Self-service ordering for busy lunch breaks
I designed a tablet ordering flow for Namma Kitchen’s office cafeterias. Employees could tap their card to sign in, choose a meal and pay without a dedicated cashier.
Context
Namma Kitchen operates in IT company cafeterias in Chennai. I worked with one engineer to design the ordering experience, from early research and flow mapping to the final interface and handoff.
The problem
Ordering took time away from lunch
Counter queues slowed the lunch rush. The brief was a card-based ordering flow that first-time users could complete without training, with a target of under five minutes.
My role
Full scope from research to delivery
I mapped the ordering and RFID sign-in flow with the engineer, then designed the screens in Figma and payment feedback in Rive.
From the brief to a testable flow
A one-week design sprint helped me connect user research, interaction design and implementation constraints before refining the screens.
Understand the lunch-break routine
The problem was familiar to our team, but we needed a wider view. I spoke with colleagues across age groups about choosing food, waiting to order and collecting meals.
What I asked
I focused the interviews on the steps before, during and after an order. Specific questions about cafeteria routines were more useful than asking people what they wanted from a kiosk.
Research findings and design exploration
Key design decisions
Focus on today’s menu
I focused the tablet on the day’s menu, with availability controlled by the kitchen. Employees could choose from the relevant items without browsing the full offering.
Keep the order in view
Testing showed that people lost track of what they had added. I kept a cart summary visible and provided a review step before payment.
Make the card state clear
I designed Rive feedback for waiting, processing, success and decline. Each state needed to tell employees whether to wait, continue or try again.
Offer a clear recovery action
The recovery paths offered a retry or a QR-based way to contact kitchen staff. Self-service removed the dedicated cashier, while staff assistance remained available for exceptions.
A USB-connected RFID reader lets employees sign in by tapping their card after the splash screen.
Outcomes
After launch, the kitchen team reassigned the dedicated cashier to food preparation. Post-launch transaction and queue-time data were not shared, so I cannot quantify the change in ordering speed.
Supporting the service
I also designed the membership cards, signage and promotional materials shown below.
