Redesign project: A project to improve the meals feature with an 83% increase in user views

A project to improve VoC for users who were frustrated by the lack of out-of-stock information on the cafeteria menu.

Role

UX/UI Designer

Industry

Health & Fitness

Duration

2 months

Project Overview

In 2024, I contributed to the redesign of KOIN’s campus cafeteria menu service.

Although essential for university students, the cafeteria service frustrated users due to lack of real-time updates on meal availability.
Research revealed high dissatisfaction from unpredictable meal availability, long wait times, and a difficult-to-read, text-only menu.

Challenge

The existing service faced several critical issues:

No real-time information about sold-out meals.
Text-only menu format reduced readability and appeal.
Users experienced long lines and wasted time during peak hours.
Lack of clear communication between cafeteria operations and end-users.
No system for confirming meal availability before arrival.

Process

I initiated a comprehensive discovery phase that included:

Conducting an Eventstorming workshop to map out the dining experience from end-to-end.
Observing user behavior and gathering real posts from campus communities about cafeteria frustrations.
Surveying 12 students to evaluate current usability, revealing a System Usability Scale (SUS) score of 66.
Defining primary user goals: quickly confirm meal availability and easily view today’s menu.

Based on these findings, I:

Developed journey maps identifying emotional pain points during the cafeteria visit.
Redefined the information architecture to improve readability and reduce unnecessary scanning time.
Created interactive wireframes proposing photo-based menus and real-time sold-out status updates.
Validated concepts through usability testing and campus staff interviews.

Project Overview

In 2024, I contributed to the redesign of KOIN’s campus cafeteria menu service.

Although essential for university students, the cafeteria service frustrated users due to lack of real-time updates on meal availability.
Research revealed high dissatisfaction from unpredictable meal availability, long wait times, and a difficult-to-read, text-only menu.

Challenge

The existing service faced several critical issues:

No real-time information about sold-out meals.
Text-only menu format reduced readability and appeal.
Users experienced long lines and wasted time during peak hours.
Lack of clear communication between cafeteria operations and end-users.
No system for confirming meal availability before arrival.

Process

I initiated a comprehensive discovery phase that included:

Conducting an Eventstorming workshop to map out the dining experience from end-to-end.
Observing user behavior and gathering real posts from campus communities about cafeteria frustrations.
Surveying 12 students to evaluate current usability, revealing a System Usability Scale (SUS) score of 66.
Defining primary user goals: quickly confirm meal availability and easily view today’s menu.

Based on these findings, I:

Developed journey maps identifying emotional pain points during the cafeteria visit.
Redefined the information architecture to improve readability and reduce unnecessary scanning time.
Created interactive wireframes proposing photo-based menus and real-time sold-out status updates.
Validated concepts through usability testing and campus staff interviews.

Solution

The final redesign introduced:

A two-column visual menu with large, clear meal photographs.
A manually updated "Sold Out" status indicator managed by the cafeteria nutritionist.
Improved font sizing and layout for faster, easier reading at a glance.
A consistent visual language to enhance trust and information clarity.
Optional filtering for vegetarian, popular, or daily special meals (future-ready concept).

Results

Following the redesign, KOIN achieved strong measurable outcomes:

SUS score improved by 27%.
Monthly active users increased by 33%.
Menu page views rose by 83%.
User-reported wait times decreased, reflected in a 6% decrease in cafeteria complaints.

My Role

Led user research through workshops, surveys, and interviews.
Created journey maps and restructured information architecture.
Designed low-fidelity and high-fidelity prototypes.
Conducted usability tests and synthesized findings into design iterations.
Collaborated closely with developers and cafeteria staff for implementation feasibility.

Future Steps / Reflections

Plan to automate sold-out status updates through simplified digital check-ins or smart cafeteria sensors.
Increase awareness of new features through campus-wide promotions.
Recognized the importance of certainty in information over purely visual improvements—a crucial insight for designing for time-sensitive services.

Results

Following the redesign, KOIN achieved strong measurable outcomes:

SUS score improved by 27%.
Monthly active users increased by 33%.
Menu page views rose by 83%.
User-reported wait times decreased, reflected in a 6% decrease in cafeteria complaints.

My Role

Led user research through workshops, surveys, and interviews.
Created journey maps and restructured information architecture.
Designed low-fidelity and high-fidelity prototypes.
Conducted usability tests and synthesized findings into design iterations.
Collaborated closely with developers and cafeteria staff for implementation feasibility.

Future Steps / Reflections

Plan to automate sold-out status updates through simplified digital check-ins or smart cafeteria sensors.
Increase awareness of new features through campus-wide promotions.
Recognized the importance of certainty in information over purely visual improvements—a crucial insight for designing for time-sensitive services.

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Leah Kim

Leah Kim

Leah Kim