RESPONSIVE CAKE ORDERING SYSTEM CASE STUDY

PROJECT INTRODUCTION

DURATION

In Progress

TEAM

Individual Project

PURPOSE

To Create a Piece for my Portfolio & the Google UX Professional Certificate

THE PROBLEM

Cakery & Co. needs an online web presence that will allow their customers to place cake and cupcake orders online anytime. They currently offer an in-bakery catalogue with pictures of previously made cakes and a paper order form. This system is not convenient, or efficient and is no longer working for the volume of orders they are receiving.

THE GOAL

Create a responsive cake ordering system that scales from desktop to mobile seamlessly. The website will allow users to "build" their cakes and cupcakes by selecting everything from the cake flavors to the design details. Users will also be able to order sample boxes to try out flavors, purchase candles and other add-ons, and schedule a meeting with the bakery owner online via Zoom, or in-person to discuss custom orders.

UNDERSTANDING THE USER

USER RESEARCH

I started the process by conducting six virtual interviews and creating empathy maps. Then, I created a survey on Google forms which was distributed on social media. Next, I conducted a competitive audit of 2 indirect competitors and 3 direct competitors. Finally, I created an affinity diagram and identified user pain points.

"Cakes are important during any celebration because everyone loves cake and it makes the event more fun. I think custom ordering cakes or baking them yourself shows the recipient how much you care."

PAIN POINTS

Traditional cakes with birthday candles are not sanitary.

Going to a bakery to buy or order a cake during their business hours is inconvenient and takes planning.

Having to pick-up a cake on party day is frustrating because of all the other things you have to do and the cake could be damaged in transport.

In-store bakeries don't let you customize your cake beyond the inscription.

Premade cakes aren't personal enough to show the recipient you care.

Pretty cakes don't taste good.

MEET THE USERS

Abby is a wife and mother of two young children. As a mother with young kids she wants to order themed birthday cakes for her kids so they feel special on their birthdays. View Abby's journey map.

Tammy is a teacher married to her high school sweetheart. As a romantic and thoughtful wife, Tammy wants to order a cake that looks and tastes like the top-tier of her wedding cake so that she and her husband can celebrate their anniversary with a meaningful cake. View Tammy's journey map.

STARTING THE DESIGN

INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE

PAPER WIREFRAMES

Want to see the paper wireframes from a better angle? View a PDF of the paper wireframes.

USER FLOWS

DIGITAL WIREFRAMES & LOW-FIDELITY PROTOTYPE

Want to see the digital wireframes created in Adobe XD? View the wireframes PDF.

View the desktop version of the low-fidelity prototype in action.

View the mobile version of the low-fidelity prototype in action.

USABILITY TESTING

METHODOLOGY

• 30-45 minutes in duration
• Moderated study conducted remotely on Zoom
  
• Sessions were recorded so that I could review and take notes

View the web prototype used in testing and/or the mobile app prototype used in testing.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

Can user's perform key tasks in both prototypes (web and mobile)?

• How would you go about ordering a cake?
• How would you go about ordering cupcakes?
• How would you go about ordering a sample box?
• How would you go about scheduling a meeting to discuss a custom cake?
• How would you go about ordering a pre-made sample cake?

PARTICIPANTS

• 5 participants
  
• Have ordered a cake from a bakery at least 1x in the past year that was not pre-made
• Ranging in age and gender
• Located in the Kirkland, WA area

USABILITY TESTING AFFINITY DIAGRAM

After I completed testing and note-taking I wrote out all of the notes and quotes from testing and created an affinity diagram to help me identify themes and insights.

INSIGHTS & RECOMMENDATIONS

Adjust delivery process to require a signature

2 out of 5 participants were concerned about their order sitting outside after delivery because it could melt or be ruined.

Add signature cake flavors option to select flavors

2 out of 5 participants believed that users would be looking to order a particular type of cake and would not necessarily want to select individual flavors.

Add cake flavor request comment box

1 out of 5 participants wanted to request a flavor that was not listed.

Remove confirm selection button from flavors & colors

3 out of 5 participants felt the confirm flavor and color selection buttons were repetitive and unnecessary.

Add navigation buttons to the order progress ribbon

2 out of 5 participants attempted to click on the progress ribbon as a form of navigation between order pages.

Reduce the required number of steps to place an order

3 out of 5 participants felt that there were too many steps involved with placing an order. They felt that some of the customization should be optional.

Add more information about sample boxes

4 out of 5 participants wanted more details on the sample box before placing their order because it was not clear. They want details on sample sizes, shapes, and appearance.

Add cake message/inscription option to sample cakes

1 out of 5 participants wanted to add, "Happy Birthday <Name>" to the pre-made cake they were ordering.

Add reselect option to cake flavors and cake colors

4 out of 5 participants felt they should be able to reselect their cake flavors and colors after they have already selected them

Add cake color and flavor selections to collapsible menu

3 out of 5 participants were confused when they could not see the cake flavor and color selections that they made on the collapsible menus.

Add more information about custom orders & meetings

2 out of 5 participants were not sure why someone would want to schedule a meeting to discuss a custom order as opposed to using the cake builder because it was unclear.

Add map, plus directions button to pick-up page and all confirmation messages

1 out of 5 participants wanted a map and directions to their order so that they could easily find the bakery and pick-up their order.

UPDATES BASED ON USABILITY STUDY

Updates to low-fidelity prototype are in-progress. Please check back for more updates.

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