Ohisama Sushi Digital Menu

Introduction
Ohisama Sushi, a London-based restaurant serving Japanese cuisine in Marylebone, faced typical small-scale business challenges in the hospitality industry. During my time as a waitress there, I applied my product design skills to observe and enhance both customer satisfaction and service efficiency.

Client: Ohisama Sushi Marylebone
Type: product design- website design
My role: product designer
Year: 2024
Team: Indika, Niki, Kavith, Nasuki, Tomoko

My contribution:

Illustration
Style guide
Prototype
User research
UX design
UI design

A product designer’s observation

During a late-night shift working as a waitress, a frustrated customer complained about long wait time.

That Day, Me, the Manager, and the Chef Being Scolded

Problems identification

Step 1. Review platform rasing some concerns
Checking Tripadvisor and Google reviews, I found 80% of complaints mentioned slow service and long wait times. This motivated me to raise the issue with the team for collaborative solutions.

Reviews from tripadvisor and Google review

Step 2. Kitchen workshops break down the problem
Over lunch in the kitchen, the manager acknowledged review insights. Together, we brainstormed and narrowed down the issues behind long wait times to four key factors.

We Ran a Workshop Right in the Kitchen

Affinity mapping categorised key issues behind long wait times.

Workshop Results: Compared to other high expenses solutions, improving the menu is a cost-effective choice for small-scale restaurants compared to hiring more staff or renovating.

Research

Step 1. Menu-using pain points identification

I observed daily to spot menu elements slowing down ordering, then researched cases where customers need assistance to order.

Research methods I employed: Guerilla Research, Customer Observation

Key pain points:

Step 2. Personal visits to competitors inspired operational innovation

I visited 4 sushi, 1 Chinese, and 1 Indian restaurant in Westminster and Soho. Focusing on their menu, especially the UI features. Along the way, I unexpectedly discovered useful insights into online ordering systems. For more details please visit here.

I visited the local competitors in Westminster and Soho.

Key Findings:
Business Model and Operational Efficiency：

In izakaya-style Japanese restaurants with inadequate facilities, staff are completely unable to provide the warm service - which is precisely the biggest selling point of izakaya！
Lzakaya-style sushi lacks QR code ordering despite its approachable fine dining approach.
Online ordering boosts productivity by easing multi-task server workloads.

UX/UI feature takeaway：

UX/UI feature competitor analysis

Defined goals: Business and user-friendly design

Due to budget constraints, the owner proposed prioritising a mobile-first approach with an online ordering system to ease staff fatigue, allowing them to focus on warm service. The system should support both in-house and takeaway orders.

User goals and business goals

Information architecture

To align with user expectations, I conducted a moderated card sorting session with my colleagues and two customers, involving a total of 6 participants then we come up with the information architecture.

Information Architecture

Design

Menu Translator 

A translator helps bridge language barriers for diverse customers.

Customer testmonial

Dish details

Clear dish details let customers explore menu items independently, easing server workload and reducing order errors.

Waiting staff’s testmonial

Collect

The 'Collect' feature lets guests pre-order online, improving the experience and reducing kitchen stress during busy times.

Chef’s testmonial

Digital menu testing

I conducted tests during less busy hours and explained the testing process and offered green tea as an incentive.

Method:
A/B testing
I provided both a paper menu and a digital menu to new customers at the same table who were unfamiliar with our offerings, observing their experience and comparing the time taken to complete their orders.

Test with prototype simulated functionality
Customers would use the menu on their phones while I quickly documented their actions and preferences before processing their orders at the counter.

Findings:
Existing QR code usage pattern
We prepared a standing QR code on the table, and guests generally perceive it as a tool for placing orders, with approximately 4 out of 7 new customers directly scanning it.

Waitstaff are still frequently asked about allergy information
During my observations, I noticed that customers still frequently ask about allergy-related information, such as seeking recommendations for dishes that do not contain gluten.

The translator is functional but requires better accuracy
Translation software was frequently used, and while guests had no major complaints, they occasionally corrected translation errors or unnatural content after dining.

Iteration

Optimised ordering through improved button options

Optimising Ordering Choices
Most guests access the menu via QR codes, making the 'Dine In' option rarely used. With high Deliveroo demand, we replaced 'Dine In' with a Deliveroo link to align with customer behaviour.

Repositioned to prioritise key allergen information

Prioritising Allergen Information
We noticed that many guests lost focus when scrolling to the bottom, leading to low attention on allergen information. To address this, we moved this crucial detail to the top of the menu for better visibility.

Result

After testing the digital menu with approximately 37 new customers over a month, I found that ordering duration decreased while table turnover rates increased.
Additionally, staff errors were reduced, and customers reported a more satisfying experience. Finally, peak collection orders were also minimised.

Reflection

Products must align with specific use scenariosDid customers feel dissatisfied because we cancelled paper menus? Many elderly customers! They’re not used to using digital menus and even refused to use QR codes when I offered them. This happened particularly when we first started using PDFs. Therefore, we decided to keep both paper and digital menus.

Limited funding constraintsThis digital menu initially faced some obstacles in convincing the boss to adopt it. Many of our customers are regulars, so they already know what they want and don’t need much explanation of the dishes. With a steady flow of repeat customers, the boss felt that educating new customers wouldn’t be a frequent need, so he was hesitant to spend money on it.

To persuade him, I recorded human errors during peak hours—not just in-store ordering mistakes but also mismatches between Deliveroo orders and customer expectations that resulted in returns. For example, between 5–9 p.m. over one month, we had 14 Deliveroo order returns and 19 in-store ordering errors, all of which cost him money. Additionally, after our restaurant was promoted once by an Instagram influencer in July 2024, we saw a significant influx of new customers. This finally convinced the boss to invest in developing a new menu.

When user experience meets business modelsThis project has been my favourite so far, as it has given me a deep understanding of how, as a UX designer, I can incorporate business perspectives into product thinking and success metrics.

Through this project, I also noticed the management differences between small independent restaurants and large chain restaurants.

My next step is to expand this project's scope by designing an internal dashboard for owners and managers to predict customer flow better and manage inventory, thereby reducing labour costs and operational expenses.

Project Menu

Ohisama Sushi Digital Menu

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