Revamping Crust Restaurants

A UX-Centric Website Redesign for Seamless Dining Experiences

Industry

Hospitality & Dining

Client

Crust Restaurants

Role

UX Designer and Researcher

Time-frame

Spring 2024
(6 Months)

Spring 2024 (6 Months)

Overview

The Crust Restaurants website redesign aimed to enhance usability and accessibility through a user-centered approach. As the UX Designer and Researcher, I improved the reservation process, refined menu navigation, and optimized the homepage layout. Addressing key pain points identified through research and usability testing, the redesign focused on creating a seamless and engaging dining experience for customers.

How Might We (HMW) Statement

How might we create a digital solution that simplifies restaurant reservations, enhances menu accessibility, and improves customer engagement?

Who is this product for?

This solution is designed for restaurant-goers who value an intuitive dining experience, from effortless reservations to easy menu exploration. It caters to both tech-savvy users looking for quick interactions and traditional users needing a user-friendly interface.

Goals

Streamline the reservation process to reduce booking friction.

Improve menu navigation with better categorization and dietary details.

Enhance homepage usability to increase engagement with promotions and events.

Problem and Opportunity

Problem

The original website had a complex reservation system, confusing menu navigation, and lacked visibility for promotions and events. Users found it frustrating to book tables, browse the menu, and locate special offers.

Opportunity

By addressing these pain points, we could enhance user satisfaction, increase reservations, and improve customer interaction with the website’s offerings.

Trust the Process

Competitor Analysis

I analyzed competitors such as OpenTable and Resy, identifying key features that enhance restaurant booking experiences. Findings indicated a need for a simplified booking flow, clear dietary filtering, and better homepage organization.

How is Crust Restaurants Different?

Crust Restaurants stands out by offering a streamlined reservation system, detailed menu descriptions with dietary preferences, and a dedicated section for promotions and events to keep users engaged.

How Did I Solve the Problem?

By integrating a structured, research-driven design approach, I developed a user-centered website that prioritizes ease of use, accessibility, and engagement.

Creating Value

Taking Up Space Where There is None

The redesign fills a crucial gap by making restaurant reservations and menu exploration more intuitive and engaging, addressing common frustrations found in competitors' platforms

Hero Section : Before

Hero Section : After

Value Proposition

A seamless booking experience with fewer steps

Clear and organized menu sections with dietary preferences.

An engaging homepage that highlights promotions and upcoming events.

Before: Menu

After: Menu

Justifying the Why

Reasoning Behind My Design Decisions

A simplified reservation process with a clear “Book a Table” button.
Categorized menu items with detailed descriptions and filters.
An updated homepage layout that enhances visibility of promotions.

A simplified reservation process with a clear “Book a Table” button.
Categorized menu items with detailed descriptions and filters.
An updated homepage layout that enhances visibility of promotions.

A simplified reservation process with a clear “Book a Table” button.
Categorized menu items with detailed descriptions and filters.
An updated homepage layout that enhances visibility of promotions.

Reservation Page

Event Page

Contact Us Page

Insights

Reservation Process Optimization – Users found the booking system cumbersome. Streamlining the process with a prominent “Book a Table” button significantly improved usability.
Navigation Clarity – The previous menu structure confused users, especially regarding dietary filters. The redesign improved discoverability and ease of selection.
Accessibility & Readability – Users struggled to locate promotions and events. A dedicated section with clear visibility addressed this issue.
User Trust & Transparency – Providing detailed dish descriptions, including ingredient lists and dietary filters, enhanced trust and inclusivity.

Reservation Process Optimization – Users found the booking system cumbersome. Streamlining the process with a prominent “Book a Table” button significantly improved usability.
Navigation Clarity – The previous menu structure confused users, especially regarding dietary filters. The redesign improved discoverability and ease of selection.
Accessibility & Readability – Users struggled to locate promotions and events. A dedicated section with clear visibility addressed this issue.
User Trust & Transparency – Providing detailed dish descriptions, including ingredient lists and dietary filters, enhanced trust and inclusivity.

Reservation Process Optimization – Users found the booking system cumbersome. Streamlining the process with a prominent “Book a Table” button significantly improved usability.
Navigation Clarity – The previous menu structure confused users, especially regarding dietary filters. The redesign improved discoverability and ease of selection.
Accessibility & Readability – Users struggled to locate promotions and events. A dedicated section with clear visibility addressed this issue.
User Trust & Transparency – Providing detailed dish descriptions, including ingredient lists and dietary filters, enhanced trust and inclusivity.

Impact

Enhanced Usability: The average usability rating improved to 4/5, indicating significant ease of task completion.
Higher Engagement: Clearer menu categorization and dietary filters led to increased user interaction with food options.
Improved Booking Experience: The streamlined reservation flow reduced drop-offs and increased successful bookings.
User Satisfaction: Feedback reflected an improved perception of the platform, making it more intuitive, accessible, and user-friendly.

Enhanced Usability: The average usability rating improved to 4/5, indicating significant ease of task completion.
Higher Engagement: Clearer menu categorization and dietary filters led to increased user interaction with food options.
Improved Booking Experience: The streamlined reservation flow reduced drop-offs and increased successful bookings.
User Satisfaction: Feedback reflected an improved perception of the platform, making it more intuitive, accessible, and user-friendly.

Enhanced Usability: The average usability rating improved to 4/5, indicating significant ease of task completion.
Higher Engagement: Clearer menu categorization and dietary filters led to increased user interaction with food options.
Improved Booking Experience: The streamlined reservation flow reduced drop-offs and increased successful bookings.
User Satisfaction: Feedback reflected an improved perception of the platform, making it more intuitive, accessible, and user-friendly.

Through the Crust Restaurant redesign, I gained a deeper understanding of how user research and iterative testing play a vital role in crafting seamless user experiences. Prioritizing accessibility and intuitive navigation not only improved usability but also demonstrated the impact of small design changes in driving engagement and satisfaction. Additionally, I learned how to balance user-centric design with business goals, ensuring that usability improvements align with broader strategic objectives.

Key Takeaways

1️⃣ User Research is Key – Identifying and addressing user pain points early ensures that the final design meets real user needs and expectations.

2️⃣ Balancing Usability & Business Goals – A well-structured, intuitive design enhances customer satisfaction while supporting business objectives like higher engagement and conversions.