Building Personas for Pho Que Huong

Project Overview

Persona Creation and UX Research

I delivered a persona, heuristic evaluation, and user journey map for Pho Que Huong.

The goals were to: understand who goes onto Pho Que Huong’s different web pages, for what purpose, and how they dine in/out.

The results showed that users typically rely on external apps to order, but their best option for reviewing a menu is their website or Google Maps.

Project Outcomes:

  • Persona

  • Web Page Usage Report

  • User Research Report

Roles

Independent Researcher/Designer

Responsibilities

Independent Researcher/Designer

Time

2 Months

Industry

Dining and Retail

Partners

Pho Que Huong

The Process

  • Research Proposal

    Initial pitch, methods, and goals for the web research

  • Surveys & Interviews

    Research guides for client roadmapping and review

  • Research Compiling

    User research complied to create a persona

  • Report & Next Steps

    Developed a set of recommendations for client

Research Proposal

I began this research assessment to analyze the usability of the website in terms of navigation, the ability to find relevant information to order/choose items and more.

Research Plans

  • 4 Think Aloud Protocols

  • Schedule and conduct 5 Card Sorts

  • Expert Evaluation - Consistency and Standards

Through this assessment:

  • identified potential obstacles that users faced

  • evaluated the overall accessibility of the website

  • suggested potential improvements to can enhance user experience

Surveys & Interviews

The 20 users engaged were ages 24-44, from the DFW area.

Two users who were in Rockwall and Tarrant counties.

All participants were self-described “foodies” or would frequently dine out for meals.

Goals: validate the likelihood of a user ordering and navigating restaurant locations

The results showed that users found the page informational, but not engaging or clear on a specific purpose for them at the time of use.

Outcomes:

  • Recommendations on website content

  • Research Based Persona

  • User Research Report

Compiling Research

    • The initial entryway to a restaurant is typically with a warm welcome which is consistent via the welcome and farewell messages displayed on the upper third of the website.

    • The highest line of text within the website shows “0 slides available for this slider” this positioning, text, and message may lead users to believe that the website is not fully loaded or missing information.

    • Typical web conventions greet users with hero images, animations, hot buttons and overall a call to action for users to take.

    • Removing the top-most text component will alleviate some ambiguity on the initial web navigation for new users.

    • Adding a component that is a directive or call to action for users to best navigate or utilize the platform as best idealized by pho que huong.

Hispanic man with glasses smiling in front of mural

Persona Developed: Ignacio Diaz - local foodie

Ignacio, is a DFW foodie who enjoys trying different cuisines and cooking when he can. He does tend to order food at times but prefers to have authentic and spicy foods with great flavor over any place that would be convenient.

About Ignacio:

  • 32year old art director in DFW

  • Wants to enjoy all things in life, dining, art, and his community

Pain Points

  • Finding convenient local meals in new areas

  • Reserving last minute dining spots with friends/colleagues

Report and Next Steps

Major Takeaways

  • 31% of users consistently reported the restaurant website was a tool to see the menu while 37% of users would prioritize food orders

  • While the menu is listed on the website there can be more in depth listing of allergens in any one platters ingredients.

  • Users commonly used their mobile web browsers to place orders and this may be a good addition to the website as shown by user data.

Client Recommendations

  • Match the product to external web conventions in a home page via directive prompting and actionable next steps for new users.

  • Developing a new section or page for the industry or business partners who need to access the product while users interact with a separate set of sections or pages.

  • Menu item descriptions as a whole should enhance the user awareness of menu items with well listed ingredients and allergens.

What I learned

  • Considering alternative contexts behind intended and being planning for user types. (Doordashers, In-Person diners etc.)

    Anti-Personas or Fringe Users

  • Being open to reassessing and leveraging the social networks available to me in recruitment and testing.

    Communities and Data Gathering

  • Critically understanding the usability and task completion needs within the real contexts of different users.

    Information Processing and Intentions