barilla restaurant experience strategy
for barilla
Design research and customer experience strategy for a restaurant chain.
Project: Barilla asked us to think through their new US based restaurant chains’ customer experience with an emphasis on digital loyalty. They wanted to inspire customers to learn about the mediterranean diet and follow it for a healthier lifestyle.
Process: We started this 7 week program by conducting customer and restaurant staff interviews to gather a deep understanding of the existing Barilla customer behaviours and journeys. Qualitative research and participatory design exercises provided us rapid insights which we used for fast concept iterations on client workshop. Finally we did a round of final conceptual design for a mobile app, presented via user scenarios and high fidelity mock ups.
My role and responsibilities: I co-led this project with an Associate Creative Director from frog Milan studio. I ran research efforts out of NY, then worked with the Milan team to run client workshops at the Barilla headquarters in Parma. I created concepts and final design direction in collaboration with a visual designer and an interaction designer. Our hardest challenge was convincing Barilla to shift from their original nutritional tracking app idea to new concepts rooted in user insights and celebrated their simple, Mediterranean food heritage. We used research insights from participants, highlighted quotes and some secondary market research to make them understand this completely new market and user base.
user research
customer experience strategy
customer journey map
mobile app concept
sketching
wireframing
Project highlights
Research to understand food & restaurant related habits
Our research objective was to gain insights around 4 topic areas: loyalty, health & nutrition, food discovery & enjoyment, value & convenience.
Research exercises: We started by making participants map their weekly food habits on a calendar, trying to understand: how they think about meals, what makes them choose one type of meal/restaurant, are people more habitual during the week then the weekend, how does being at work around co-workers affect food choices? etc.
Card sorting exercises helped us understand priorities around the ideal restaurant environment/service and loyalty experiences.
We also wanted to test some early hypothesis from client and our own, and used 3 conceptual designs to discuss opportunity areas and gauge interest.
Insights to archetypes: Based on our user insights, we mapped research participants on a 2x2 and created 4 archetypes of users. Our archetypes: Food enthusiasts, Convenience seekers, Wellness advocates and Canteen fellow (users who are using Barilla corporate canteens).
Restaurant customer journeys: Based on 4 types of visits (Eat-in, pick up, order ahead with pick up and order ahead with eat-in) we created customer journey maps with key moments framed under 3 sections of the service: pre, during and after visit. We defined each key moment in detail of why it’s important to users and to Barilla, unique needs and opportunities, and touchpoints involved.
2. Customer journey exercise to co-create concepts with Barilla
After our research read out, we wanted to make sure to put the users in the heart of our ideation process. We held a two day workshop and co-created concepts with Barilla team. Using the archetypes and customer journey maps, we ideated around key moments per archetype. More than 50 ideas expanding several touchpoints varying from mobile app, in store augmented furniture to social campaigns were captured.
Idea Book for concept documentation: Taking all concepts initiated during workshop, we built on each and documented in a comprehensive idea book
Prioritization and focus area: With the Barilla team, we decided to focus on on a customer experience that highlights discovery of Mediterranean food and nutrition. We produced conceptual designs for the mobile app and the loyalty program.
Mobile app concepts: We created three restaurant and one canteen concept with key user journey and initial strategies for loyalty and launch.
3. Final product concept
A way of eating designed around two main concepts: pleasure of food and Mediterranean nutrition.
Pleasure of food: Flavour profile is a new way to select Barilla dishes. Generated and based on past customer orders and favourited dishes. It is a visualisation of individual taste as well as a recommendation engine to explore and enjoy new dishes from Barilla's seasonal menu.
Health: Each dish has three components: the flavours, ingredients and the Mediterranean guidelines. Guidelines are based on the Mediterranean nutritional pyramid, and users get loyalty boosts as they make healthy choices accordingly.
Loyalty mechanics: Customer loyalty is driven by small and frequent challenges aimed at supporting good & healthy eating habits based on Barilla’s heritage Mediterranean diet culture.
Additional initial concept work for Barilla Canteen service design: We also worked on a few quick concepts expanding to Barilla corporate canteen offering. Concept included employee facing mobile app and canteen staff facing platform to be used during meal serving. Also quickly sketched screens for real time & post-service summary views for restaurant managers.
4. How we worked
As a lean team that had to move fast, we collaborated closely. We sat together in a small room filled with our ongoing ideas, food & health related educational materials, design inspiration… Lots of hand sketching, daily pin-ups, white boarding sessions occurred but more importantly we most days had at least two meals together, and as Italians do, discussed food experiences obsessively.