VeGone

VeGone is expanding and wants to improve how they train new team members about their menu items. Currently, they provide a PDF with menu details, but they need a more engaging and accessible way to ensure employees can quickly find answers to common customer questions.

Audience: restaurant staff who may not be vegan and have some familiarity with mobile technology

Responsibilities: Needs Assessment, Action Mapping, Storyboarding, Mockups, Prototyping

Tools Used: Adobe XD, Google Suite, ChatGPT

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Needs Analysis & Research

To ensure the solution was aligned with restaurant employees’ real-world needs, I conducted informal research in two ways:

Speaking with restaurant employees – I gathered insights from friends working in the restaurant industry about the most common customer questions.
Using AI research – I utilized ChatGPT to analyze trends in customer inquiries at restaurants.

Two key trends emerged from this research:

Allergen information: Since many people choose a vegan diet due to dietary restrictions, employees need quick access to allergen details for each menu item.
Current specials: Customers frequently ask about daily specials, so employees need a way to check these details instantly.

With these insights in mind, I structured the learning experience to prioritize quick reference and ease of use, ensuring employees could quickly retrieve important menu information.

Notes for analysis research & initial design phase brainstorming

Sketches of mobile application screens

Design Decisions

My design choices were guided by instructional design best practices and mobile usability principles:

Minimalist layout: To accommodate the wide age range of users, I kept each screen simple, with large, clear images, concise descriptions, and easy-to-read titles.
Intuitive navigation: Since restaurant employees have limited time to learn a new interface, I designed interactions that mirror standard mobile app behavior, such as:
- A home screen with a logo for quick navigation.
- Scrolling for easy browsing.
- Filtering options to quickly locate menu items by category or allergens.
Mobile-first experience: Designed specifically for smartphones, ensuring content is easily accessible at the point of need.

Development Process

To bring this vision to life, I used Adobe XD to develop a high-fidelity prototype. I chose Adobe XD because Articulate 360 does not work as well for creating mobile applications. The process included:

Creating a menu item screen template to maintain consistency across screens.
Implementing interactive elements such as clickable categories for filtering menu items.
Designing a scroll-friendly interface optimized for mobile use.

User Testing & Revisions

I conducted usability testing by gathering feedback from individuals who fit the target audience profile. Based on their insights, I made refinements, including:

Adjusting font sizes for better readability across different screen sizes.
Enhancing contrast to improve visibility in varying lighting conditions.
Tweaking navigation to make the filtering process more intuitive.

Final Outcome & Takeaways

The final prototype successfully transformed VeGone’s static PDF into a dynamic, mobile-first learning experience that allows employees to quickly access key menu information at the point of need.

Key takeaways from this project:

Research is crucial – Speaking with restaurant employees helped me design a resource tailored to real-world challenges.
Simplicity enhances usability – A clean, intuitive design ensures that learners of all ages can engage with the content effortlessly.
Interactivity adds value – Implementing filters and scrolling functionality improved efficiency and usability.

Through this project, I honed my skills in mobile learning design, UX best practices, and instructional design principles, preparing me for future performance-support projects in fast-paced environments.

Prototype // Home Screen

Prototype // Sides Screen

Prototype // Non-Gluten Items

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Future Enhancements

If this prototype were developed into a full-fledged learning solution, I would explore additional features to enhance usability and accessibility:

Personalization: Employees could create profiles to favorite frequently accessed menu items for quicker reference.
Multiple Languages: Supporting language options to make the resource accessible to a more diverse workforce.
Knowledge Reinforcement: Although VeGone requested only a five-screen reference tool, I considered adding lightweight assessments or interactive knowledge checks. However, I prioritized the mock project brief and focused on quick, on-demand access. If expanded in the future, these elements could be incorporated to further support employee learning.

These additions would further align the solution with VeGone’s needs, making it even more efficient and inclusive for restaurant employees.