Sixdots: Redefining Contactless Dining with a Scalable, Hospitality-Driven PWA

Product

Consumer PWA

Role

Senior designer

Task

New product launch

Redesign
+ product expansion

During COVID, we had the opportunity of leveraging Overproof’s expertise in menu data and brand partnerships to create a no-cost ordering platform for merchants. Sixdots was designed to bring an easy, contactless dine-in, delivery and take-out experience to restaurants and bars—without the fees typically charged by other ordering apps and with high regard for hospitality.

Product

Consumer PWA

Role

Senior designer

Task

New product launch

During COVID, we had the opportunity of leveraging Overproof’s expertise in menu data and brand partnerships to create a no-cost ordering platform for merchants. Sixdots was designed to bring an easy, contactless dine-in, delivery and take-out experience to restaurants and bars—without the fees typically charged by other ordering apps and with high regard for hospitality.

My role

My role

My role

As a senior product designer, I led research to shape both the user app and merchant portal experiences in collaboration with development, product, marketing, and sales. Our small but mighty design team of 3 went from logo to launch in 3 months. I worked on the app architecture, wireframes, and high-fidelity designs. I managed the design handoff to development and produced interactive prototypes for user testing and sales pitches - we were building, designing and selling simultaneously!

My role

As a senior product designer, I led research to shape both the user app and merchant portal experiences in collaboration with development, product, marketing, and sales. Our small but mighty design team of 3 went from logo to launch in 3 months. I worked on the app architecture, wireframes, and high-fidelity designs. I managed the design handoff to development and produced interactive prototypes for user testing and sales pitches - we were building, designing and selling simultaneously!

Challenges and pain points

Challenges and pain points

Challenges and pain points

  • Quick turnaround and scalability: A failed partnership with an existing ordering platform left us to design and build the product from scratch. 

  • Crowded market for consumers, yet dine-in options were very clumsy: The space was saturated, no one wanted to download another app. Many delivery and takeout services were clearly established, but pleasurable tech-enabled dine-in experiences weren’t available. 

  • Merchants were exhausted and here for the price benefits: Not interested in ground breaking technology, they wanted to get in and out of our portal as soon as possible..

Challenges and pain points

  • Quick turnaround and scalability: A failed partnership with an existing ordering platform left us to design and build the product from scratch. 

  • Crowded market for consumers, yet dine-in options were very clumsy: The space was saturated, no one wanted to download another app. Many delivery and takeout services were clearly established, but pleasurable tech-enabled dine-in experiences weren’t available. 

  • Merchants were exhausted and here for the price benefits: Not interested in ground breaking technology, they wanted to get in and out of our portal as soon as possible..

Goals

Goals

Goals

  • Develop a scalable, flexible UI: Build a modular design system that would enable Sixdots to scale across different restaurant formats and adapt to future updates without the need for extensive rework. The app should also be designed for use as a white-label solution.

  • Focus on dine-in experience, while staying on par with competitor features for delivery and take-out: Prioritize a contactless ordering and payment flow that felt intuitive and natural for guests without replacing interactions with restaurant staff. 

  • Create ease for merchants: Provide the least amount of roadblocks and tech complexities.

Goals

  • Develop a scalable, flexible UI: Build a modular design system that would enable Sixdots to scale across different restaurant formats and adapt to future updates without the need for extensive rework. The app should also be designed for use as a white-label solution.

  • Focus on dine-in experience, while staying on par with competitor features for delivery and take-out: Prioritize a contactless ordering and payment flow that felt intuitive and natural for guests without replacing interactions with restaurant staff. 

  • Create ease for merchants: Provide the least amount of roadblocks and tech complexities.

Results & impact

Results & impact

Results & impact

  • Built as a progressive web app: no need for consumers to download an app.

  • Solid design system: Borrowing from established design frameworks like Material and Snacks allowed us to focus on delivering a streamlined flow, giving us speed without sacrificing usability. While maintaining its brand identity, components looked familiar and were easy to adapt by consumers and merchants. 

  • Cohesive dine-in ordering experience: We designed an intuitive ordering flow for in-restaurant use, where consumers could place orders, split bills, and pay within the app while keeping interactions with staff. 

  • Adaptability across restaurant types: We built the app to serve various restaurant settings, from small diners, chain restaurants, to food halls - opening opportunities for expansion and white-label adaptations.

  • POS integrations for menu setup: Connected the merchant portal to multiple POS and payment processing providers, making menu building and billing easeful. The portal became a review tool rather than a builder.

Results & impact

  • Built as a progressive web app: no need for consumers to download an app.

  • Solid design system: Borrowing from established design frameworks like Material and Snacks allowed us to focus on delivering a streamlined flow, giving us speed without sacrificing usability. While maintaining its brand identity, components looked familiar and were easy to adapt by consumers and merchants. 

  • Cohesive dine-in ordering experience: We designed an intuitive ordering flow for in-restaurant use, where consumers could place orders, split bills, and pay within the app while keeping interactions with staff. 

  • Adaptability across restaurant types: We built the app to serve various restaurant settings, from small diners, chain restaurants, to food halls - opening opportunities for expansion and white-label adaptations.

  • POS integrations for menu setup: Connected the merchant portal to multiple POS and payment processing providers, making menu building and billing easeful. The portal became a review tool rather than a builder.

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Sixdots was able to stand apart in a crowded space by creating a platform that empowered restaurant owners, respected the dining environment, and provided ease to guests. 

Sixdots was able to stand apart in a crowded space by creating a platform that empowered restaurant owners, respected the dining environment, and provided ease to guests. 

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