Unique Restaurant
A mobile app that brings a premium Tel Aviv restaurant's dining experience into a seamless digital platform.
At a Glance
I was responsible for leading the full product design process end-to-end - from UX strategy and concept development through usability testing with real users.
User research, persona & user story definition, user journey map, problem statement, paper wireframes, digital wireframes, full UI design, high-fidelity interactive prototype and usability testing with real users.
A purpose-built restaurant app that lets users easily book customized reservations, streamlining the dining experience from discovery to table.
Challenge
Couples and families looking to dine at Unique Restaurant face a slow, outdated booking process, relying entirely on phone calls with no way to customize their reservation. This creates friction for guests and operational burden for the restaurant, resulting in missed bookings and a diminished experience before diners even arrive.
Process
Results
What I Did
I started with user research to understand how couples and families currently approach restaurant reservations and what frustrations they face. From there, I defined the target user through a persona, user story and journey map, then distilled the core problem into a clear problem statement. I moved into ideation with paper wireframes, refined them into digital wireframes and developed the full UI design and high-fidelity prototype. Finally, I validated the experience through usability testing with real users and iterated based on their feedback.
Research Foundation
I conducted user research to understand dining habits, booking behaviors and reservation preferences. Key findings revealed clear patterns that shaped the product direction.
Key Findings:
- 80% check restaurant reviews before making a reservation.
- 80% book at least a week in advance.
- 60% want the ability to choose their own seating.
- 50% dine out every 2–3 weeks - confirming regular, recurring demand.
Personas
"I book a reservation for the next 3 days, max a week. Sometimes there's a reason to celebrate!"
- • Reaching the restaurant's availability quickly and easily.
- • Booking a reservation without unnecessary information.
- • One trusted place to complete this simple task.
- • Struggle with current apps.
- • Usually don't have much time to spend on this task.
- • Picking a seat can be much nicer.
User Journey Map
Mapping the diner's end-to-end journey, from discovering the restaurant through completing a reservation, was essential for identifying where the current phone-based process created friction. This revealed key drop-off moments and unmet needs that directly shaped the app's feature priorities and flow.
Problem Statement
Busy professionals and couples with limited free time need a fast, frictionless way to book customized restaurant reservations, so they can spend their time enjoying the experience, not planning it.
Solution
I explored multiple solutions through rapid paper sketching, prioritizing a streamlined reservation flow that gets users from opening the app to a confirmed booking as quickly as possible. This phase was focused on solving for speed, directly addressing the core need of time-pressed users.
I translated the strongest concepts into digital wireframes, iterating multiple times based on research findings and user pain points. The key product decisions at this stage were letting users check real-time availability, select their preferred time slot and choose their own seating - the feature 60% of researched users specifically requested. This prototype served as the foundation for usability testing with real users.
I designed the complete mobile app UI with a supporting design system and delivered a high-fidelity interactive prototype validated through two rounds of usability testing. Every visual and interaction decision was anchored to user research findings - from the one-tap reservation flow to the custom seating selection.
User Testing
I conducted two rounds of usability testing - the first on a low-fidelity prototype to validate the core flow direction before investing in visual design, and the second on the high-fidelity prototype to identify refinement opportunities in the final experience.
Participants: 5 users, ages 21-38
Methodology: Remote, unmoderated usability study - participants completed core tasks on both low-fidelity and high-fidelity prototypes in 15-minute sessions in Israel.
Core Tasks:
- How efficiently can users complete a full reservation booking?
- Are the steps required to book a reservation intuitive and minimal?
- How easily can users find and navigate the restaurant menu?
Success Metrics:
- Time on task.
- Number of steps to complete a reservation.
- Task completion rate.
Impact
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