Redesigning the Sushiro App (Part I)

Sushiro is a popular Japanese sushi chain that offers high-quality and affordable sushi dishes to its customers. Established in 1984, Sushiro has over 530 locations in Japan and expanded into several other countries, including Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Korea. The chain also utilises state-of-the-art technology, such as conveyor belt systems and tablet ordering, to enhance its customers’ dining experience.

The Sushiro App

In 2019, in an attempt to solve long lines queuing up outside of their stores, they introduced an app that allowed people to get a “ticket” remotely. The app has 3 major uses:

1. Users can get a ticket from a selected store remotely
2. Tracking of ticket number
3. Table reservation in advance

The app has so far received mixed feedback, one of which is users are no longer able to utilise the remote ticketing function, and while some say the app is basic (in a good way) and clean, it is not the most intuitive to use.

• To find out and validate the pain points in using the app
• Explore new ways to enhance the overall user experience

To help us clarify the boundaries and focus of this study, we defined our research scope to include 4 key aspects at an early stage, and they are:

1. Reservation/ Ticketing — how do users approach getting a ticket at Sushiro?
2. In-app experience — the overall quality of interactions between users and the app
3. Aesthetics — how do users feel about the look and feel about the app
4. Functionality — how is the app meeting its users’ needs

We decided to follow the UX Design Thinking framework to ensure our design decisions are supported by real user research and feedback. In Part I, we kick off by understanding users’ needs and challenges, and in part II, we generate ideas based on the insights gathered and test solutions. We created a questionnaire using Google Form and conducted competitive analysis and user interviews to gather the data we need.

33 responses were received from the questionnaire, some notable findings are:

• Of all users who have installed the app on their phones, 73% could never obtained a ticket through the app
• Of all users who have installed the app on their phones, 63% could never reserved a table in advance through the app
• 52% of users say the app hasn’t achieved their goals consistently

Affinity Mapping

With the large amount of data gathered from both the questionnaire and individual interviews, we created an affinity map based on the 4 key areas in our research scope to better visualise the problems before us.

To help us gain a deeper understanding of the target user group, two personas and journey maps are created in which the key insights gathered from our research are reflected. Here we identify their goals, behaviours and pain points. This will aid us to decide on the target group and create a solution that meet the needs and expectations for that target group.

It’s interesting to note that for a user like Jason, the range of emotions is much narrower as he is more familiar with the app and knows what to expect. A dysfunctional app in this case is unlikely to turn him away from the business. However, if his pain points are properly addressed, he’s expected to turn into an even bigger promoter of the brand.

Nicole represents the new-to-Sushiro customer who doesn’t visit Sushiro regularly and has little to no experience with the Sushiro app. In this instance, the range of emotions is much larger and the negative emotions are more impactful. This type of customer is unpredictable as they will consider alternatives. A well designed and functional app can potentially turn her into a regular.

Problem Statements

1. Customers at Sushiro usually have to go through long wait times to get in, although the Sushiro app was created, the remote ticketing function almost never worked, this is a problem because that means they have to go to their nearest store and get a physical ticket, this is largely inconvenient for customer.
2. When customers get a physical ticket at the store, they have to hold on to that paper until the number is called upon, this is often a very long time. This is a problem because that piece of paper can be easily lost/misplaced, there’s no record and users have no way to reclaim their number.
3. The tracking of ticket numbers is one of the most used functions within the app, however, users have to go through multiple steps to access that information. This is a problem, particularly for new users, as they become unaware of this important function, prompting them to wait at the store physically.
4. Based on the accuracy of location services, the app doesn’t always display the store(s) the users are looking for. This is a problem because a location has to be picked before any of the key functions can be used. Displaying the wrong locations will mean users have to potentially go through multiple steps.
5. Customers need to carry a paper loyalty card and bring to the store every time they visit Sushiro. This is a problem because the loyalty card can be easily lost and people often forget to bring it with them. This reduces the initial planned effects of the loyalty card.

To conclude Part I of this project, I’m using the How Might We (HMW) question method to form a guideline and basis as we move onto ideation and solutions in Part II.