Pioneering Just Eat’s Dine-In Vision and Design Strategy

The Business Opportunity

In early April 2021, anticipating the government’s timetable, we expected UK restaurants to reopen for dine-in services on May 17th, with further easing of COVID restrictions on June 21st.

Approximately 30% of our independent UK restaurants, totaling around 12,000, offered authentic dine-in experiences. As they prepared to reopen, they faced challenges from safety regulations and potentially cautious consumers.

Our existing integration with these restaurants positioned Just Eat perfectly to provide significant support during this crucial period.

Customer Opportunity

An initial survey conducted by our innovations team revealed several opportunities for Just Eat to address key customer needs in a dine-in experience:

Business Goal

To Become The Essential Partner For Dine-In Restaurants

The Challenge

I was tasked with leading a small team of designers to deliver the best user experience for an MVP release within a tight three-month timeframe. Additionally, we aimed to uncover further opportunities to enhance the dine-in experience for the business.

My Approach To The First Phase of Work

To kick off the first phase, I facilitated a workshop with the cross-pillar UXD team to review the proposed MVP scope set by the product team. I led the group in identifying key questions and assumptions related to the proposed scope and where these fit within the service journey. We then prioritised these questions of uncertainty, recognising their crucial role in the project’s success. Additionally, I collaborated with the research team to outline a research agenda based on these prioritised questions.

I planned design sprints documented within a master dine-in document, ensuring visibility and alignment for all product teams. To manage expectations, I set up regular updates with product and delivery managers, keeping everyone informed of our progress and any adjustments needed along the way.

Successful Launch Of The UK Dine-In Project

We kicked off the UK dine-in project on April 14, 2021, and impressively launched the MVP on June 30, 2021, to 478 restaurants across the UK. In the first week alone, we saw 229 dine-in orders, with an average order value of £14.95. Remarkably, the dine-in bad order rate was an outstanding £0.00.

Refining The Dine-In Experience For Phase 2 And Beyond

The approach for the UK dine-in MVP was constrained by tight timelines. For Phase 2 and beyond, we aimed to refocus on creating an exceptional experience for dine-in customers. We achieved this by listening to and understanding the needs and behaviors of our restaurant partners and dine-in consumers.

We committed to maintaining this customer-centric perspective until we were confident in the desirability of opportunities. Only then would we move on to evaluating their feasibility and sustainability for the business.

Insights From An Initial Survey

At the start of the initiative, Just Eat’s Innovations team conducted a national survey among Just Eat customers. One of the questions asked, “What type of restaurant would you expect to have contactless ordering and payment?” Unsurprisingly, out of 161 responses, 86.96% of participants mentioned fast food restaurants. However, a surprising 57.14% also suggested fine-dining restaurants. We saw this as an opportunity to further explore:

How might we create a dine-in solution for Just Eat Takeaway consumers that caters to varying experiences of restaurant service?

My Approach

What Can We Learn From Mapping A Customer’s Experience Of Two Extremes?

By identifying commonalities around customers’ needs and pain points across diverse dine-in experiences, we aimed to create a solid foundation. This approach also helped us pinpoint unique, delightful moments that could differentiate Just Eat from other market competitors.

Mapping Extremes Workshop

I organised and facilitated a workshop with cross-functional teams and stakeholders, dividing participants into two groups. One team focused on restaurants where the dine-in experience is functional, while the other concentrated on establishments where dining is a holistic experience.

Participants were asked to recall and reflect on their personal experiences at these types of restaurants, incorporating their assumptions about the customer journey.

From this workshop, we identified a wealth of potential common customer needs and pain points across several stages of the dine-in journey:

• Pre-Visit

• Arrival

• Choosing & Ordering

• Receiving

• Requesting & Paying The Bill

• Post-Visit

This understanding guided the structure of further customer discovery research, which helped validate these hypothetical pain points and needs.

Leveraging Discovery Research Insights

The insights from our discovery research helped validate and challenge the assumptions generated during the kick-off workshop. This enabled me to create a backlog of real opportunities for further teams to explore. Additionally, I developed a more defined vision presentation, which was shared with all stakeholders and generated significant excitement for the future.

However, due to the easing of COVID restrictions, the business priority for the dine-in initiative shifted, and the project was paused for the foreseeable future. On a positive note, we gained valuable learnings and insights on how to optimise our product for future dine-in experiences.

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