SAFFRON
UI/UX Case Study: Upgrading the Website of a Local Restaurant Group
Introduction
Saffron Restaurant Group is one of the Azerbaijan’s biggest hospitality businesses. They have a diverse portfolio of well-known and much-loved brands.
Their brands are Sahil, Pasifico, Harbour, Movida, Paris Bistro, Cubar, Madrid, El Portalon, Atelier 61, Atelier 61 Events Hall, Villa Turkish, Winter Garden, Amburan. The Group also acts as a business partner at Syrovarnya, Novikov Cafe, Gunaydin, Baku Cafe, Scalini Restorante, Jasmin restaurants and operates Baku branches of world brands such as BigChefs and Pidem.
EXISTING PRODUCT ISSUES
- Old Websites: Each restaurant had a simple, uninformative HTML page hosted across various servers and FTP accounts.
- Heavy PDF Menus: The menus were only available as large PDF files, making them slow to download and difficult to navigate
- Unprofessional Appearance: The scattered and outdated approach looked unprofessional, eroding brand trust.
- Lost FTP Access: Some FTP accesses were lost, complicating maintenance and updates.
PERSONA
Name: Aydin Mammadov
Age: 43
Location: Baku, Azerbaijan
Occupation: Sales Manager
Income: Medium Salary
Family: Married with two young children
Characteristics:
Easy-going and enjoys dining out with family and friends.
Frustrated by slow menu downloads and poor website usability.
Active on social media, likes to leave reviews and share dining experiences.
Aydin represents the typical customer who values convenience and efficiency in his dining experiences, both online and offline.
OLD STRUCTURE vs NEW STRUCTURE
The previous decentralized setup of the website posed challenges in implementing consistent brand standards across restaurant pages due to their scattered location on various servers, leading to some access issues. Moreover, there were new functional requirements. Thus, my initial action involved completely restructuring the website’s hierarchy and consolidating all pages onto a single server under the main brand, while retaining old URLs as aliases.
DESIGN SOLUTION
From the start, my primary aim was to ensure that the inner restaurant pages and menus were informative, user-friendly, and quick to access.
Additionally, we agreed decided to maintain a sleek, corporate design aesthetic.
OLD WEBSITES:
Unprofessional Appearance:
Heavy PDF Menus:
Results and Metrics
The redesigned website under the corporate brand umbrella achieved significant improvements:
Speed of Load:
The new website loads three times faster than the previous versions.
★★★
BRAND TRUST
Brand Trust:
Corporate brand trust increased as the new site provided a unified, professional appearance.
Menu Updates:
The speed of updating menus increased by 50%, allowing for more timely and accurate information.
Learnings
User-Centered Design:
Understanding the frustrations and needs of typical users like Aydin is crucial. A focus on user experience led to significant improvements in website performance and usability.
Consistent Branding:
A unified approach to branding and website design greatly enhances the professional image and trustworthiness of the brand.
Efficient Content Management:
Transitioning to a modern content management system (CMS) simplified menu updates and ensured consistency across all restaurant pages.
Performance Optimization:
Investing in performance optimization (e.g., faster loading times) has a direct positive impact on user satisfaction and engagement.