Ssong’s Hotdog UMD Capstone
OVERVIEWImproving the end-to-end customer ordering experience at Ssong’s Hotdog
This is an iConsultancy capstone project being completed by four University of Maryland students in partnership with Ssong’s Hotdog. This capstone gives us the opportunity to apply skills learned through coursework to real-world problems. What is shown in this case study is the process and outcomes of five design sprints (Sep 2022 - May 2023)
Ssong’s Hotdog is a South Korean hotdog restaurant with multiple locations in the United States, Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam. The primary target audience is the younger/young-minded generation open to Korean culture and Asian street food. Ssong’s Hotdog would also like to reach other potential customer groups, which are still pretty conservative about this newer concept.
Client
Ssong’s Hotdog
Team
Tien Tran
Yasvi Patel
Shwetank Jain
Sheldon Akinrimisi
Role
Product Designer
Facilitator
User Researcher
Tools
Figma
FigJam
Zoom
LONG-TERM GOALImprove the user experience for customers and scale to a larger audience
METHODOLOGY/PROCESSWe used the “Design Sprint” methodology to guide us through this process
A Design Sprint is a unique five-day process for answering crucial questions through prototyping and testing ideas with customers. For this capstone, instead of five days, the sprint is spread out over five weeks.
Sprints 1 & 2: Increasing Community Engagement
SPRINT 1 FOCUS“How might we keep customers happy after the 10-minute wait time expectation?”
SOLUTION
MAPPING STAGEInsights from our kickoff meeting with Ssong’s Hotdog
Our initial research centered around understanding Ssong’s Hotdog, their processes, and their goals.
01
Having a fun and approachable look will help attract customers
02
Maintaining the quality of experience across multiple stores is key
03
Scaling will help expand to diverse audiences
04
Customers have a wait time expectation of 10-15 minutes to receive their order
Final map
After understanding the company more, we mapped the typical journey of a customer placing an order at Ssong’s Hotdog and chose a final sprint focus.
SKETCH STAGEBrainstorming ideas
Having our sprint goal in mind, we each individually generated potential solutions. To develop these ideas, we used the 4-step sketch, where we gathered notes from our kickoff meeting, doodled ideas, did crazy 8s, and crafted our solution sketches. I created the queue display where the customer would approach the counter, make their order, and receive notification from a display that their order was ready.
DECIDE STAGEWe decided on a final direction to be prototyped and tested with our client
The facilitator presented the sketches, and the team voted on the concept we thought would best address our long-term goal and sprint focus with our client making the final decision. The chosen designs were a physical community board and an online community challenge for customers to play games while they wait for their orders.
PROTOTYPE STAGEWe created a high-fidelity prototype that we could test with real customers
To create our prototypes, the designs for the community challenge were made in Figma, and the physical board was made with a corkboard, markers, and sticky notes.
Community Board
Online Community Challenge
TEST STAGEWe tested in-person at the Bethesda Ssong’s Hotdog location
For this sprint, we had the opportunity to perform in-person testing at the Bethesda Ssong’s Hotdog location. We presented the designs to customers and received their feedback while they were waiting for their orders. Our protocol can be found here.
Once we finished testing, we affinity-mapped our results and grouped the data into themes. Here are the themes that emerged.
MY CONTRIBUTIONSProject Manager
In Sprint 1, I wore many different hats. My primary role for this sprint was organizing all the project materials in our team's Google Drive, which included uploading design & research artifacts, meeting recordings, and team progress checks. Additionally, I recorded notes on client and user interviews, contributed to team discussions, gathered ideas for lightning demos, pitched the queue display idea, assisted in constructing the community board, and designed and prototyped the screens leading up to the community challenge.
UNIQUE CHALLENGE FOR SPRINT 2“How might the community challenge support getting customers interested in Korean culture?”
Our team found out after the first sprint that the community challenge was a success! However, based on the feedback from the users, the game choice is essential for getting engagement, as some users were unfamiliar with the Wordle game we used in the first iteration.
To address this challenge, the team brainstormed different games emphasizing Korean culture, keeping our long-term goal in mind.
ITERATING ON SPRINT 1Our game concepts
PROTOTYPESRed/Green Light and Cooking with Ssong’s
We selected the Red/Green Light and Cooking with Ssong's games from our Decide stage with our client. We also implemented a reward system, so Ssong's Hotdog can reward customers for interacting with the community.
TESTINGA/B testing our concepts
We used A/B Testing to gain feedback on our prototypes. We needed to understand the types of games users preferred, so this was the best approach to answer our questions. Study Protocol
INSIGHTSWhat we learned from our users
We tested virtually with seven users and found a 4 to 3 split in favor of the Red/Green Light game. Since there was a close split, we kept both games for future iterations as our Community Challenge system rotates games weekly. Here are some insights from our users:
Cooking with Ssong’s
Users enjoyed the diverse interactions included in the game.
As a customization game, the users would have liked seeing others' creations.
Users appreciated the relevance of the game to Ssong's Hotdog.
Red Light, Green Light
Users appreciated the simplicity and inspiration of the game
Users overlooked the instructions during testing. As a result, the game could have been clearer to play.
Users liked the aesthetics of the characters.
Affinity Diagrams
MY CONTRIBUTIONS
Facilitator and Researcher
Aside from the usual Design Sprint participation, I took on the role of the facilitator for Sprint 2. As the team facilitator, I directed meetings between the client and the team to understand the business objectives and sprint direction. Additionally, I facilitated the voting and decision-making process.
Another role I took on this sprint was the UX research lead. I created the testing script, identified our target demographic for testing, organized meeting interview dates and times, led all seven interview sessions, and synthesized the data from the interviews.
REFLECTION OF SPRINTS 1 & 2Lessons learned from two iterations of the Design Sprint methodology
Avoid using too many tools
While conducting the workshops, we used various tools such as Zoom, FigJam, Slack, Miro, and Google Docs. Using all these tools at once during the meeting was hectic, so limiting the ones we used helped us stay focused (FigJam, Zoom, and Slack).
Pilot testing
Conducting a pilot test would have helped us figure out the issues with our test plan so that we would not encounter them during actual testing.
Provide mini-tutorials
Not every client knows how to use design software, so helping them learn it will make their experience more engaging.
Summary of work
A lot of background work happens in between meetings. Update the client so they know what has been done since our last meeting.
Sprints 3 & 4: Implementing A Scan-To-Order System
SPRINT FOCUSRevamping Ssong’s Hotdogs online ordering system
Since Sprints 1 & 2 focused on the end of the ordering process at Ssong's Hotdog, we decided to focus on the beginning of the ordering process by implementing a scan-to-order system. The scan-to-order system works by placing a scannable QR code at a Ssong's Hotdog location where customers can order at their own pace and potentially skip the line during busy hours.
Sprint 3 focused on uncovering the usability issues with the current online ordering system and creating a more usable flow. Finally, Sprint 4 focused on iterating on our solution in Sprint 3 while updating the visual design of the system.
HEURISTIC EVALUATIONUncovering usability issues
The team conducted an in-depth heuristic evaluation of the online ordering system using Jakob Neilson's Usability Heuristics. We specifically did an audit on the mobile version of the ordering system and noted usability issues in a FigJam board.
SKETCHES
Potential layouts from heuristic evaluation
Taking into consideration the results of the Heuristic Evaluation, we each sketched our own ideas on how we might arrange the mobile ordering system. While we wanted to make an aesthetic interface, usability was at the forefront of our minds as we sketched our solutions.
SPRINT 3 PROTOTYPEInitial designs from Sprint 3
INSIGHTSInsights from our prototype
For Sprint 3, we returned to the Bethesda Ssong’s Hotdog location and tested with six users. Again, we allowed the participants to interact with the prototype while using the think-aloud protocol to elicit feedback about the usability and interest in a scan-to-order system.
The system was easily recognized
Users like the overall layout of the system, and it reminded them of familiar apps such as Uber Eats and DoorDash.
Subtle features were well received
Users liked the visual cue of adding a topping to their hotdogs. However, there was some confusion about how it worked initially.
Customers like the option to have alternative payment methods
Users appreciated the ability to schedule their orders for a later pickup so they could walk around the mall before picking up their hotdogs. Additionally, add-ons such as Apple and Google Pay sped up the payment process.
Customers prefer scan-to-order when there is a line
Multiple participants expressed that if there was a long line, they would prefer to place their order online
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
Our plan of attack for Sprint 4
As we planned our visual redesign of the ordering system, we wanted to maintain the company's identity, a fun and trendy restaurant. So, reusing images and considering the design limitations that we discussed with the developer, we added subtle features to improve the ordering experience for customers.
MY CONTRIBUTIONSProduct Designer
In Sprints 3 & 4, I took on a more product designer role, having touched all parts of the design process. First, I pitched the QR code idea in the Sketch stage, which was chosen by the team and our client! Mainly, I focused on the iterations to the checkout process of the scan-to-order system, which included creating a progress bar component, the logged and non-logged-in customer flows, the payment summary page and appropriate payment options, and the flow to the confirmation screen. In addition, during testing, I took on the role of the interviewer and note-taker along with my teammates and analyzed the data afterward.
REFLECTIONS FROM SPRINTS 3 & 4Many lessons were learned from these two sprints…
Expect the unexpected
During Sprint 3, we experienced limited communication from our client. We stayed focused on our goal and delivered a product that our client loved.
Organization is key
The team started building out a design system for our future handoff. Keeping this file organized played a key component to our success as a team.
Step outside your comfort zone
In Sprints 1 & 2, I primarily worked in areas of comfort. However, with Sprints 3 & 4, I saw significant growth in my design skills. Working on a team with solid visual designers allowed me to pick their brains about many design aspects, including spacing, typography, animation, and color.
Hybrid work can be challenging
Throughout Sprints 3 and 4, we found ourselves working asynchronously more often. Ensuring a common design language and making decisions were challenging at times, but we worked through this by dedicating class time to task-specific or voting discussions. That way, time outside of class could be dedicated to individual design work.
Sprint 5: Connecting The Dots
SPRINT FOCUSCreating a handoff of our design materials
As the final sprint of this capstone, we aimed to package all of our work to have a smooth handoff with our client.
HANDOFF MATERIALSIterations
In this sprint, in addition to addressing our client feedback from Sprint 4, we revisited our community challenge games and incorporated feedback from user testing.
Red Light, Green Light
Change the position of the hotdog and the player
Update player path
Both
Update game visuals and instructions
Create win and loss overlays
Revise leaderboard screen
Cooking with Ssong’s
Limit the number of interactions on minigames
Final Products
Style Guide
We found many consistency issues from heuristic evaluation, so we created a style guide to help our client keep their brand identity consistent and recognizable across different pages (these are a few parts of the style guide).
Design System
In addition to the style guide, we created a cohesive design system containing components, patterns, and styles used throughout the scan-to-order system and community challenge games.
Annotated Prototypes
Across our three prototypes, we provided our client with annotations on our design files to explain interactions, alternative flows, and edge cases. If our client wanted to deliver these to developers, we wanted to provide them with as much detail as possible.
Design specs
Additionally, we provided spacing details that lay out specific dimensions for developers to follow as they build this product. We selected the primary pages and broke them down by elements on the screen.
Research Repository
Lastly, we created a repository containing all the research we conducted over the past nine months. This file includes insights from user testing, recommendations from the design team, testing scripts and raw data, and any other supplementary material that the team used to create our solutions. Additionally, on each link, we provided our client with instructions on how they can use the information for their benefit.
FINAL REFLECTION
My final thoughts on this experience
This capstone experience has been the most rewarding yet in my professional career. Delivering the final presentation to our client and iSchool faculty reminded me of the countless hours spent with the team that went into creating products that our client truly enjoyed and plans to implement. I have developed a lot throughout this experience regarding my hard and soft skills, but most importantly, I have noticed a significant change in my personal development. I came into this program having a surface-level understanding of product design and research. Still, after two years, seeing everything I've learned come together in a final capstone project has been rewarding.
Additionally, I want to send special thanks to my teammates, Sheldon, Yasvi, and Shwetank. I had so much fun working with these three and would not have wanted to go through this experience with anyone else. Of course, we had our ups and downs, as any team does, but we always compromised and persevered to deliver a final product our client loved.
Thank you to our client, Josh Lim, for supporting our team's ideas and providing us with anything we needed to make our work come to fruition.
Lastly, thank you to our capstone instructor, Heera Lee, for guiding us throughout this experience, providing feedback on our work, and always being there for the team!
