Overview
A long line can mean impatience, uncertainty, and sometimes leaving without what someone came for. With Quick Wait, I set out to give users the one thing that can transform a drive-thru experience: knowing what to expect before they even pull in.
Role
UX Researcher + Designer | Surveys, Interviews, Persona Development, Wireframes, UI Design, Prototype Testing
Challenge
The goal was to help users find the shortest drive-thru wait times and feel confident about their order’s accuracy. The design needed to do more than just display a number; it needed to feel familiar, intuitive, and work across different types of drive-thrus.
The key design questions:
- How do I present wait times without overwhelming the user?
- How do I balance the “shortest wait” with the “closest location”?
- How do I make the interface feel familiar to users?
Research
I started with a three-week survey of 29 participants, followed by in-depth interviews.
The key findings:
- 97% used food drive-thrus over pharmacy or banking
- 45% preferred drive-thrus over delivery or curbside pickup
- 38% used drive-thrus a few times per week
- Their pain points: long lines, miscommunication, incomplete orders
- Their feelings during a visit: impatience and worry
- Their desired experience: predictability, accuracy, and a sense of control
From these, I created three personas, each with varying patience levels, comfort with technology, and priorities for personalization and order accuracy.
Design Process
Early Screens:
I began by focusing on food and pharmacy drive-thrus, displaying shortest wait times so users could quickly choose a location. The expanded result screen included a lot of information, such as location details, multiple CTAs, and branding elements.
Testing feedback:
- Users struggled to navigate between results and expanded views, increasing time in the app
- Shortest wait times were sometimes far away and users wanted nearby options too
- Important details like wait time were visually buried
Iteration 1 | Balancing “Nearby” and “Shortest Wait”
I redesigned the home screen to include both Nearby and Shortest Wait categories. Favorites could easily grow too long, so I added filtering options to keep a manageable list.
Iteration 2 | Simplifying Results
To speed up browsing, I replaced the original multi-result layout with individual cards. This allowed users to scan wait times more quickly while keeping the map in view.
Iteration 3 | Highlighting by Importance
In the expanded result screen, I stripped out non-essential details and made the current wait time the dominant element. The main CTA was placed to guide users toward completing their decision faster.
Outcome + Next Steps
- Users were able to locate and act on relevant wait times faster
- Navigation between home, results, and expanded views felt more intuitive
- The interface better balanced information and speed, reducing in-app decision time
In the next round of tests, I’ll compare the original and current screens head-to-head to measure speed and confidence in decision-making. The goal: ensure the app helps users get to the right drive-thru with less time on their phone and more time enjoying their order.