced search
Advanced search
Multiple search fields accommodate users’ varied preferences for specificity.
Sliders to search by ranges for quantitative fields lets them view more relevant results.
Manually entering the date and time of day instead of choosing from the current scrolling menu affords more control.
Decision: Feature excluded from final interaction
Other feature requirements described in the following sections provide the same function more intuitively.
Other feature requirements described in the following sections provide the same function more intuitively.
Federated search
Federated search
Eatery profile images allow restaurants to create familiarity with users and be easily recognized in search bar suggestions.
Category labels for the different databases within OpenTable reduce user confusion and help them find what they need more quickly.
Icons reduce confusion by helping to distinguish search queries within different databases from restaurant suggestions.
Decision: Feature included in final interaction
Search filters
Search filters
Option B displays the filter feature as a pop-up window on the search results page. Toggles are consistent with OpenTable’s UI and recognized by most users as off/on switches. Slider indicators also give users greater flexibility with their options and a better sense of what quantitative values like pricing mean.
Option C integrates Option A into the current filters on the app’s designated search page and displays Option B on the search results page. The dropdown menu reduces the number of screens for the filter feature and shows users the information hierarchy of categories and subcategories.
Decision: Option C integrated into final interaction
Visual design
Below are a few key final explorations I made for user testing.
Below are a few key final explorations I made for user testing.
Search bars
Search bars
User testing showed that most users preferred the visual aesthetic of Option B but would rather see Option A implemented because it follows the app’s current UI.
Decision: Option A
Decision: Option A
Search page pop-up notification
Pop-up instructions
Two of the four user testing participants were confused by the presence of two search tools on one page.
Adding a dismissible a pop-up message the first time a user opens the app is a flexible way to let users adjust the amount of guidance they want.
Decision: Option B
Decision: Option B
Category drop-down menus
Drop-down menus
A majority of user testing participants reported there was too much empty space on the screen with Option A.
Pushing the content down the page was an efficient way to use that space and avoid covering up important content.
Decision: Option B
Decision: Option B
Filter toggle buttons
Toggle buttons
Although Option A follows OpenTable’s current UI, feedback from user testing showed that users associated color with not only interactivity, but also on/off conditions.
Although Option A follows OpenTable’s current UI, feedback from user testing showed that users associated color with not only interactivity, but also on/off conditions.
Option B follows the iPhone toggle button style while still communicating the same concept to Android users.
Decision: Option B
UI kit
The following kit contains key elements of the visual identity for OpenTable.
OpenTable UI Kit
Takeaways
OpenTable has made it easy for Cornell students to safely eat at dining halls and preserve as much of their college experience as possible. However, for a platform originally intended to serve the general public and not the college demographic, OpenTable’s current search feature fails to effectively serve students and for this reason has a limited user base. The app doesn’t need to be built specifically for certain target groups, but it should be customizable to allow different users to tailor their own experience!
I'm not affiliated with OpenTable in any way, but I had a great time with this challenge. If this went into production, it would be a great opportunity to improve an aspect of student life that many of my underclassmen friends struggle with.
Check out the full interaction below:
Check out my Medium article to read more about my process.