Project Overview

Starbucks is one of the most popular coffee and beverage shops in the world, and it has gained a lot of popularity among people in Cambodia as well. As a big fan of Starbucks and a frequent user of its app, I have come up with some ideas to improve the app's UX/UI and make it look more aesthetically pleasing, while also keeping up with the latest design trends and enhancing the overall user experience.

Challenges

In the design process, I carefully audit the app and identify pain points in order to improve them. However, designing a product that has already been released and used by many people can be challenging, as I need to carefully and strictly consider their brand guidelines and design system. I cannot change all UI skins, as that would be a bad practice and deviate from their identity.

The biggest challenge is that I need to spend a significant amount of time conducting research and analyzing their app to ensure that when I start redesigning, I can address all the issues and enhance the user interface to be more visually appealing and aligned with human-centered design principles. Additionally, I want to make sure that the final product is not only functional but also aesthetically pleasing and easy to use for the users.

I have conducted a case study on user experience, which entails designing user flows, user journeys, and user stories to ensure that I can grasp the entire scope of the app's functionality and subsequently define and enhance the user experience. Improving the user experience is paramount in the app's development.

After auditing the app, the next step is to determine their design system. A design system is crucial as it helps product designers and developers save time and create a consistent app. Preparing, defining, and organizing the existing design system is essential, but it takes some time to figure it out.

Innovative Solutions

Throughout all of the challenges mentioned above, I have been applying some tips to enhance the working process and produce a great outcome. Although it sounds simple, it can actually help me during the case study and user research phases, ultimately improving both the user interface and user experience.

I discovered that conducting in-depth research, particularly through user observation and interviews, provides a wealth of benefits for me to gain a clear understanding and work effectively on this project. Observing and interviewing users allows me to gather comprehensive information about their struggles with the current mobile application, which enables me to clearly define the problems and develop effective solutions.

I divided the tasks into smaller categories, featuring batches of screens. For instance, in the Starbucks app, there are two main features: ordering and settings. I created two separate batches for each feature, consisting of 10 screens for the ordering feature and 15 screens for the settings feature. This approach allowed me to streamline the work and iteration process, ensuring timely delivery to both clients and developers.

Once all the designs are completed, it's time to test them. Testing with both internal and real users is crucial to ensuring a successful, aesthetically pleasing, and user-friendly product. A/B testing can also be helpful in saving time and resources.