Restaurant Website
Redesign
Client
Blend
Industry
Hospitality
Category
UI/UX, Brand Identity
Challenge
By employing lean UX research principles and rapid prototyping methods, we developed a high-fidelity prototype for the local restaurant's website, which was handed over to our development team.
Onsite Research
Our research strategy followed a lean approach, focusing on understanding the client's business and evaluating the usability of their current website's navigational structure. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the restaurant, we conducted an on-site contextual inquiry study at their location in Hunt's Point, Long Island City. This study provided valuable insights into the restaurant's atmosphere, brand identity, service, staff, and food.
Key Findings
The contextual inquiry study yielded surprising findings. We discovered a stark contrast between the existing website's cold and uninviting faux-luxury facade and the lively ambiance of the restaurant. The restaurant was vibrant, with energetic Latin American party music playing in the background, complementing the lively chatter of patrons. Additionally, the dish we sampled was visually appealing and filled with vibrant colors.
Design Direction
Immersing ourselves in the restaurant environment enabled us to better understand the visual architecture required for the redesign. We recognized the need to revitalize the website and express the true nature of the restaurant. Questions arose about how to achieve this goal, including the selection of colors, typefaces, and other visual elements. To address these questions, we turned to an analysis of successful websites belonging to the client's competitors, particularly higher-end restaurants in New York City with scenic views.
By studying the visual elements, layout structures, and fundamental features of these websites, we gained inspiration and identified best practices for restaurant websites. Our conclusion was to incorporate more color, albeit in darker and muted tones, to convey both the luxury aspect of the restaurant and the vibrancy of its atmosphere. In terms of font types, we determined that a combination of sleek sans serifs and modern serif fonts would effectively communicate the desired message to users.
Navigation Enhancement
With a clear visual direction established, we shifted our focus to improving the structural components of the client's website. To accomplish this, we sought a deeper understanding of how users interacted with the existing website's navigation elements.
Employing a lean approach to UX research, we conducted card sorting studies where users ranked the navigational elements based on perceived importance.
The results indicated that users prioritized the menu, hours, reservations, gallery, and restaurant biography pages in that order. Combining this user feedback with industry best practices for restaurant websites, both in terms of visual and architectural hierarchy, we determined that these key components should take center stage in the user's website experience.
Final Design
Next Steps
Through our research and design process, we successfully addressed the shortcomings of the restaurant's existing website. By adopting lean UX research principles and incorporating insights from our contextual inquiry study, competitor analysis, and user feedback, we created a high-fidelity prototype that revitalizes the website's visual appeal while enhancing the navigational experience. These improvements are expected to contribute to a more engaging and user-friendly website for our client's restaurant.