Online Ordering
Redesigning the end-to-end online ordering experience to increase conversions and support international expansion.
Project Overview - Munch Online Ordering
- What product was being built?
- A cloud-based online ordering platform that enabled customers to order from brands such as Steers, Debonairs, Wimpy, and other restaurant chains across web, mobile, and native applications. The platform also integrated with restaurant operations to provide a seamless experience from order placement to fulfilment.
- Why was it needed?
- The existing ecosystem relied on disconnected systems that created operational inefficiencies and inconsistent customer experiences. The goal was to consolidate restaurant operations and online ordering into a single cloud-based platform while improving conversion rates, usability, and scalability.
- Who requested it?
- The project was initiated by Munch Software as part of its strategy to expand into the online ordering and food eCommerce market by offering an end-to-end restaurant management and customer ordering platform.
- Business context
- Restaurant operators required a unified platform capable of managing front-of-house, kitchen operations, drive-through, and online ordering from a single system. At the same time, customers expected a fast, intuitive, and consistent ordering experience across multiple devices.
- High-level objective
- Design a scalable, cross-platform online ordering ecosystem that streamlined restaurant operations while delivering a frictionless customer ordering experience. The solution aimed to increase conversion rates, simplify daily order and stock management, and support future growth across multiple restaurant brands and international markets.
Project Goals
- Reduce cognitive load by simplifying user information capture and minimising unnecessary inputs.
- Streamline the ordering journey to remove friction, reduce abandonment, and increase successful checkouts.
- Develop a scalable design system with reusable components to support the entire experience across products and platforms.
- Improve performance by reducing page load times and creating a faster, more responsive experience.
- Strengthen brand presence through a more consistent and engaging visual identity.
- Simplify store selection and menu discovery to help users start ordering quickly and confidently.
- Enhance product customisation with intuitive meal configuration that ensures accurate order fulfilment.
- Increase average order value by introducing strategic cross-selling and upselling opportunities throughout the journey.
- Optimise cart management with a clear, easy-to-review summary and effortless item editing.
- Deliver a frictionless checkout that builds user confidence and encourages order completion.
Project Challenges
- Balancing commercial objectives with a seamless customer experience.
- The platform needed to increase conversion rates and average order value while remaining fast, intuitive, and easy to use across multiple brands, devices, and ordering scenarios. Achieving this required simplifying complex user journeys without compromising operational requirements or business goals.
- Real-Time Information
- Menu availability, stock levels, delivery times, and promotions could change dynamically. The interface needed to communicate these changes clearly without frustrating customers.
- Supporting Multiple Restaurant Brands
- The platform needed to accommodate different brands, menus, promotions, and visual identities without creating separate products for each.
- Designing for International Expansion
- The solution had to be flexible enough to support different countries, currencies, languages, taxes, and operational requirements in the future.
- Balancing Business Goals with User Needs
- The business wanted to increase conversion rates and average order value while maintaining a fast and intuitive ordering experience. Finding the right balance between commercial objectives and usability was a key challenge.
My Process
Team Members: Design, Product Owner, Senior Engineer, Business Analyst
Research & Discovery
Journey Mapping
Wireframing & Design
Collaboration
Testing & Iteration
My Process Explained
- Research & Discovery
Reviewed business goals, analytics, customer feedback, and competitor experiences to identify usability issues and opportunities for improving the ordering journey.
- Journey Mapping
Mapped the end-to-end customer journey to uncover friction points, simplify key interactions, and prioritise high-impact improvements.
- Wireframing & Design
Created wireframes and interactive prototypes to validate ideas before designing a scalable, responsive interface using a reusable design system.
- Collaboration
Worked closely with product managers, developers, and stakeholders throughout the project to balance user needs, business goals, and technical constraints.
- Testing & Iteration
Validated designs through stakeholder reviews and usability testing, refining the experience based on feedback before development.
Focus Points
Ordering directly from the brand
- Why it matters
Third-party ordering platforms often introduce additional fees, fragmented customer experiences, and limited access to customer insights. By creating a direct ordering channel, the business retains ownership of the customer journey and customer data.
- User Benefit
Customers interact directly with the brand they trust, creating a more consistent and familiar experience.
- Business Impact
Increased customer retention, improved access to customer insights, and reduced commission costs associated with third-party services.
Cross-Platform Accessibility
- Why it matters
The ordering experience was designed to be available on desktop, mobile web, and native applications. Customers have different preferences and ordering habits depending on context and device.
- User Benefit
Users can place orders from their preferred device without compromising functionality or usability.
- Business Impact
Increased reach, accessibility, and conversion opportunities across multiple customer touchpoints.
Consistent Pricing
- Why it matters
The platform maintains the same pricing structure as physical stores without introducing third-party markups. Price transparency builds trust and reduces purchase hesitation.
- User Benefit
Customers know they are paying the same price regardless of whether they order online or in-store.
- Business Impact
Improved customer loyalty and increased likelihood of repeat purchases.
Simplified Address Management
- Why it matters
The platform provides a streamlined process for adding and managing delivery addresses. Entering addresses is often a point of friction in online ordering experiences.
- User Benefit
Customers can quickly save and select delivery locations with minimal effort.
- Business Impact
Reduced checkout abandonment and faster order completion.
Intelligent Store Selection
- Why it matters
Customers are automatically guided to their nearest collection or delivery store.
- User Benefit
Faster ordering with confidence that the selected store can fulfil the order.
- Business Impact
Reduced errors, improved operational efficiency, and better fulfilment accuracy.
Personalised Menu Selection
- Why it matters
Customers can easily switch between the standard menu and Halaal menu options. Dietary and cultural requirements are critical factors in food ordering.
- User Benefit
Users immediately see products relevant to their preferences.
- Business Impact
Improved inclusivity and expanded market reach.
Goal-Focused User Journey
- Why it matters
Every page was designed with a single primary objective in mind. Competing actions and excessive distractions can reduce conversion rates.
- User Benefit
Users remain focused on completing their order.
- Business Impact
Improved task completion and increased checkout conversions.
Seamless Product Customisation
Products such as pizzas allow users to modify size, add toppings, remove ingredients, and swap ingredients. Food ordering is highly personal, and customers expect flexibility.
- User Benefit
Customers can customise orders according to their preferences.
- Business Impact
Increased order value and enhanced customer satisfaction.
Transparent Checkout Process
- Why it matters
Delivery details remain visible throughout checkout for validation. Customers need to verify critical order information before payment.
- User Benefit
Greater confidence and fewer delivery errors.
- Business Impact
Reduced customer support requests and order disputes.
Final Results
Qualitative Impact & Learnings
- Improved User Experience
- A simplified ordering journey reduced cognitive load, making it easier for customers to browse menus, customise meals, and complete purchases with greater confidence.
- More Intuitive Navigation
- A clearer information architecture and streamlined user flows helped customers find stores, discover products, and complete tasks with fewer steps.
- Increased User Confidence
- Improved visual hierarchy, clearer pricing, and a more transparent checkout process helped build trust throughout the ordering experience.
- Consistent Cross-Platform Experience
- A unified experience across desktop, mobile web, and native applications created a familiar and seamless journey regardless of the device being used.
- Reduced Friction
- Removing unnecessary interactions and simplifying forms resulted in a smoother purchasing experience with fewer opportunities for user frustration.
- Improved Product Scalability
- A reusable design system established a consistent foundation that accelerated future feature development while maintaining visual and interaction consistency across multiple restaurant brands.
- Better Operational Efficiency
- The platform aligned customer ordering with restaurant operations, helping streamline workflows from order placement through kitchen preparation and fulfilment.
- Enhanced Collaboration
- Shared design standards, reusable components, and detailed documentation improved communication between design, product, and engineering teams, leading to more efficient delivery.
- Stronger Brand Experience
- A more cohesive visual identity and consistent interaction patterns reinforced brand recognition while providing a more engaging customer experience.
- Future-Ready Foundation
- The solution was designed to support future expansion into additional markets, brands, and platforms without requiring significant redesign.
My Role
- My Role
- Product Strategy, UX Research, Stakeholder workshops, Journey Mapping, User Flows, Wireframing, UI Design, Prototyping, Design System, Developer handoff, Usability Testing, Analytics & QA
- Collaborated with
- Product Managers, developers, business analysts, QA, Customer support and users.