Sushi Rollin'
A responsive website that provides details about the Sushi Rollin' restaurant and information for those interested in opening a franchise location.
R O L E
User research, UI/UX design, User testing
T E A M
Product managers, UI/UX designers, Developers
D A T E
Jan. 2022 - May 2022
T O O L S
Figma, Zoom
Role
User research, UI/UX design, User testing
Team
Product managers, UI/UX designers, Developers
Date
Jan. 2022 - May 2022
Tools
Figma, Zoom
Date
Jan. 2022 - May 2022
Tools
Figma, Zoom
Date
Jan. 2022 - May 2022
Tools
Figma, Zoom
Overview
Sushi Rollin' is a popular sushi roll restaurant in Texas. June, the owner, is passionate about sharing the joy of sushi with as many people as possible and has decided to expand the franchise business. Our team, consisting of three designers and twelve developers, has played a crucial role in supporting June's passion. Working closely together, the designers and developers have been involved in the entire end-to-end process, from research to design.
What I accomplished
1. Conducted user research and usability testing.
2. Led the end-to-end first phase of mobile website design.
3. Identified interface issues and suggested design solutions to improve user experience.
2. Led the end-to-end first phase of mobile website design.
3. Identified interface issues and suggested design solutions to improve user experience.
What were the problems?
1. Pesky start-up costs
Franchisees face challenges in finding a successful business model with reasonable start-up costs.
Franchisees face challenges in finding a successful business model with reasonable start-up costs.
2. Lack of resources
There are few websites that provide information to franchisees about how to open a location and
obtain guidance and resources.
3. Lack of information about business growth
Restaurant websites generally do not provide data about business growth.
The Solutions
01
Comprehensive Franchise Information
Include a dedicated section with clear details, and visuals to address participant requests for franchise statistics, growth rate, and order types.
02
Intuitive Navigation and Interactions
Prioritize clarity and simplicity in the website design, ensuring easy-to-use navigation and logical interactions. Use clear labels, logical grouping, and consistent placement of navigation elements.
03
Address Operational Challenges
Support franchisees in overcoming operational challenges such as ingredient sourcing, food quality control, inventory management, and workforce training. Provide training programs, manuals, and ongoing support for consistent operational standards.
Design Process
D I S C O V E R
Research
I conducted a secondary analysis to understand the pain points of aspiring franchisees with competitors' products.
Through my research, I aimed to:
Understand the goals, needs, motivations, and frustrations of franchisees regarding opening a franchise business.
Through my research, I aimed to:
Understand the goals, needs, motivations, and frustrations of franchisees regarding opening a franchise business.
Research methods
1. Social media outreach: Facebook and Slack
2. Online community forums
2. Online community forums
Why Desk Research?
1. It is more accessible during the global pandemic era.
2. It is a cost-effective and efficient way to overcome budget and time limitations.
3. It enables us to gather diverse perspectives and insights from current users within a short period of time.
2. It is a cost-effective and efficient way to overcome budget and time limitations.
3. It enables us to gather diverse perspectives and insights from current users within a short period of time.
Research insight
Competitive Analysis
The objective of this research was to examine how similar franchise businesses attract potential franchisees and the necessary steps involved.
I conducted a competitive analysis of four direct and indirect competitors, focusing on franchisee-oriented design and usability.
I conducted a competitive analysis of four direct and indirect competitors, focusing on franchisee-oriented design and usability.
D E F I N E
User Personas
Through research, I was able to get a clear picture of who Sushi Rollin’s target users are and created personas that would accurately represent them.
I D E A T E
Sketch
At this point, I started sketching different ideas for the layout of Sushi Rollin’s website reflecting Jimmy and Ming’s needs as well as common design patterns I researched online.
Prototype
Mid-Fidelity Wireframe
To create the prototype, I began by designing mid-fidelity wireframes on Figma for the key screens that users would interact with.
Test
Usability Testing
Affinity Map
I created an affinity map to synthesize findings from testing, facilitate pattern analysis, and prioritize design revisions for improved usability.
3 Major Improvements in My Design
01
Improved Navigation
Users had difficulty identifying clickable and hoverable navigation items.
In response, we have made the following improvements:
1. Added visual cues such as underlines and color changes to indicate which tab the user is currently on and which ones are clickable.
2. Made the navigation more consistent across all pages, so users can easily find what they're looking for.
In response, we have made the following improvements:
1. Added visual cues such as underlines and color changes to indicate which tab the user is currently on and which ones are clickable.
2. Made the navigation more consistent across all pages, so users can easily find what they're looking for.
02
Accurate statistics
Added more images and charts for clarity.
Included before-and-after comparisons instead of lengthy descriptions.
Included before-and-after comparisons instead of lengthy descriptions.
03
Intuitive design with icons
Users found the design confusing and suggested the addition of simple icons for each step to make them clearer. Based on this feedback, we have incorporated clear and simple icons to help users better understand each step.
High Fidelity Prototype
After completing the mid-fidelity stage, I proceeded to develop the high-fidelity prototype.
Key Takeaways
As a UX designer for Sushi Rollin', I teamed up with other designers, PMs, and developers to create the most effective product we could. I strongly believe that collaboration and innovation are key for accomplishing our goals as designers. I gained valuable experience by creating designs that balance both the needs of the stakeholder and the users. As the lead designer of the mobile website, I focused on making the designs clear and easy to navigate. It has been rewarding to play a role in drastically improving this growing business’ marketability. I look forward to applying the knowledge and experience I gained from this project to future endeavors.
