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SAFETERIA
A mobile app to help students dine safely in campus under the COVID-19 restrictions
OVERVIEW
Safeteria is a mobile app designed to help students find a place on campus where they can satisfy their dining preferences while adhering to COVID-19 guidelines. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the UW Campus has implemented a series of operating policies, including eating guidelines. However, we have observed a significant challenge for students in finding a safe and comfortable place to eat on campus while adhering to these restrictions. We propose that if the issue of crowded, indoor, unmasked, eating spaces was addressed, students would be more comfortable eating on campus and be more compliant with safety regulations.
DURATION
Oct 2021 - Dec 2021
5 weeks
TEAM
UX Designer x1
UX Researcher x2
MY ROLE
UX Designer
(Designed the Hi-Fi prototype independently)
METHODS
Context Inquiries
Survey Analysis
Rapid Prototyping
A/B Testing
Usability Testing
01/ OPPORTUNITY
THE PROBLEM
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have identified significant challenges faced by students in finding a safe and comfortable place to dine on campus. These challenges and frustrations arise due to several reasons:
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People may feel uncomfortable eating in proximity to others without masks or within a proper social distance, which compromises their sense of safety.
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The closure of numerous cafes and restrictions on eating in certain public areas are necessary precautions for public health but limit the available options for students.
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The ever-changing campus policies regarding dining locations further add to the confusion and uncertainty of finding suitable places to eat.
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The lack of clarity in the eating guidelines provided on the school website only exacerbates the difficulties in making informed dining decisions.
To address these concerns, we recognize the need for effective solutions that prioritize student safety, clear communication of dining options, and up-to-date information regarding campus policies.
DESIGN SPACE AND THE INTERVENTION
Our intervention will occur on campus, providing students with the information they need to find the most comfortable space to eat under COVID guidelines. We will be providing students with a map-based app to discover the perfect spot for them to eat under the circumstances they feel most comfortable with.
Initial System Diagram
Interventions
Interventions of System Diagram
We realized that problem is caused by the gap of information. There should be more information provide to the eating space regarding the COVID restrictions and protocol, also there should be a bridge for students eating on campus to access the information of “how to find” a space and “where to find” a space. We will also involve rating system as an information reference.
02/ RESEARCH - WHAT CAN BE SOLVED?
CONTEXTUAL INQUIRIES
We conducted 6 contextual inquiries with UW students who intended to dine on campus. The contextual inquiry involved a semi-structured interview combined with observation of their on-campus dining experience. During the interviews, we sought to understand participants' frequency of dining on campus, their level of satisfaction, and their concerns regarding dining during the pandemic. We also inquired about their familiarity with COVID-19 protocols and their reactions to the dining restrictions in place. During the observation phase, our focus was on how participants sought out suitable dining locations, the factors they prioritized when selecting a place to eat, and their overall satisfaction with their chosen dining spots.
“Have to find another place”
“I don’t want to drink inside because of the crowd”
“I feel more safe outside but I feel more comfortable indoor”
“Many people don’t put their masks back after eating”
“I will see the reviews before I go to a place”
......
Findings from contextual inquires:
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Unmasked crowds make people anxious
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Safety is a concern
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It can be hard to trust strangers, especially when they aren’t compliant with mask protocols
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Students who bring their food to school prefer to have an "eat zone" near academic buildings, then they can easily access their classroom after the meal
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It confused when having no idea where can eat on campus
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There are not enough eating guidelines and information on campus (such as posters)
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Distance is an important dimension when selecting a dining space. "My last class end pretty close to here"
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Covering from the rain. "It’s out of the rain...covered tables... it’s the only other area with covered seating" / "When it’s not raining these are pretty nice benches"
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Dislikes waiting in long lines. "It’s not worth it"
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There are "NO FOOD" signs in many spots, but these signs didn’t inform where can eat
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Even though students want to eat outside, the weather of Seattle is a barrier
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There are no specific indoor "Eat Zone" of buildings, but students may have the need for them
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Sometimes tables are not necessary to have meals
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A place with fewer people is one of the primary consideration
SURVEY ANALYSIS
We sent out a qualtrics survey to 20 additional stakeholders to better understand comfort dimensions in a public eating space.
Dimensions people care most when eating on campus are:
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Sheltered from the rain [Yes, Seattle! ]
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Having a chair to sit
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Having a table to eat on
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Warmth
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Proximity to classes
INSIGHTS
Concluded from previous research, the 4 factors that students consider when choosing where to eat on campus are:
1. Safety (social distance, crowdedness)
2. Comfortability (facilities, temperature, sheltered, circulation of air)
3. Distance
4. Information (COVID-19 restrictions, availability, dimensions, operation hours, reviews)
The challenge lies in striking a balance between limited spaces and the need for comfort under the COVID-19 restrictions.
Limited Spaces
Need of Comfortability
COVID-19 Restrictions
03/ EVALUATION - DESIGN WITH PROOF-OF-CONCEPT
PRE- & POST- SURVEY
Participants were requested to complete a pre- and post-experience survey to assess the dimensions that held the highest importance to them when seeking out a dining space. The primary objective of conducting these surveys before and after their interaction with the prototype was to gauge their level of comfort regarding on-campus dining. This comparison would help us determine if their experience with the prototype had an impact on their perception of comfort while eating on campus. If presenting them with this tool empowers them to feel more comfortable eating on campus then we’ll know it was a success.
100% (8/8) participants feel more comfortable finding a space to eat with the app
100% (8/8) participants think the app can save their time for finding a space to eat
USABILITY TESTING
We created 2 wireframe prototypes with distinct information architecture and user flow for the purpose of testing. The objective of these tests is to identify which information architecture and user flow are preferred by users, ascertain any additional information and functionalities that may need to be incorporated, and gather insights into users' habits when engaging with similar applications.
Version 1
Version 2
We have 5 participants for our competitive usability testing, takeaways as followed:
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Some icons may cause misunderstandings: “Icon is this a basket? I thought it was a muffin.”
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4⁄5 users said they wish to see the number of tables or seats and their availability.
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Misunderstanding languages: “open spaces:4”
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The Star rating system is more preferred. Would like to see comments that are most negative or most positive.
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4⁄5 users said they like to see where they are on the maps, and shows the direction and distance of the eating spaces.
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4⁄5 users preferred the linear information structure, just setup the comfort preference and let the algorithm filter and recommend the eligible places. In this way, users need less effort to find a place they like.
Based on the results of usability testing, we redesigned our prototype, combined the initial two prototypes together and kept the features that were preferred by users. Though linear information structures can let users locate the information they want in shorter time and less effort, we also reserved the hierarchy information structure as an option (List of eating spaces) for users who want to browse spaces by themselves. We redesigned some languages in the application, switched to the star rating system from the recommended system, and provided more choosing options and ways to write reviews.
04/ DESIGN - WHAT IT MIGHT BE?
DESIGN PROPOSAL
Based on previous research, we proposed to design a product that can
Locate the best options
Based on users’ choices of preferences and filters, recommend and list the eligible options
Ensure comfortability
Cover the dimensions that users most care about, and collect dimensions of the spaces
Reliable information
Provide the accurate, latest and dynamic information of the spaces
IDEATION
According to the feedback from our interviewees, students are not aware of the indoor eating policy under the influence of COVID-19, as the fragmentation of information causes them to spend part of their time looking for this information and are not able to find and read the information in a short period of time. The design of the prototype is to help them automatically show the open restaurants or buildings on the map. The live updates for the number of eating spaces and business time for each location. Filter to select the food options, accept payment methods, and dietary restrictions. The COVID-19 policy of different buildings, some of the buildings prohibit eating inside, but some buildings allow students to eat indoors. Distance from your location to eating space and showing the abbreviation of building names.
We conduct our design from the display real location for every restaurant, coffee bar & espresso bars, markets and street foods on UW campus, students will be able to interact with the campus map and move around to explore and see all the locations. For instance, we include the buildings on the map with green and red colors, the purpose is that we need to provide the visualization for the user to know the accessible eating areas in that building. All the different icons on the map are providing the user with the exact location where the food is available for purchase. And the content page shows the restaurant location with images.
Initial Wireframe
ITERATION
Upon reflection on the initial prototype we thought it best to try another approach, this time focusing on the role and functionality rather than the look and feel. This prototype’s goal would be to better understand the role of our intervention and how it should work and function. We used Balsamiq for rapid prototyping to create this prototype.
We now knew that proximity to one’s current location was a high priority for people and that it was also important for the user’s preferences to be saved.
Regarding the creation of the algorithm pairing system, in terms of functionality, asking someone a direct question seemed like a quicker and more direct way than having them search and filter for a particular result.
Second Version Wireframe
USER FLOW
After conducting usability testing, we merged the initial two prototypes together in the latest version. This combined prototype includes BOTH user flows, allowing users to choose the flow that they prefer.
Key screens of user flow
STYLE GUIDE
FINAL SOLUTIONS
Final solution offers a seamless map/list view switch, an advanced algorithm function for finding the perfect place, informative details on each page, and a bridge for communication with the school administration.
Effortlessly filter categories and seamlessly switch between map and list views
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Effortlessly filter through various categories and switch between map view and list view
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Users can find their collected place always on the top
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Stay in the know with the current flow of each place
Browse through detailed information and reviews beforehand
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Easily determine the proximity and exact location of each place
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Dive into the details of each place with ease
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Intuitive icons on the list showcase the categories that each place belongs to. Users can quickly identify and explore the dining options that align with their preferences.
Can't decide? Let the algorithm help you!
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Choose from three quick options and let the advanced algorithm guide you to the best eating spots
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Browse through the interactive map and let the reliable navigation system guide you straight to you the desired destination
Explore the place and share your reviews!
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Discover all the essential information from operation hours to crowd flow, facilities, and reviews
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Users are encouraged to leave feedback and reviews
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Makes it easy to track space availability and comfortability with simple review questions
We remember what make you comfort
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Customize preferences and save them in the settings. The search results will prioritize users' preferred factors
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Keep up-to-date with the latest COVID-19 restrictions
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Use the app to request additional eating spaces from the school administration effortlessly. We even provide a convenient template to help you compose your request letter.
05/ REFLECTION
CHALLENGES AND LIMITATIONS
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, we had limited opportunities to conduct interviews with random individuals at eating places since people may not feel comfortable engaging in conversations with strangers while having their masks off.
While real-time information, such as updates on the availability of tables and chairs, is important to users, we had to prioritize addressing "how to find" and "where is the place" aspects due to time constraints.
Considering technical difficulties, we made the decision to continue using the "busy"/"not busy" classification based on user feedback provided on the detail page, rather than tracking real-time numbers of people. However, we acknowledge that a few users have expressed concerns about the clarity of the terms "busy" and "not busy."
FUTURE
With sustainability in mind, this product concept can also provide a long-term solution for students to easily locate nearby and comfortable dining options on campus after pandemic. Additionally, incorporating a real-time availability update feature in the future would be beneficial, as it may reduce overcrowding and lead to a more balanced distribution of students, resulting in a more enjoyable dining experience overall.