Designing a streamlined ordering experience for a gluten-free, vegan, and paleo bakery
Overview
Cara’s Bakehouse is a Portland-based bakery known for its gluten-free, vegan, and paleo treats. At the time, the bakery relied almost entirely on phone orders, which created inefficiencies for staff and friction for repeat customers.
The business needed a mobile app to:
- Simplify the ordering process
- Allow customers to schedule deliveries or pickups
- Reduce the operational strain of managing phone calls
Our goal was to create a digital experience that preserved the bakery’s friendly service while making it easier for customers to order fresh or take-and-bake goods from anywhere.
The Challenge
Customer pain points:
- Phone ordering was slow and inconvenient
- Pickup and delivery scheduling wasn’t clear or consistent
- There was no way to save preferences or quickly reorder
Business pain points:
- Staff spent too much time taking and modifying phone orders
- Scheduling conflicts were common
- Manual systems were prone to errors
The mobile app needed to strike a balance: reduce staff workload while improving the customer experience — without losing the bakery’s personal touch.
Research and Discovery
Customer Survey
To inform our design decisions, we conducted a Google Forms survey with potential customers. Our questions focused on:
- Preferred ordering methods
- Feature priorities (e.g., scheduling, order history)
- Frustrations with current workflows
User Personas
Using survey insights, we developed three key personas:
- Busy Professionals who need fast, repeatable ordering with delivery options
- Health-Conscious Parents who want customization and ingredient transparency
- Local Regulars who place frequent, smaller pickup orders
These personas helped us align product features with user priorities.
Design and Prototyping
We began by mapping out the core user flows based on the personas’ goals. Low-fidelity wireframes were developed around the following key features:
- Account setup and saved order history
- Pickup and delivery scheduling with real-time availability
- Customizable ordering for fresh-baked vs. take-and-bake items
I created an interactive prototype in Figma to simulate the experience and validate key flows before development.
User Testing and Iteration
We tested the prototype with a small group of potential users and gathered feedback on clarity, efficiency, and usability.
Key insights:
- Users wanted a clear distinction between fresh-baked and take-and-bake options
- Delivery scheduling needed stronger visual cues for availability
- The ability to save favorite orders was highly valued for repeat customers
We applied these insights to improve the prototype before handing it off for development.
Key Learnings and Next Steps
What we learned:
- A mobile-first solution can dramatically reduce staff workload and improve customer retention
- Personalization (e.g., account-based ordering, order history) is essential for repeat business
- Clear pickup and delivery options are critical for user satisfaction
Future enhancements:
- Add loyalty rewards to encourage repeat purchases
- Improve accessibility features for a wider range of users
- Integrate order tracking and in-app notifications
Final Thoughts
This project reinforced the power of user research in shaping intuitive experiences. By aligning customer needs with business goals, we created a mobile ordering solution that simplifies the process for users while helping the bakery scale its operations with less strain.
