Wa Café
2025
Wa Café is a popular London bakery known for its artisanal breads and pastries. However, as the café grew, its existing point-of-sales (POS) system began to show its age. The system was slow, unintuitive, and inefficient during busy periods. Our mission was to reimagine the POS system to streamline transactions, reduce wait times, and ultimately improve both employee and customer satisfaction.
ROLE
Lead UX Designer
TEAM
UX Researchers
Project Manager
Developers
DURATION
4 Months
The Challenge
Wa Café’s original POS system faced several critical issues, slow transaction process, inventory and order errors, poor usability and limited reporting tools.
Slow Transaction Process
Employees struggled with a clunky interface that delayed order processing, especially during rush hours.
Inventory & Order Errors
The system’s complexity led to frequent mistakes in order entry
and inventory updates.
Limited Reporting
The outdated system provided minimal sales and inventory insights, hindering the café’s ability to make data-driven decisions.
Poor Usability
Staff required extensive training due to the system’s unintuitive design, causing frustration and operational delays
Our goal was to design a user-friendly, efficient, and reliable POS system that could handle the fast pace of a busy bakery while reducing errors and empowering staff.
To create a user-centric and effective app, we adopted the
Design Thinking Methodology. This approach ensured that the design and development process was iterative, user-focused and solution oriented.
Research & Insights
User Interviews & Observations
We conducted on-site observations and interviewed 15 staff members, including cashiers, kitchen staff, and managers. Key insights included:
Speed is Critical - Employees needed a system that allowed for rapid order entry and quick adjustments.
Error Prevention - A high frequency of order mistakes meant staff required clearer visual cues and more straightforward workflows.
Ease of Training - With high staff turnover and part-time workers, an intuitive system that required minimal training was essential.
Data Needs - Managers expressed a desire for better sales reporting and inventory tracking to optimise operations.
Personas
Based on our research, we developed three primary personas: Kenji, The Barista - Her goals are to be able to process orders quickly during busy periods, reduce inventory errors and manage spit payments and discounts. She gets frustrated at the time spent repeating training on an old complex system.
Sato, Head Baker - Needs to be able to monitor inventory levels in real time to reduce waste and prevent stock running out. She needs access to sales data to predict popular items. Currently she lacks immediate feedback on what’s selling and struggled with manual inventory updates.
Emi, the Shift Manager- Oversee’s the daily operations of the café, she wants to be able to train new staff quickly and efficiently and have access to comprehensive reports to guide her business decisions. Currently she has limited visibility into real-time performance and has difficulty generating actionable insights from outdated reporting tools.
Competitive Analysis
We analysed modern POS systems used in similar fast-paced environments like cafes and quick-service restaurants. Best practices identified were:
Streamlined Order Entry - Simplified menus with large, touch-friendly buttons.
Real-Time Inventory Sync - Instant updates on stock levels to prevent overselling.
Customisable Dashboards - Quick access to sales data, popular items, and employee performance.
Integrated Payment Options - Support for various payment methods (cash, card, mobile) with minimal friction.
Design Process
Ideation & Information Architecture
Our design sessions and card-sorting exercises focused on simplifying the order flow and integrating key functions:
Streamlined Order Entry - Prioritise a touch-friendly interface with large, easily identifiable buttons for common items and modifiers.
Integrated Inventory Management - Build real-time inventory updates into the order process.
Customisable Dashboard -Develop dashboards that allow managers to quickly view sales, inventory levels, and employee performance.
Simplified Payment Flow - Integrate multiple payment methods with a focus on speed and accuracy.
Card Sorting
To enhance the navigation experience of Wa Café’s point of sales system, we conducted a card sorting exercise with participants who currently work at the cafe. The goal was to understand how users naturally categorise bakery items to create an intuitive and user-friendly site structure.
Wa Café Point Of Sales User Flow
The user flow for Wa Café is designed to guide users through the app with ease, ensuring they can accomplish their goals efficiently. Below you can see the flow outline for adding items to an order.
Wireframing & Prototyping
Low-Fidelity Wireframes
We mapped out essential user flows for order placement, payment, and inventory updates. Focus was placed on reducing the
number of screens and clicks.
Wireframing & Prototyping
Mid-Fidelity Prototypes
We developed interactive prototypes that featured a modern, clean interface with intuitive icons and streamlined workflows. Emphasis was placed on rapid order entry and error prevention.
Wireframing & Prototyping
High-Fidelity Prototypes
We developed interactive prototypes that featured a modern, clean interface with intuitive icons and streamlined workflows. Emphasis was placed on rapid order entry and error prevention.
Usability Testing
We conducted multiple rounds of usability testing with staff members.
Usability Tests Findings
Order Entry - Testers praised the simplified interface and large touch targets. Adjustments were made to improve the visibility of modifiers and special instructions.
Inventory Updates - Real-time inventory feedback was well-received. We refined alerts for low stock levels to be more prominent.
Payment Processing - Testing revealed that integrated payment options significantly reduced transaction times. Minor tweaks were implemented to ensure smooth transitions between payment types.
Training & Onboarding - A short, interactive tutorial was developed to help new staff quickly become familiar with the system.
Final Design
Key Features
Streamlined Order Entry
A single screen order interface with large touch friendly buttons with quick access to popular items and modifiers. The new intuitive flow reduced the number of steps ti complete an order.
Real-Time Inventory Management
Automatic updates of inventory levels as orders are processed with clear visual alerts for low-stock items. Integrated insights help to predict demand and adjust supply.
Customisable Dashboard
Role-based views for cashiers, bakers and managers. quick glance widgets for sales data, popular items and employee performance. Layouts are easy to configure and allow each user to prioritise information most relevant to their role.
Efficient Payment Processing
Integrated support for cash, card and mobile payments, with a seamless payment flow that minimises transaction time. Clear confirmation messaged and error handling ensure accurate transactions.
Visual & Interaction Design
Aesthetic - A modern, minimalistic design with a clean layout that reduces cognitive load whilst still maintaing Wa café’s strong brand identity.
Typography - High-contrast fonts and a consistent colour scheme that differentiates actionable items from background information.
Microinteractions - Immediate visual feedback on button taps, order confirmations and inventory updates to reinforce confidence in the system.
Impact & Learnings
Key Takeways
User-Centered Design Is Crucial - Direct input from frontline staff allowed us to tailor the system to real-world needs.
Simplicity Drives Efficiency - Simplifying workflows and reducing unnecessary steps significantly improved transaction speed.
Real-Time Feedback Matters - Immediate visual confirmation reassured users and reduced operational errors.
Role-Based Customisation - Tailoring the dashboard for different user roles maximised the system's relevance and usability for everyone involved.
Outcomes
Stats & Feedback
