Snowflake: Internal The Lodge Menu App Design

Role
UX/UI Designer

Purpose
During my Graphic Design internship at Snowflake, I created an internal application for The Lodge, the cafeteria at Snowflake's San Mateo office. I identified that accessing the Lodge's menu via Slack was inefficient and disconnected, prompting the need for a more streamlined, personalized, and integrated solution. To address this, I collaborated with 3 departments at Snowflake to design an internal application that effectively showcases the menu, caters to users' food preferences, and provides valuable feedback to the kitchen staff, all while adhering to Snowflake's design system.

Skills

Figma

Usability Testing

Prototyping

Timeline

June - August 2024

Problem
The user experience of navigating to the Lodge’s menu through Slack is unproductive and external. How can we make this a more efficient, customized, and internal experience?

Solution
Designing an internal application (accessed though current internal applications -- The Fridge) to effectively display the menu, tailoring to the user’s food preferences and providing useful feedback to the kitchen staff.

Research - User Interviews
I began the project by interviewing several interns to understand their needs, uncovering several key insights in the process.

huge dependence on link being sent in Slack, or else will not check

intuitive UI for easy, quick reading

add calorie count?

custom features mainly benefiting those with dietary restrictions & interest in specific categories

high interest in upvoting/commenting on specific menu items + positive feedback for staff

Initial Mockups
I began the project by interviewing several interns to understand their needs, uncovering several key insights in the process.

Mobile

internal food announce-ments

display original menu + recipes for each dish

custom menu displayed within your profile

sync with gcal to find optimal lunch time

select preferences

Desktop

Mid-Fidelity Designs
Further developed my low-fidelity designs by bringing in Snowflake’s brand elements and minimizing the number of elements I began with by developing initial integrated features.

Mobile

Desktop

Research - What Are My Design Constraints Though?
While taking into account the user’s needs, I also interviewed who and what can benefit from the information and interaction of the users, such as the kitchen staff and those who manage internal applications to see what needs and constraints I should incorporate in my final designs.

Kitchen Staff Needs?

very detailed menu to cater to everyone’s needs

preplanned menu

no need to add a  reviews system?

staff interested in a poll feature (may be a great way to measure specific food interests)

Internal Implementation Backend Constraints?

Implementation

Design can be implemented in Snowflake's internal application on their San Mateo office page
Currently, there is a button that sends you to their third-party menu website → ability to edit this to link to this design for internal implementation

Suggested Design Additions

Option to view Events Calendar and add to Google Calendar
Include “Meet the Team” section

Food/Kitchen Info Backend Constraints?

Logistics

Info that SHOULD BE displayed
- food title, ingredients, allergens, vegan or vegetarian
- recorded allergens: peanut, tree nut, egg, milk, dairy, wheat/gluten, shellfish, fish, soy, sesame, contains: no known allergens
“Dietary Restrictions” filtering to create each user’s custom menu gives the kitchen more backend work (need to input more info & fact-check info → a lot of room for error)
- Consensus: stick with the four Dietary Restrictions already used for filtering in Bon Appetit’s (Snowflake's third-party catering company) website

Suggested Design Additions

Displaying # of calories is feasible, but design the option to toggle on and off calories

Final Designs
Final designs were condensed to two main screens containing the essential information from the kitchen's perspective while keeping the requests of users.

Mobile

Desktop

Key Project Takeaways
Transitioning from brainstorming initial design elements to considering the application's internal implementation, here are my key insights throughout the design process.

Design process is not linear

Take into account the project’s constraints within the design

Understand the needs of everyone who will interact with the product

Snowflake: Internal The Lodge Menu App Design

Problem The user experience of navigating to the Lodge’s menu through Slack is unproductive and external. How can we make this a more efficient, customized, and internal experience?

Solution Designing an internal application (accessed though current internal applications -- The Fridge) to effectively display the menu, tailoring to the user’s food preferences and providing useful feedback to the kitchen staff.

Research - User Interviews I began the project by interviewing several interns to understand their needs, uncovering several key insights in the process.

huge dependence on link being sent in Slack, or else will not check

intuitive UI for easy, quick reading

add calorie count?

custom features mainly benefiting those with dietary restrictions & interest in specific categories

high interest in upvoting/commenting on specific menu items + positive feedback for staff

Initial Mockups I began the project by interviewing several interns to understand their needs, uncovering several key insights in the process.

Mobile

internal food announce-ments

display original menu + recipes for each dish

custom menu displayed within your profile

sync with gcal to find optimal lunch time

select preferences

Desktop

Mid-Fidelity Designs Further developed my low-fidelity designs by bringing in Snowflake’s brand elements and minimizing the number of elements I began with by developing initial integrated features.

Mobile

Desktop

Kitchen Staff Needs?

very detailed menu to cater to everyone’s needs

preplanned menu

no need to add a reviews system?

staff interested in a poll feature (may be a great way to measure specific food interests)

Internal Implementation Backend Constraints?

Implementation

Design can be implemented in Snowflake's internal application on their San Mateo office page

Currently, there is a button that sends you to their third-party menu website → ability to edit this to link to this design for internal implementation

Suggested Design Additions

Option to view Events Calendar and add to Google Calendar

Include “Meet the Team” section

Food/Kitchen Info Backend Constraints?

Logistics

Info that SHOULD BE displayed

food title, ingredients, allergens, vegan or vegetarian

recorded allergens: peanut, tree nut, egg, milk, dairy, wheat/gluten, shellfish, fish, soy, sesame, contains: no known allergens

“Dietary Restrictions” filtering to create each user’s custom menu gives the kitchen more backend work (need to input more info & fact-check info → a lot of room for error)

Consensus: stick with the four Dietary Restrictions already used for filtering in Bon Appetit’s (Snowflake's third-party catering company) website

Suggested Design Additions

Displaying # of calories is feasible, but design the option to toggle on and off calories

Final Designs Final designs were condensed to two main screens containing the essential information from the kitchen's perspective while keeping the requests of users.

Mobile

Desktop

Key Project Takeaways Transitioning from brainstorming initial design elements to considering the application's internal implementation, here are my key insights throughout the design process.

Design process is not linear

Take into account the project’s constraints within the design

Understand the needs of everyone who will interact with the product

Problem
The user experience of navigating to the Lodge’s menu through Slack is unproductive and external. How can we make this a more efficient, customized, and internal experience?

Solution
Designing an internal application (accessed though current internal applications -- The Fridge) to effectively display the menu, tailoring to the user’s food preferences and providing useful feedback to the kitchen staff.

Research - User Interviews
I began the project by interviewing several interns to understand their needs, uncovering several key insights in the process.

Initial Mockups
I began the project by interviewing several interns to understand their needs, uncovering several key insights in the process.

Mid-Fidelity Designs
Further developed my low-fidelity designs by bringing in Snowflake’s brand elements and minimizing the number of elements I began with by developing initial integrated features.

no need to add a  reviews system?

Final Designs
Final designs were condensed to two main screens containing the essential information from the kitchen's perspective while keeping the requests of users.

Key Project Takeaways
Transitioning from brainstorming initial design elements to considering the application's internal implementation, here are my key insights throughout the design process.