UX Case Study:Panda Express Online Ordering

Good UX often goes unnoticed, because it feels so natural. Bad UX, on the other hand, sticks out like a sore thumb.

This particular case study was inspired by my own experience using the Panda Express online ordering system. Ideally, I would have been able to order my food online and pick it up shortly after at the store, saving me time and ensuring my order would be fresh. However, I got so frustrated with the online system that I ultimately abandoned it and decided to just order in person (the implication being, another frustrated user may choose to eat elsewhere). The following slides show screenshots of the online ordering system in the order that I encountered them, along with some annotations. I am not claiming that my suggestions would be the ultimate solutions (only user testing can tell that); I am simply pointing out the problem areas I faced as a user. The green circles represent the areas where I clicked/ took action. Thanks and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I am not associated with Panda Express in any way. I am a fan of their food, so if anyone from corporate is reading this, I am not trying to pick on you!

Perhaps “Time” shouldn’t be Step 2.

The order time would change dramatically anytime I added or changed an item, or

even if I lingered on the order page for a couple

of minutes. This was a huge

source of frustration and one of the reasons I abandoned the site.

POSSIBLE SOLUTION Let the user decide what they want and confirm their order selections first, then show soonest possible pick up time (switch Steps 2 & 3) HYPOTHESIS -This will avoid the disappointment of seeing a quick, 20-minute pick up time first, then having it jump up to 45+ minutes as the user adds selections (particularly for larger orders, like the “Family Feast”). -The user can complete their order without the distraction of the time changing -The final (longer) pick up time may seem more reasonable if the user hasn’t been primed with a faster pick up time

Too much distance between required interactions; slows user down

Notice the pick up time has already increased by five minutes simply in the time it took me to click from the previous page here (from 5:55pm to 6:00pm).

Updates to reflect price of selected items

I was under the impression that this option would let me add a new plate; it is only for adding single a-la-carte items.

The “Finish Plate” button is too far away and can easily been misinterpreted to mean “finish order”. It needs to be more obvious that clicking “Finish Plate” will allow the user to add a new plate (as opposed to clicking “Add More”).

As previously mentioned, in this instance, “Add More” really only means “add more single-serving items to plate”. I was frustrated not to see options for a new plate or family-sized items. Clearer labeling in the previous step could have prevented that problem.

When I first saw this screen, I thought that my order had been completed; could pose a potential for high abandonment rate here.

This side of the page looks just like when you first start an order. I was under the impression that each plate would have to be in its own separate order (see notes on right- hand side).

It would be helpful to add a heading over the left page area such as “Add To Your Order” or “Continue Building Your Order” to make it clear that the user has that option (and that they are not starting over with a new order).

I would suggest placing the “Checkout” button directly beneath the “Order Details” (over the same background) and making it more prominent (using size/color) so that as the user scans the summary, they will see it.

This call-to-action is labeled “Check Out”, although the following screen also has a “Check Out” button. Not a huge deal to me, but this could confuse users as to when their order will actually be submitted. Perhaps this one should be re-labeled “Review Order”.

(Scrolled)

I like this; it reminds me that I do want soy sauce!

Not necessarily a bad thing here; it just seems a bit unusual that each plate can be assigned to a different name. My guess is that the Panda people will label each plate so you can tell which is which if you’re ordering for several people, although I’ve never seen them do that for in-person orders (they just scribble their shortcodes). I wonder, when you pick up, can you use just one name, or do you have to say, “Pick up for Linda, Patrick, Mom, Aunt Sally...” lol.

Linda Albertini Web Designer/Developer www.LindaAlbertini.com @ltalbertini

That’s all, folks!

(Checkout screen not shown; I didn’t want to accidentally trigger an order)

Thanks; please share if you found this useful!

Shoot, now I’m hungry.