A Bold New Refresh Of The Toast POS
A Bold New Refresh Of The Toast POS
Role:
UX Designer
Role:
UX Designer
Timeline:
10 Weeks
Timeline:
10 Weeks
Tools:
Figma
Tools:
Figma
Class:
Data-Driven UX
Class:
Data-Driven UX
a fresh take on toast pos
a fresh take on toast pos
Toast is a restaurant management platform designed to streamline operations and improve the daily workflows of food service businesses.
This redesign focuses on simplifying order management, enhancing payments, and optimizing team collaboration in fast-paced restaurant environments.
Toast is a restaurant management platform designed to streamline operations and improve the daily workflows of food service businesses.
This redesign focuses on simplifying order management, enhancing payments, and optimizing team collaboration in fast-paced restaurant environments.
A faster, cleaner Toast POS interface in action
A faster, cleaner Toast POS interface in action
what's the big deal?
what's the big deal?
In a post-pandemic world where contactless payments are the norm, modern businesses need tools that adapt to evolving technology and customer expectations.
Toast is widely adopted in the food and beverage space, but despite its success, it still has notable usability gaps—especially under pressure.
In a post-pandemic world where contactless payments are the norm, modern businesses need tools that adapt to evolving technology and customer expectations.
Toast is widely adopted in the food and beverage space, but despite its success, it still has notable usability gaps—especially under pressure.
Customer frustrations with Toast are well documented, from slow workflows to unreliable hardware.
Customer frustrations with Toast are well documented, from slow workflows to unreliable hardware.
Real user complaints reveal pain points — technical glitches, confusing updates, and a steep drop in usability
Real user complaints reveal pain points — technical glitches, confusing updates, and a steep drop in usability
what does toast look like today?
what does toast look like today?
well what does the market look like?
well what does the market look like?
We conducted a competitive analysis of four major POS and e-commerce platforms: Square, Clover, Shopify, and Toast.
This analysis helped pinpoint strengths, weaknesses, and areas for innovation.
We conducted a competitive analysis of four major POS and e-commerce platforms: Square, Clover, Shopify, and Toast.
This analysis helped pinpoint strengths, weaknesses, and areas for innovation.
but don't just take my word for it…
but don't just take my word for it…
We spoke directly to restaurant owners and managers using Toast or other POS systems to understand their day-to-day challenges.
We spoke directly to restaurant owners and managers using Toast or other POS systems to understand their day-to-day challenges.
what does that teach us?
what does that teach us?
Our redesign should aim to focus on the strengths that Toast currently has, such as:
Our redesign should aim to focus on the strengths that Toast currently has, such as:
Being a Restaurant-focused tools—making things easier for owner and employees
Refine order management, kitchen display systems, and analytics.
Enhancing usability, Improve onboarding, navigation, and user flow to make Toast more intuitive.
Being a Restaurant-focused tools—making things easier for owner and employees
Refine order management, kitchen display systems, and analytics.
Enhancing usability, Improve onboarding, navigation, and user flow to make Toast more intuitive.
real voices from local businesses
real voices from local businesses
We conducted in-person interviews with three San Diego based food and drink businesses
We conducted in-person interviews with three San Diego based food and drink businesses
A coffeeshop based in National City. With a focus on creating drinks based on their Filipino heritage— they seek to create a space that brings the community together through food, drinks, and live music.
A coffeeshop based in National City. With a focus on creating drinks based on their Filipino heritage— they seek to create a space that brings the community together through food, drinks, and live music.
A boba tea shop founded by two second-generation Asian Americans that focuses on quality ingredients and simple execution in San Diego.
A boba tea shop founded by two second-generation Asian Americans that focuses on quality ingredients and simple execution in San Diego.
A passion project made by a group of friends featuring pop-up matcha lattes and a live DJ in local community spaces.
A passion project made by a group of friends featuring pop-up matcha lattes and a live DJ in local community spaces.
our pre-interview survey reported:
our pre-interview survey reported:
82%
82%
Reported they had issues with their POS system within the last two weeks
Reported they had issues with their POS system within the last two weeks
2 out of 3
2 out of 3
Only take contactless payment
Only take contactless payment
77%
77%
Reported they wish they had better order organization
Reported they wish they had better order organization
here's what they had to say
here's what they had to say
“The software issues, gift cards module got eliminated so couldn't sell or redeem for over a week, there was no reason why or fix, and I had to have multiple long phone calls with Toast."
“The software issues, gift cards module got eliminated so couldn't sell or redeem for over a week, there was no reason why or fix, and I had to have multiple long phone calls with Toast."
“Square has frequent updating to ensure the system is compatible, and sometimes it won’t even connect to the wi-fi. The Reader used to have issues, but they were mostly resolved after they consolidated with one system"
“Square has frequent updating to ensure the system is compatible, and sometimes it won’t even connect to the wi-fi. The Reader used to have issues, but they were mostly resolved after they consolidated with one system"
“We used a Square POS on an iPad, and within a few minutes it stopped working, so we switched to the iPhone tap to pay, and the iPad did not work for the next 3 hours."
let's put a face to the data
let's put a face to the data
Based on interviews and insights, here are the personas that shaped the design strategy.
Based on interviews and insights, here are the personas that shaped the design strategy.
off to the drawing board!
off to the drawing board!
These are our initial low-fidelity prototypes, created before gathering feedback from stakeholders.
These are our initial low-fidelity prototypes, created before gathering feedback from stakeholders.
While they are still rough, they provided a strong foundational framework to explore potential solutions and refine our approach to addressing the problem.
While they are still rough, they provided a strong foundational framework to explore potential solutions and refine our approach to addressing the problem.
let's leave that in the oven for a bit longer
let's leave that in the oven for a bit longer
These are the Mid-fidelity prototypes that we created after testing our prior prototype with our stakeholders
These are the Mid-fidelity prototypes that we created after testing our prior prototype with our stakeholders
hands up, utensils down!
hands up, utensils down!
Introducing the new Toast POS system
Introducing the new Toast POS system
A Freshly Baked
A Freshly Baked
The new tab feature allows for employees to customize the POS to allow for efficiency for any present issues.
Need An Extra Chef?
Need An Extra Chef?
The new tab feature allows for employees to customize the POS to allow for efficiency for any present issues.
Staying Organized
Staying Organized
A new analytics page can be viewed from the POS with administrator credentials to allow for instant changes to make sure profits are efficient throughout the day.
A new analytics page can be viewed from the POS with administrator credentials to allow for instant changes to make sure profits are efficient throughout the day.
closing statements
closing statements
I enjoyed interviewing the business owner to understand real-world challenges and designing practical solutions that streamlined their entire operation.
I would like to thank my team members: Zander Vilaysane, Ashley Nguyen, and Alexa Citra and Friends Of Friends, Camelia Rd, and Mix + Matcha for making this project possible!
I enjoyed interviewing the business owner to understand real-world challenges and designing practical solutions that streamlined their entire operation.
I would like to thank my team members: Zander Vilaysane, Ashley Nguyen, and Alexa Citra and Friends Of Friends, Camelia Rd, and Mix + Matcha for making this project possible!