UX in the world of food
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Some user experience examples I've seen lately, all while eating and drinking:
Good: JambaJuice's queueing system. Unlike Starbucks, where one has to remember what the heck one ordered, then scan the baristas as they call out your drink (me: "tall caramel frappuccino light no whip"), if Jamba Juice has a wait, the cashier asks the buyer for a name. That name gets put into the order system, so the Jamba Juice drink preparers look at the screen, and say, "David?" Only after they've identified me do they check that they've made the right drink.
Bad: These pizza boxes with ads on them. Good for the advertiser, and fairly innocuous on the consumer end, but a terrible thing for the pizza parlor.
I got lunch from a place that handed me one of these boxes today. I then brought it to a conference call, where my coworker so loved the look and smell of my lunch that she got a slice for herself. But did she go to my pizza joint? No, because when closed, my pizza was from Blockbuster By Mail Get Discounts On In-Store DVD Rentals. A good marketing opportunity wasted.
Good: The widespread adoption of CRM systems at local restaurants. Thanks, no doubt, to the success of sites like OpenTable and SeamlessWeb, the majority of restaurants in Manhattan keep computer systems that maintain lists of phone numbers with addresses attached to them. Now, when I order a meal from a usual spot, I don't have to reiterate cross streets or apartment numbers; my phone number is all they need to identify me.
Bad: Styrofoam plates and cups are still routine with many of my deliveries. We need more green delivery.
Good: The just-right chewiness of Ricola Breath Mints.
Bad: Those breath mints' side effects.
Good: JambaJuice's queueing system. Unlike Starbucks, where one has to remember what the heck one ordered, then scan the baristas as they call out your drink (me: "tall caramel frappuccino light no whip"), if Jamba Juice has a wait, the cashier asks the buyer for a name. That name gets put into the order system, so the Jamba Juice drink preparers look at the screen, and say, "David?" Only after they've identified me do they check that they've made the right drink.
Bad: These pizza boxes with ads on them. Good for the advertiser, and fairly innocuous on the consumer end, but a terrible thing for the pizza parlor.
I got lunch from a place that handed me one of these boxes today. I then brought it to a conference call, where my coworker so loved the look and smell of my lunch that she got a slice for herself. But did she go to my pizza joint? No, because when closed, my pizza was from Blockbuster By Mail Get Discounts On In-Store DVD Rentals. A good marketing opportunity wasted.
Good: The widespread adoption of CRM systems at local restaurants. Thanks, no doubt, to the success of sites like OpenTable and SeamlessWeb, the majority of restaurants in Manhattan keep computer systems that maintain lists of phone numbers with addresses attached to them. Now, when I order a meal from a usual spot, I don't have to reiterate cross streets or apartment numbers; my phone number is all they need to identify me.
Bad: Styrofoam plates and cups are still routine with many of my deliveries. We need more green delivery.
Good: The just-right chewiness of Ricola Breath Mints.
Bad: Those breath mints' side effects.
Labels: food, user experience, ux
