Panda Express | Sakshi

Evaluating Panda Express self-checkout kiosk user experience through usability study

• HCI Coursework Project • User Research •
Kiosk Usability Testing

About Panda Express

Panda Express is a popular fast-food chain specializing in American Chinese cuisine, with over 2,200 locations across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Guam, Puerto Rico, Korea, and the United Arab Emirates.To expedite ordering and reduce wait times, Panda Express restaurants have implemented self-service kiosks.

Overview

This project was part of the Fall '22 Interaction Design Methods coursework. The goal of the study was to conduct a usability study in a natural environment to understand how users interact with self-checkout kiosks. This participatory study provided valuable insights into user interactions with kiosks during peak hours and highlighted the critical role of user interface (UI) design in delivering a positive user experience.

Responsibilities: User research, Affinity mapping, Usability testing, Design Recommendations

Tools: Miro, Google Suite

Timeline: 4 Weeks (August 2022)

Team: Collaborated with 5 HCI students

Defining the Why's first: Aligning research goals

For this study, our main objective was to analyze user behaviors and assess the usefulness and usability of the kiosks in the food court. Based on this, we established the following research objectives:

Analyze the kiosk food ordering process.
Identify user obstacles and issues.
Determine food order preferences.
Gather feedback for kiosk improvement.

These research objectives helped us gain insight into the challenges and opportunities associated with kiosk usage in the campus center.

Identifying the problem by observing users interact with the kiosk and their environment

The Panda Express restaurant at the Indiana University Campus Center in Indianapolis is a popular dining spot for students, staff, and faculty. However, during peak hours, long wait times become a significant issue as customers line up to place their orders.

During our observations of kiosk usage at the campus center, we noticed that many people preferred waiting in long lines rather than using the kiosk for a quicker ordering process.

This led us to question:

Why were people avoiding or not using the kiosk?

Users found the kiosk confusing, slow, and difficult to navigate, leading to frustration and abandoned orders.

How might we optimize the ordering process to reduce wait times while making it more efficient, intuitive, and user-friendly?

Identifying users and data collection: Who interacts with the Panda Express Kiosk?

Before conducting user interviews, we divided the task of observing kiosk users. Each team member independently observed 2-3 users at different times. I focused on observing how 3 users interacted with the kiosk, particularly during peak times (11:30 AM to 1:00 PM). My goal was to gather data on task performance, completion rates, pauses, distractions, system issues, time taken, and their surroundings (refer to the table below)👇.

During our observation, we noticed a variety of users—college students, staff, and faculty—approaching the kiosk to place orders. However, this alone wasn’t enough to understand their behaviors. To gain deeper insights, we decided to ask users whether they had used the kiosk before or if it was their first time using it

We categorized user into three groups based on their kiosk usage habits, with ages ranging from 20 to 50+:

Users who have never used the kiosk before,
Users who are familiar with kiosks, and
Users who are first-time visitors to the restaurant.

This observation helped us prepare questionnaire for interviews and understand which aspects to focus on.

Gathering data from the our targeted users...

We conducted semi-structured interviews to gather data, with our interview framework focusing on understanding user activities first, followed by targeted follow-up questions. In total, we interviewed 10 users, with each team member conducting 2 interviews.

During the interviews, one team member facilitated the session while another recorded it. The rest of the team took notes and observed how users interacted with the kiosk, analyzing key parameters such as gestures, task completion time, number of errors, pauses, and overall kiosk experience rating after completing the task.

The questions explored users’ overall experiences, reasons behind their actions on the screen, suggestions for improvement, feedback on visuals and interface, and clarity of instructions at each step.

Uncovering Insights from the Data: By observing users with varying levels of kiosk usage

We gained valuable insights into how the kiosk functionalities serve users with different levels of familiarity & understanding.

Overall, this approach enabled us to gather a broad spectrum of data on user interactions, identifying common patterns and areas that need improvement to ensure that the design meets the needs of the intended audience. During my interview data analysis of

3 users, I discovered that users encountered several difficulties, which led to confusion and required them to pause multiple times before completing tasks, such as:

Too many steps to complete a task,
Confusing user flow, problems with visuals, and
Missing features

Kiosk first-time users, in particular, struggled with understanding the flow, often misinterpreting visual cues on the screen.

Based on the interviews, I identified the following key themes: Visuals, Hardware, Menu (Options), Text Hierarchy, No of Steps

Representing Panda Express kiosk users

Based on our findings, we developed two user personas to represent the different types of Panda Express kiosk users. These personas help us better understand the needs, behaviors, and pain points of our diverse user base. By focusing on key characteristics, preferences, and challenges, these personas provide a clear and relatable framework to guide our design improvements for a more intuitive and user-friendly kiosk experience.

To organize & analyze qualitative data collected through field studies and interviews, we conducted an affinity mapping

The qualitative data collected through field studies and interviews was organized by writing key insights on sticky notes, grouping similar ideas together, naming the groups based on common themes, and identifying emerging patterns. The findings from various users revealed several issues with visuals, layout, UX copy, delayed feedback, and user flow.

Design Recommendations: Key Areas for Improvement in the

Based on insights gathered, four key areas for improvement were identified in the current design:

UX Copy: Ensure clarity of specific terms to reduce task time. For example, add descriptions for dishes, quantity, and spice levels to provide better understanding.
Timely Feedback: Provide users with clear feedback when an item has been added to their order. A progress bar at the top could help users track their order status.
Visual Design: Improve users’ understanding of menu items by incorporating dish images and adding visuals to payment cards. Consider replacing the background image with a simple, clean background to focus attention on the menu items.
User Flow: Simplify task flow by allowing easier navigation between categories and providing users with the ability to edit their order. Empower users to go back and make changes without losing their progress.

Enhancing the user experience can be achieved by making adjustments to the UI - maintaining a consistent font style, look, feel, and color palette. Implementing these recommendations would significantly improve the usability & overall satisfaction of the kiosk.

Reflections 🌟

This project marked my first in-person fieldwork experience after the COVID-19 pandemic, giving me the opportunity to observe real users interacting with the self-checkout kiosk. Through field observation, I identified various patterns and themes, understood how different data points connected, and gained a deeper understanding of user behaviors and needs. These insights reinforced the importance of conducting usability studies in natural environments to guide design decisions and better meet users’ needs.

I learned to trust my teammates' strengths, while also offering my own insights, creating a balanced and efficient working dynamic. This experience deepened my appreciation for teamwork in design and highlighted how valuable shared knowledge and a unified vision can be when striving towards a common goal.