DoorDash Redesign
A two-part project involving a heuristic evaluation, usability testing, and user experience design was conducted as a requirement in ISE 217 (Human-Computer Interaction). A copy of the report is available upon request.
Background and Goals
Our goal was to evaluate the DoorDash mobile application and improve upon usability issues discovered through survey responses and usability testing. The primary objectives of our study included:
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Identify pain points and usability issues with the DoorDash mobile application
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Provide recommendations for improvement
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Create a prototype using suggested improvements and test the usability of the prototype against the original DoorDash application
Process
Two multi-step processes were used to identify Doordash user pain points and to redesign the application based upon these insights.
Phase 1: Heuristic Evaluation and User Testing
Phase 2: Redeisgn
Interface Evaluation and Comparative Study
An interface evaluation was first conducted to provide us with an in-depth understanding of the features of the DoorDash mobile applications and the tasks users may encounter.
A comparative analysis was conducted to evaluate the DoorDash mobile application against competitors UberEats and Postmates. While many features of DoorDash were similar to its competitors, we found the search and filtering options in UberEats and Postmates to be more detailed, easier to use, and provided more options for customization than DoorDash.
Contextual Inquiry
User surveys and user testing were run to understand users' goals, pain points, and evaluate their ability to learn and navigate the application.
User surveys collected data on user demographics, frequency of application usage, frequency of individual feature usage, and level of satisfaction with individual features. We found users were largely dissatisfied with features such as tipping, tracking order status, and viewing discounts and offers.
User testing found users had major difficulties with navigation, accessing filters, selecting desired tips, and adding customizations in the check-up screen. To evaluate the results of the usability test, metrics were developed using the GQM Model. These metrics included:
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Effectiveness: task completion time and error rate
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Efficiency: task time
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Satisfaction: subjective rating scales
An overall relative efficiency score, calculated using the average of the three usability metrics (effectiveness and efficiency), was found to be 51%. Thus, the degree of usability of the DoorDash mobile application is 51% which is not satisfactory and would benefit from improvements.
Insights and Recommendations
Jakob Nielsen’s heuristic principles were used to evaluate the application based on the survey responses, usability testing, and semi-structured interviews. Noted violations included:
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Discoverability of Features: menu navigation, filtering, and checkout features
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Match Between System and Real World: tipping features
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Help and Documentation: checkout screen
Based upon these insights, we recommended several design improvements including:
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Allowing users to click the "Home" button and return to the main screen without deselecting current filters
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Providing detailed filters selections such as a ‘dietary restrictions’ filter
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Using tipping percentages rather than numerical scaling to reflect typical tipping habits of users
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Creating a dedicated section for adding instructions during checkout to increase visibility
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Allowing users to access pickup options as a filter would improve navigation
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Placing the search function on the Homepage as a search bar to reduce redundancy of filter options and improve user flow
Prototype Design
A redesigned prototype was constructed using Axure RP 9 based on feedback and observations gained during user surveys and usability testing. Some redesigns to the DoorDash mobile interface are as follows:
The redesigned navigation bar relabeled ‘Delivery’ to ‘Home’ and was centralized. The account button was moved to the navigation bar to improve visibility and accessibility, while the search screen was removed from the navigation bar and incorporated in each page to improve user flow.
The Homepage was redesigned to have collapsed submenus, a condensed sort/filter function, and a search bar to improve user flow and search customization. This allow users to view desired categories and access all available restaurants with ease.
The map feature was removed and a dedicated dasher instruction section was added to increase visibility. Redesigned tipping included percentages to reflect typical tipping habits. A navigation bar was added at the bottom of the screen to maintain consistency with the rest of the application.
Results
A second usability study was conducted with the same participants and tasks to compare the usability of our design with the features of the original design of the DoorDash application. Results showed a statistically significant increase in completion rate and reduction in the time required to complete each task, increasing the overall relative efficiency score from 51% to 80.5%.
My Learnings
What I learned from this project:
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Applications on iPhone and Android devices can vary, making it important to ensure all usability testing is conducted using the same materials and on the same devices
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Inquiry methods are important in providing insights on pain points and positives of the application were missed when brainstorming areas for improvement
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User expertise level plays a significant role in creating a dynamic and learnable experience with the application. Novice users may utilize certain functions and features drastically differently than advanced users
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Basics of prototype design using Axure RP 9