This research project focuses on utilizing AI to revolutionize the way burger chains understand and interact with their customers. The primary objective is to enhance the digital experience within physical restaurant settings, aligning it more closely with individual customer preferences and behaviors.
This dynamic landscape demands innovative approaches to customer engagement and market segmentation. Traditional methods, often reliant on superficial demographic data, fail to capture the complex patterns of customer behavior and preferences, leading to generic and ineffective marketing strategies. The integration of AI in market segmentation and customer research offers a powerful tool to address these challenges. However, the transition to AI-driven processes introduces its own set of complexities. The problem space, therefore, encompasses several key issues:
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Through my research, I identified the need to conduct a competitor analysis to gain insights into the strengths and weaknesses of our client's direct competitors and to identify opportunities for differentiation in the crowded fast-food market.
In today's digital age, it's more important than ever for businesses to provide a seamless and engaging online experience for their customers, and the fast-food industry is no exception.
I focused on analyzing major players like McDonald's, Wendy's, and Burger King, examining their web and app designs, menu presentations, ordering processes, loyalty schemes, and social media strategies. This deep dive highlighted various innovative approaches, such as personalized features and gamified rewards. From this, I identified ways to elevate our client's digital presence, like integrating AI for improved ordering accuracy and personalization, and streamlining checkout for ease. This comprehensive analysis provided key insights and strategies to boost our client's digital competitiveness and customer engagement.
After conducting stakeholders interview I’ve gained an overal picture of their target audience. Although it is not enough to create perfectly matched personas. I need to dig more to obtain more knowledge about our users. For this purpose I will conduct some market segmentation and further research.I will start research phase by conducting a thorough research and analysis of the current digital experience at the restaurant.
This will involve visiting the restaurant to understand the layout, observing the customer journey, and reviewing any existing technology solutions that are currently in place. I will also conduct user surveys, interviews, and focus groups to gain a deeper understanding of the customers' needs, preferences, and pain points.
So why do I use market segmentation? Market segmentation is essential in my research to identify the target audience accurately. It involves dividing the broader market into smaller, similar groups to create targeted marketing strategies and products. To better understand our users, I used AI for persona segmentation, analyzing data from various sources like mobile apps, social media, and website analytics. This AI analysis identified trends, helping me create personas based on demographics and psychographics. By leveraging AI, I saved time in data gathering and analysis, focusing on creating accurate user representations. This approach enhances our digital experience design, making it more user-centric and tailored to our audience's needs and preference
There are various data sources that can be used to segment personas, depending on the specific needs and goals of the project I’ve chosen below sources.
I use a contextual inquiry which is a user research method that involves observing and interviewing users in their natural environment. It aims to gather insights into how users interact with a product or service in real-world situations.
For this case let’s imagine that we can physically send a researcher (it could be me) to one of the customer’s restaurant. Of course we should keep in mind that if we were conducting a real research for a project like this it is probable that it wouldn’t be enough to finalize this step with only one researcher and 15 participants.
Big restaurant chains regularly use research methods to understand their audience, employing techniques like contextual inquiries. These inquiries involve observing and interviewing customers and employees to inform the development of design artifacts like user personas and journeys. For instance, a researcher might visit various locations to watch how customers and employees interact with the service. By talking to different customer groups and employees, from families to cashiers, the researcher gains insights into their needs, behaviors, and motivations. This approach uncovers common pain points, like long wait times and complex menus, and helps identify how technology can enhance the customer experience.
At this point I arrived to the next part where I use my artifical researcher. So I prepared the objectives for the inquiries, and the potential group of customers and employees to interview. We mutually decided about the procedure and I asked him to make up some data as an output.Below you can se how I planned the contextual inquiries.
Here I would like to present you the made up data that I received after processing this step.
At this point I arrived to the next part where I use my artifical researcher. So I prepared the objectives for the inquiries, and the potential group of customers and employees to interview. We mutually decided about the procedure and I asked him to make up some data as an output.Below you can se how I planned the contextual inquiries.
Overall, these insights provide a foundation for further research and improvements to the digital experience and restaurant operations. Some potential areas for further investigation include optimizing the checkout process, improving ordering process and support, and expanding menu options to better meet the needs of customers.
Based on the contextual inquiries, here are some potential improvements to the digital experience that could be implemented.
I wanted to obtain more accurate and specific feedback. This is why I decided to use open-ended questionnaires. This case includes output from online and in-person surveys, but I would like knuckle down to the latter, as we are trying to focus more on physical restaurants
The survey reveals that while most respondents have used the restaurant's digital platform, many encountered difficulties, indicating a need for improvement. A smaller group used the self-service kiosks and generally had positive experiences, suggesting that expanding these kiosks could enhance customer satisfaction and reduce queues. Respondents also stressed the need for a seamless digital experience across all platforms and the introduction of new features to stay competitive. These insights are crucial for refining the digital channels and considering the implementation of more self-service options, guiding the strategy to improve the overall digital experience for customers.
To improve the digital experience in physical restaurant settings, I conducted a series of user interviews with customers at several burger chain restaurants.
I conducted user interviews at several restaurants to improve their digital ordering experience. Focusing on a diverse group, I interviewed customers in line, asking about their dining habits, technology use, and ordering preferences. Key questions included their typical ordering methods, feelings about the current process, experience with self-service kiosks, and interest in using them. Feedback suggested improvements like easier customization, more payment options, clearer menus, detailed ingredient information, and loyalty programs. The successful interviews provided valuable insights for redesigning the ordering process, aiming to enhance customer experience and efficiency. A summary report of these findings will guide the redesign efforts.
Below you can see some summarized data about about our target audience from different sources.
The process of creating user personas can be a valuable tool for understanding the needs and preferences of customers in a specific market segment, and can be especially helpful in improving the digital experience in physical restaurant settings.
My research, including contextual inquiry, surveys, and interviews, helped identify customer motivations, frustrations, and needs, leading to the creation of detailed persona profiles. For instance, Samantha Rodriguez, a homestay mom, values health and nutrition, is tech-savvy but prefers in-person interactions, and uses online ordering, the mobile app, and drive-thru. Michael Clarkson, a busy software engineer, prioritizes convenience and speed, gets frustrated by long waits, and uses mobile ordering and delivery. These personas guide the enhancement of digital experiences in physical restaurants, tailoring solutions to diverse customer preferences for a more enjoyable and convenient visit.
Improving the drive-thru experience can also be an important aspect of enhancing the digital experience for customers. Here are some insights on how to improve the drive-thru experience using technology:
Improving the drive-thru experience can also be an important aspect of enhancing the digital experience for customers. Here are some insights on how to improve the drive-thru experience using technology:
Incorporating self-service kiosks can be an effective way to enhance the digital experience at physical restaurants, especially in terms of improving the ordering and payment process. Here are some insights on how self-service kiosks can improve the customer experience:
Based on the insights gathered from the user research phase, I can prioritize the areas of improvement and develop a plan to implement the necessary changes.
We should consider usability testing to identify any pain points and improve user experience, along with ongoing customer feedback and monitoring metrics like user engagement and satisfaction for continuous optimization. To prioritize improvements, I use the "Impact-Effort Matrix", scoring each improvement area based on its potential impact and implementation effort. High-impact, low-effort areas are prioritized. This helps create a plan addressing various aspects, such as website or app updates, employee training, or possibly introducing self-service kiosks.
The table ranks pain points and improvement areas based on their impact on customer experience and the effort needed to address them. High-impact issues significantly affect the customer experience and require more effort to solve. Key high-priority areas include long wait times for orders, limited digital menu options, and mobile app technical issues. Medium-priority areas, needing significant effort but with moderate impact, include inconsistent digital information, self-service kiosk navigation challenges, and limited customization options. The low-priority area, with lower impact and effort, is increasing brand awareness among potential customers.
In this plan, I have ranked the areas of improvement based on their priority, impact, and effort. The goals for each initiative are specific and measurable, and I have identified the input required to achieve those goals, as well as the effort, timeline, initiative, budget, and responsible party for each initiative. The initiatives are also prioritized based on their expected impact and the resources required to implement them. This action plan will help us address the pain points and opportunities identified in our research and improve the overall user experience for our customers.
Based on conducted research I came up with a solution.To improve digital experience in physical restaurants I decided to introduce Self- Service Kiosks. Let me show you how I designed it.
This moodboard captures the visual aesthetic of successful digital initiatives in the fast-food industry, highlighting the importance of different touchpoints such as digital menu displays, self service kiosks or drive thru assistance.
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The main objectives of designing a self-service kiosk for a burger chain restaurant include improving order accuracy, increasing speed of service, providing a user-friendly and intuitive interface, enhancing the customer experience, collecting customer data and feedback, and offering a high level of customization options.
In order to iterate the design process effectively, the design team would need to be agile and flexible, and be willing to adapt and adjust the design based on customer feedback and changing business needs. The team would also need to be proactive in seeking out new ideas and insights, and be open to trying new approaches and design solutions.
In order to iterate the design process effectively, the design team would need to be agile and flexible, and be willing to adapt and adjust the design based on customer feedback and changing business needs. The team would also need to be proactive in seeking out new ideas and insights, and be open to trying new approaches and design solutions.
In order to iterate the design process effectively, the design team would need to be agile and flexible, and be willing to adapt and adjust the design based on customer feedback and changing business needs. The team would also need to be proactive in seeking out new ideas and insights, and be open to trying new approaches and design solutions.
In order to iterate the design process effectively, the design team would need to be agile and flexible, and be willing to adapt and adjust the design based on customer feedback and changing business needs. The team would also need to be proactive in seeking out new ideas and insights, and be open to trying new approaches and design solutions.
In order to iterate the design process effectively, the design team would need to be agile and flexible, and be willing to adapt and adjust the design based on customer feedback and changing business needs. The team would also need to be proactive in seeking out new ideas and insights, and be open to trying new approaches and design solutions.
In this exciting project, I brought my ideas to life with realistic mockups, giving everyone a sneak peek at what the solutions could really look like! These mockups are like a window into the future, showing off the user-friendly interfaces and cool features in a way that’s easy to understand and fun to explore. It's all about making these ideas as real and relatable as possible!
With the growing demand for digital innovation, incorporating self-service kiosks in physical burger restaurants has become a valuable idea to enhance the customer experience.
I pilot tested self-service kiosks in select restaurants, refined them based on customer feedback, and then implemented them company-wide. We promoted the kiosks and continuously gathered feedback. Success was measured by the proportion of kiosk orders, order and service times, customer satisfaction, impact on sales and customer loyalty, and operational efficiencies like reduced staffing needs during peak hours. The kiosks enhanced the customer experience, proved popular, and contributed to increased sales and efficiency.
Measuring the success of this implementation requires careful consideration of several factors.
With the growing demand for digital innovation, incorporating self-service kiosks in physical burger restaurants has become a valuable idea to enhance the customer experience.
The success of the project not only improved the customer experience in the physical restaurants but also enhanced the brand reputation in the digital space. The integration of digital technology in physical restaurants proved to be a valuable investment for the burger chain, resulting in increased revenue, customer satisfaction, and employee productivity
