Case Study: Exploring Argentina with Dale Ruta

Overview

When dining out, many individuals face uncertainty about whether a venue will suit their preferences for crowd age, price range, and seating availability. Varietà Foods addresses this problem by offering a user-friendly app that helps users filter bars and restaurants based on these preferences.

Through its unique “traffic light” system, age-based filtering, real-time reservations, and price visibility, Varietà Foods redefines the way people choose dining and nightlife venues.

This project was designed in Spanish, reflecting my ability to create user-centered solutions for diverse audiences. While I am still learning English, I’ve translated this case study to share my work with a broader professional audience.

ROLE

UX Designer

DELIVERABLES

UX Website Design

Mobile App Design

DURATION

3 Months
(Dec. 2022 – Mar. 2023)

The Problem Statement

Deciding on a bar or restaurant often involves guesswork, leading to discomfort, wasted time, or a lackluster experience.

“Diners want a venue where they feel at ease with the crowd, understand pricing in advance, and secure a table without uncertainty.”

The Challenge

Unveiling the Problem: Dining with Confidence

Key challenges for users include:

Arriving at venues with a significantly younger or older crowd.

Facing surprise expenses due to a lack of price transparency.

Finding themselves without seating availability upon arrival.

Varietà Foods was developed to provide a solution that combines comfort, convenience, and informed decision-making.

The Cracks in Dining Choices

What We’re Solving

Through research and user interviews, the following pain points were identified:

Crowd Mismatch

Guests feel uncomfortable when the crowd’s age differs significantly from their own.

Price Uncertainty

A lack of upfront pricing information can lead to unexpected expenses.

Reservation Woes

Arriving at venues only to find no available seating is a common frustration.

Building Bridges

Varietà Foods’ Vision

Varietà Foods aims to simplify dining decisions through:

Age-Based Filtering:

A “traffic light” system that helps users find venues with crowds close to their age group.

Transparent Pricing:

Displaying average menu prices for informed financial decisions.

Seamless Reservations:

Allowing users to secure tables in advance to avoid waiting or being turned away.

Our Design Process

Varietà Foods aims to simplify dining decisions through:

Discovery & Research

Conducted user interviews and competitive analysis to uncover pain points, such as mismatched crowd demographics and cumbersome reservations.

Wireframing

Developed low-fidelity wireframes to visualize workflows for core features like age-based filtering and real-time reservations.

Prototyping

Built interactive prototypes to test functionality and gather feedback on usability.

Usability Testing

Validated features like the “traffic light” system and price visibility, iterating based on user insights.

Discovery and Research

User Personas

Santiago

Santiago is a busy graduate student juggling his academic responsibilities with an active social life. He enjoys exploring new bars and restaurants as a way to unwind with his friends after a long week of studying & lab work.

Goals:

Santiago looks for venues with fair pricing, vibrant yet relaxed atmospheres, and a crowd close to his age group, where he can socialize comfortably.

Frustrations:

Often frustrated by venues with long waiting lines or a significant mismatch in crowd demographics.

Struggles to find venues that clearly display menu prices or provide upfront information about seating availability.

Behavior:

Tech-savvy and reliant on apps for planning his outings, Santiago appreciates platforms that save him time and reduce uncertainty.

Martina

Martina is an undergraduate student with a passion for design and social outings. She frequently visits bars and trendy restaurants with her friends, treating these experiences as an extension of her creative inspiration.

Goals:

Martina values venues with a lively, youthful atmosphere that align with her age group. She also prioritizes convenience and speed in making plans.

Frustrations:

Dislikes arriving at venues with older patrons, which can feel intimidating or unrelatable.

Finds it frustrating when venues fail to offer clear reservation systems, leading to delays or unavailability.

Behavior:

Martina relies on social media and recommendation apps for exploring new places. She appreciates visual content, like photos and reviews, to make quick, informed decisions about where to go.

Direct/Indirect Competitive Analysis

Learning from the Competition: Insights That Shaped Varietà Foods

A detailed competitive analysis of platforms like TheFork, Degusta, and Google Maps highlighted strengths and weaknesses that informed Varietà Foods’ development:

Product	Strengths	Weaknesses
TheFork	Seamless reservation system, robust restaurant search, and user reviews.	Limited customization in filters, no focus on age demographics of the crowd.
Degusta	Comprehensive restaurant listings and menu details.	Outdated interface, lack of real-time reservation updates, and limited support for user queries.
Google Maps	Extensive venue database, location accuracy, and integration with navigation tools.	Overcrowded map interface, no age-based filtering, and inconsistent review quality.

This analysis shaped Varietà Foods’ focus on integrating age-based filtering, enhancing reservation experiences, and streamlining the map interface for better usability. Complex reservation processes, overcrowded map interfaces, and inconsistencies in review visibility.

UX Research & Insights

Insights from User Research

Research findings highlighted:

Age Filtering Appeal

Users appreciated the “traffic light” system, ensuring comfort with the crowd’s age group.

Pricing Visibility Importance

Knowing average menu prices was cited as a deciding factor for choosing a venue.

Reservation Convenience

Real-time table booking significantly enhanced user satisfaction.

Ideation and Brainstorming

MoSCoW Prioritization for Varietà Foods

To build a platform that resonates with users, we applied a MoSCoW framework to prioritize features. By focusing on must-haves while planning for enhancements, this approach ensures the app delivers value from day one while paving the way for future innovation.

Must Have

1. Age-Based Filtering (Traffic Light System): Enables users to find venues based on crowd demographics. 2. Price Transparency (Average Menu Costs): Displays average prices for informed decision-making. 3. Real-Time Reservations (Booking System): Allows users to secure tables before arrival.

Could Have

1. Review Hierarchy (Enhanced Relevance): Prioritizes reviews that are most relevant to users. 2. User-Generated Photos (Visual Content): Allows users to upload photos of venues for more detailed exploration.

Should Have

1. Chat Support (User Assistance): Provides real-time support for reservations and app-related queries. 2. Map Interface (Improved Navigation): Enhances the user’s ability to locate venues quickly and accurately.

Won't Have

1. Multi-Language Support (Global Accessibility): Adapts the app for users in different regions. 2. Loyalty Rewards (Points for Reservations): Offers incentives for frequent usage. 3. Social Integration (Share Venue Plans): Enables users to share their plans with friends directly through the app.

User Flow

Mapping the Experience

The user flow we created outlined the seamless journey Varietà Foods would provide, ensuring users achieve their goals effortlessly.

Information Architecture

Structuring Simplicity

The user flow we created outlined the seamless journey Varietà Foods would provide, ensuring users achieve their goals effortlessly.

The Proposed Solution

What Sets Varietà Foods Apart

The platform was designed to deliver a seamless and impactful user experience by employing the following:

Unique Age-Based Filtering

A “traffic light” system indicates crowd age compatibility.

Transparent Pricing

Displaying average menu prices eliminates financial guesswork.

Real-Time Reservations

Enables users to book tables instantly.

Comprehensive Search Tools

Allows filtering by location, reviews, and more.

Sketching and Wireframing

Visualizing Ideas

Sketches

Rough sketches helped translate abstract concepts into tangible layouts, setting the foundation for the design process.

Low-Fidelity Wireframes: From Sketch to Structure

Heuristic Evaluation

Evaluating Usability

Heuristic evaluation and usability testing provided actionable insights to refine the app and enhance the user experience.

What Worked:

All users successfully completed a reservation.

The “traffic light” system was intuitive and appealing.

The “Near me” system was particularly effective for users in larger cities like Buenos Aires.

Displaying the average price of food stood out as a valuable feature.

What Did Not Worked:

Certain screens had errors in the user flow.

The map lacked a marker indicating the user’s current location, and reservation times were unclear for specific meals (e.g., dinner times only).

The calendar interface lacked alignment between dates and days of the week.

Recommendations:

1. Add a confirmation screen displaying reservation details before final submission. 2. Distinguish between bars and restaurants in search results. 3. Introduce a "History" screen to track reservations and allow users to rate venues. 4. Display 2-3 highlighted comments on the reservation screen for context. 5. Combine Saturday and Sunday on the calendar for better usability.

High-Fidelity Prototyping

Bringing Ideas to Life

Prototyping transformed wireframes into interactive designs, enabling users to experience key functionalities firsthand.

Home Screen:
Featured quick access to search, filters, and profile settings.

Search Results Page:

Showed venues with clear indicators for crowd compatibility and pricing.

Venue Pages:

Displayed comprehensive venue details, including reviews and reservation options.

Reservation Management:

Provided users with a straightforward interface to view and modify bookings.

Map Interface:

Included interactive elements to locate venues, view details, and filter options directly from the map.

Interactive Features:

Prototypes included the “traffic light” system, search filters, and real-time reservations, allowing stakeholders to test usability.

UI Kit

Logo

Paleta Cromatica

JERARQUÍA TIPOGRÁFICA

SF Pro Display

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Ab Regular

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Ab Medium

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Category	Size	Style	Session
TÍTULOS	30 px	BOLD	INICIO DE SESIÓN ¡Bienvenidos! Martín Miguel García DATOS PERSONALES “Mayúscula convertida...” Para poder continuar seleccione...
TÍTULOS SECUNDARIOS	20 px	BOLD
TÍTULOS TERCIARIOS	20 px	SEMIBOLD
BAJADA	18 px	REGULAR
CITAS	14 px	ITALIC
TEXTOS Y PÁRRAFOS	13 px	REGULAR