Tous les Jours App Concept
role —
sole researcher + designer
skills —
product thinking
user research
visual design
timeline —
personal sprint | 2-3 days in July 2020
summary —
a mobile ordering app concept for a local bakery i used to work at in high school
background —
Tous les Jours is a bakery & cafe that sells coffee, cakes, and bread.
During my senior year of high school (2018), I worked part-time at Tous les Jours (TLJ) as a barista and cashier.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, I've missed going to local cafes like TLJ. As a self-proclaimed cafe enthusiast, I decided to design a mobile app for Tous les Jours as a personal project.
Note: Any research was based on my experience there, conversations with old coworkers, and what I could find online. Product pictures are from the Tous les Jours website.
problem —
Lack of customers results in a decrease in revenue and an increase in food waste during the pandemic.
Past coworkers have told me that since the pandemic, the bakery has sold less bread and has had days with no customers. Inside seating, which used to be a big draw for customers — primarily for studying & meetings — is no longer permitted.
Due to the decrease in business, TLJ is typically unable to sell all breads and pastries made on a given day; the conditions of the pandemic make it less feasible to donate unsold food as well, which contributes to food waste. Sadly, if the dip continues further, the bakery will be forced to close and let go of its employees.
research —
Previous pain points were amplified by the pandemic.
Common issues customers faced → unsafe + inefficient
During the pandemic, going outside even with a mask can feel risky, which prevents many from going to TLJ
Ordering something no longer on the menu (in-store menu was outdated)
Coming in just to see what they wanted was sold out
Main pain points for TLJ → ensure safety + generate $$$
No means for digital tips, only a physical tip jar
Food waste from unsold items
During the pandemic, the biggest issues are ensuring safety and generating revenue
competitor analysis —
In order to study what’s currently available in the app market, I looked into the apps of 2 nearby cafe and coffee shop competitors and found that competitors' apps have favorable features but do not efficiently display content.
mid-fi wireframes —
select iterations + user feedback —
solution overview —
Here’s an overview of the order flow with some key screens.
Home Screen
Compact, but easily navigable menu with pictures to parallel the experience of seeing baked goods in-store and display information more efficiently than competitors.
Layout of menus is staggered to make it easier for people to scan through left-right downward motion.
Favorites page for regulars who always order the same things.
Item Customization
Removed bottom dashboard (as seen in previous screen) so users are focused on the UI for ordering.
Option to choose iced/hot because in real life, often people would order their drinks without specifying iced/hot and we'd have to ask for clarification.
Easy access to the cart by swiping up so users would not have to abandon this order to navigate to their cart, increasing chances of sale.
Order Confirmation
Presented all crucial information on the confirmation:
what was ordered
prices
payment method used
time until pickup
Home Screen After Ordering
Show how long an order is taking and where to view your order.
To make sure users notice, I would design an animation showing where you can view your most recent order once you exited the order confirmation.
final screens —
prototype —
reflections —
digitizing an IRL experience
When I started, I designed mostly with the customer in mind, considering what their mental model of typical bakery items would be, what type of layout would be the most intuitive to use, and paralleling the real-life ordering experience. I designed this app to mimic what it would be like to browse TLJ and order in person.
tech for good
But the main goal of mine for this sprint was to create a way to help TLJ generate enough business to survive through the pandemic. This required me to approach my screens from a business standpoint as well. Features like Favorites to make ordering faster and design decisions to prevent user errors to encourage more sales.
2 types of users
I think in many ways both a business and customer approach complement each other because a happy customer can mean more revenue, but in a future iteration, I would like to consider how something like a rewards program fits into the business model.
if i had more time —
Something I think I could've put more consideration into this time around would be clear directions for curbside pickup/takeout to further ensure safety during the pandemic and laying down a strong foundation so the app could still be valuable in a post-pandemic world. Also, I'm curious about how the pandemic will affect mobile ordering apps. Will there be more dependency on them? Will people have built a habit for using them?
Additional features:
Option to add a tip — considering other users
Option to input how you would like your order to be packed — to improve ux and possibly, encourage sustainability
Consider business side of this app (for employees and TLJ) — considering other users
An integrated rewards program experience — to improve ux and possibly, encourage sales
User testing with the prototype, not just polling — to improve ux