Resy is a widely used online reservation platform in the hospitality industry, both in the U.S. and internationally. It enables restaurants to streamline table reservations and host chef-led events. With over a decade of experience as a Line Chef, I’ve proposed a design solution to enhance Resy’s platform by integrating food allergen and dietary information management. In this hypothetical solo project, I realized that my knowledge of kitchen operations could fill a critical gap in ensuring meal safety and quality during the reservation process, ultimately enhancing dining experiences to be more pleasant and personalized.
Client:
Resy
Role:
UX Consultant
Year:
2024
Discovering The Problem
Project Duration: 34 weeks
As a line chef, I have noticed a recurring issue with Resy.com reservations. Guests often do not disclose their food allergies when making a booking but only mention them to servers after being seated. This last-minute revelation complicates the safe preparation of meals. I aimed to uncover why guests withhold this valuable information during reservations.
In this project, I utilized the double-diamond meth to understand why guests did not disclose their dietary information.
I conducted a survey targeting restaurant guests with food allergies and dietary restrictions who have previously made online reservations on platforms such as Resy. I aimed to receive answers to the following questions:
Restaurant guests share their experience with the restaurant staff's ability to accommodate their food allergies and dietary needs when dining at a restaurant.
Restaurant guests' experience with booking table reservations on Resy and similar online platforms to have a safe meal provided for them to consume
How likely will guests return to a restaurant if they are provided or not provided safe meals to consume?
A total of 35 participants were willing to share their experiences
I conducted a competitive analysis of Resy’s competitors—OpenTable, ToastTab, Explore Tock, and SevenRooms—to assess the following
User Engagement
Target audiences
Traffic sources
Servicies and additional offerings
This analysis covered key metrics like the percentage of web vs. mobile traffic and user session durations for booking. I then synthesized insights from primary and secondary research, along with data from 35 survey participants, to identify patterns and opportunities for improvement.
Research Insights
The users responses, combined with secondary research, enabled me to define key insights and identify emerging trends. Users shared their experiences openly, which helped organize the information and draw meaningful conclusions.
I understood the following information highlighted by users when booking online table reservations:
Guests often won’t return to a restaurant if their food allergies or dietary needs can’t be accommodated, and they’re hesitant to recommend such places to others.
Experiences with meal safety varied greatly. Some restaurants effectively catered to dietary needs, while others fell short—largely depending on the staff's knowledge, friendliness, flexibility, and communication skills.
User Direct Quotes
Key Findings and Common Themes
After identifying key themes, I created a customer journey map to provide visual and additional details capturing restaurant guests and staff's experiences when dining in restaurants.
I also conducted a heuristic evaluation of Resy.com. This analysis revealed opportunities to better address user needs and refine the problem definition within the Resy platform.
After analyzing the information from the heuristic evaluation and brainstorming ideas, it became clear that Resy's reservation form should be revised to accommodate the food allergies and dietary needs of restaurant guests.
Problem Redefined
How can we encourage users to provide their food allergies and dietary information on the reservation form so that restaurant staff can ensure the safety of meals for all guests?
Design Direction
In the development phase, I assessed various solutions for integrating into the Resy system and decisively narrowed the options. Recognizing the necessity for changes to the reservation form, I took the initiative to create a mid-fi design mockup of Resy.com for remote usability testing with users. To ensure effective remote testing of the design's usability, I selected Maze. co as the platform of choice.
A total of 7 users were able to go through the first round of usability testing of the website. With the feedback I received from users, I iterated on the designs, and conducted A/B testing. A/B testing demonstrated that asking users if restaurants can contact them regarding their dietary needs displayed the following
During the first round of usability testing, 5 out of 7 users were able to navigate the website successfully and accomplish their goals. I iterated the designs after receiving feedback and conducted A/B testing. I learned the following from the A/B testing which aided in the final design:
Providing users with the option for restaurants to contact them, demonstrated an opportunity to build trust between users and Resy
Reduce cognitive load
Preventing overwhelm for the user when reserving a table online through Resy
Present an improved user-friendly experience for users to fill out the reservation form
There is an increase in users to build trust with restaurant staff by communicating their dietary needs using Resy's reservation system
Takeaways
Bring awareness to online reservation RESY to bring awareness to this form
Bringing attention to the online reservation platform RESY can help improve the reservation process. Contacting RESY can facilitate the enhancement of their reservation form to better meet the needs of both restaurant patrons and businesses.
International country food laws: Restaurant operators should provide information on their menus to help guests identify safe menu items. This includes following international food laws, such as those in Ireland, which require restaurants to indicate which food items are safe for consumption on their menus.
Iterate and test design solutions in International markets Since there is no one-size-fits-all, I want to test this design solution on international markets. There is an opportunity for additional design solutions to be implemented in the Resy system to accommodate restaurant patrons who are non-residents or U.S. residents traveling overseas.