Taking SONIC's Order Ahead experience to the web so even more people could enjoy it, while rethinking our design system to accomodate a brand redesign. The 2020 Covid-19 lockdown was our litmus test.

I developed the site architecture aiming for the most intuitive and easy-to-navigate structure that made the ordering process as quick and smooth as possible. During the entire process we kept the SONIC in-person experience as our benchmark: always first in line. We developed a comprehensive feature set based on Epics and user stories when designing the experience. What do we need to account for outside of the phone experience? What are the limitations of a web experience? How does it integrate with the POS system? What does the user expect when ordering ahead?

By offering Order Ahead and a contact-less experience at the restaurant, SONIC was ahead of the game during the Covid-19 lockdown. I conducted remote user & usability testing right at the beginning of lockdown in 2020, and we worked on making informed adjustments along the way. ‍

We introduced new features, like tipping. We learned that customers want to tip but often don’t carry cash, carhops want to make more money in their job, and franchisees seek employee retention. So, mobile tipping was a win-win (and win). After evaluating data, we offered customers options to keep the change, tip $1 or $2, and an option for a custom amount.