CAVA App Redesign
My Role_
Senior UX Designer
I was the solo in-house designer that also served as a Product Manager after COVID layoffs affected our team.
Core Team_
Engineering & Data
With stakeholders from Business Strategy, Operations, and C-suite. Partnered with an external agency for initial concepts and engineering supplementation.
The Company_
CAVA
A fast casual restaurant chain specializing in custom Mediterranean bowls and pitas with locations spanning across the US.
Work Samples
Sample 1 ↘
Teaching a New Behavior
When arriving at the menu, initially designed to mimic the iOS Emoji Keyboard, older users didn’t know they needed to swipe horizontally to see more of the menu.
After wire framing and testing 3 prototypes, I closely partnered with engineering to make sure we got a smooth, subtle result.
Previous Agency Layout
New Tested In-house Layout
Sample 2 ↘
Removing Friction
The original concept was so minimal that testing revealed users would miss the price as the “Bag” mechanism and become frustrated. I added an explicit “Go to Checkout” section to catch the user at the end of their existing behavior: swiping through the horizontal menu.
Sample 3 ↘
Creating Clarity
Once at checkout, users also found themselves confused while reviewing their custom order and how they would go about adding items or editing the meal. Fortunately, reworking the layout, iconography, and labels proved successful in testing and increased order accuracy after launch.
Impact_
Digital ordering grew to 45% of sales*, up from 19%.
CAVA revenue has continued to grow 19% yoy.
4.9-star App Store Rating.
Design patent filed & awarded.
*At the time of employment.
Additional Details_
Research
11 Intercepts
60 Usability Tests
10 Customer Interviews
Technology
iOS & Android: React Native
Integration with 3rd party curbside and delivery APIs
Kitchen Display System (KDS) and Point of Sale (POS) platforms