Photo Credit: Yelp / Pagliacci PizzaPagliacci Pizza Mobile App
OVERVIEWPagliacci has been serving Seattle's Best pizza since 1979, predating “The great wave of Seattle pizza”. Started by three locals (all Italian) who just wanted a place to go for good pizza, Pagliacci has become a local institution in Seattle.
ROLESenior UX/UI Designer
Research, Wireframes, Interaction, Visual Design, Prototyping & Testing, Design QA
AWARDSWebby Honoree - Webby Awards 2020
Category: Apps, Mobile, and Voice | Food & Drink
Background
Like most people, I love to avoid lines whenever I can. Online ordering has allowed me, and many other users, the flexibility and ease of being able to place an order at my convenience without having to interact with another person.
Before the app, Pagliacci customers were only able to place their orders via in-person or by calling in. And while their call center has some of the most attentive, knowledgeable and personable reps in the business, the fact is—more and more people prefer a contact-less transaction.
The people problem for Pagliacci was fairly simple:
“I want to place an order, but I don’t want to speak to anyone or make the effort of going into the store. I’d order online but the website isn’t that mobile friendly, and I’m too lazy to get on the computer.”
The proposed solution—create a custom mobile ordering app that would provide their customers with an avenue where they can place their order quickly and with ease.
Challenge & Goal Setting
Two main challenges were presented during our discovery session:
Pagliacci would be entering into an already heavily saturated market of delivery apps where user expectations for quality, service and features are set high
The app will be contending with Pagliacci’s highly trained customer service reps
The main goal for Pagliacci’s new app was to create an enjoyable, convenient app experience for users so that it could be just as personable, fast and easy as calling in.
Another goal we were aiming for was to have all mobile orders placed within one year of the app’s launch date to account for a third of total orders placed.
Research
As a first step, we did an extensive competitive analysis to identify and evaluate their competition, both locally and nationally. We focused on:
Types of offerings
Target audience
Usability standards
Overall brand look and feel
We took it a step further and decided to take a look at their indirect competition as well. This gave us some insight into broader features that were available to users and provided customer impressions. These learnings were an integral part of our planning of the app.
It was important for users to be able to access the menu quickly and get any marketing updates on the seasonal items that are only available for a limited time.
And for those of us that have that usual order that we rarely stray away from, we wanted to provide users with a quick way to access previous orders so that they didn’t have to compose their order over and over as favoriting items and orders was planned for a future phase.
Sketches & Whiteboarding
After initial sketches and whiteboard sessions were completed, two low-fidelity prototypes were created to test two different navigation systems. One system followed a more traditional scheme, and the other, a card-based navigation system.
We had a wide range of volunteers from those who were very comfortable navigating food ordering apps to those who were on the opposite end of that spectrum.
We had three areas of focus that we wanted to test.
1. Ease — How easy was it for them to accomplish the task?
2. Speed — How fast could they accomplish the task?
3. Clarity — Was the user ever confused when trying to complete the task?
We analyzed how each volunteer handled the app and carefully watched their movements as they explored the prototypes. The usability testing revealed that a card-based navigation system was the way to proceed.
Flicks are fast, buttons are commitments.
- Andrew H, Loyal Pagliacci Pizza Customer
During user testing, we discovered that people loved the action of swiping up quickly versus tapping on a button to get to the quick reorder menu. It’s fun, fast and engaging.
Solution
We packed the Pagliacci app full of features that will help users place their order quickly while letting them reap the rewards through the new Pags Reward Program.
Quick Order
The quick order card is a key design element that puts personalized menu orders one swipe away.
From the home screen, users can swipe up to reveal their favorite orders and an abbreviated version of their order history. This allows customers to reorder their favorite meals swiftly — just 15 seconds, on average.
Personalization
The app allows users to customize menu items and save them as favorites. This feature enables an entirely different ordering experience for the customer — one where instead of relying on memory or previous orders, they can quickly create an ideal orders, like "Family Movie Night". Customers can even convert previous orders into a favorite.
Loyalty Pays
Everyone loves rewards. We wanted to recognize those loyal customers with the implementation of a rewards program.
Each user is automatically assigned a digital rewards card that syncs with Pagliacci's point of sale system. All orders placed via the app or in person accrue points toward a rewards balance which can be cashed in at any time.
Streamlined Checkout
The app features all the key user interface and functionality requirements to fit the bill: an easy to understand interface, short scroll distance, ability to save credit cards, ability to edit items inline, order tracking and progress, and quick access to the cart throughout the app.
The app even offers personalized recommendations based on previous ordering behavior and current trends, helping customers quickly add items they may have forgotten and increasing revenue.
Results
Pagliacci’s customers have been wanting an app since online ordering was available—and we hope we delivered. We will be working closely with Pagliacci to make this app even better with each update and include new features and integrations along the way.
Download the App
30%
Fewer call center orders
4.9
iOS App Store Rating
~15 sec
Avg. time to place a quick order
