Final Thoughts
Future Iterations
We discussed several things for the future with our client:
- A fully responsive mobile design: This was put aside while we finalized the design of the website, but as the project moves forward we should be able to release both simultaneously.
- Photos for menu items: This is something that was on an earlier version of the wireframe sketches, and came up during our usability testing. New customers might not be familiar with every item on the menu. We will look into this with the client on a future release, likely after they have an opportunity to have professional photos done of the menu items.
- "Sold-out" indicator for out of stock items, and a "Closed" warning when they close early (due to being sold out of everything). The client's father and uncles who run the restaurant are older and aren't interested in learning to maintain that. It is something that could be implemented at their convenience or later when they retire and our client herself takes over.
- Digital Payment Options: Galleria Umberto has been cash-only since its inception and the client's father and uncles have no interest in changing that, at this time. Although, it is something that came up during our usability testing as a desired feature and something our client is interested in when she takes over the business.
Outcomes and Lessons
- So we were tasked with creating an informational website for Galleria Umberto with the intention of displaying key business information (Menu, cash only, dine-in/take-out only, hours, phone, etc) while also allowing them a central hub to show their family history and accolades.
- That task was completed! The usability tests all show that users were able to easily navigate and complete necessary tasks.
Takeaways
- The purpose of an informational website. We were asked (and asked ourselves) what is the purpose of a primarily informational website in the time of Facebook, Instagram, Yelp, and other sites. We found that although those sites are useful and provide useful information to customers they don't offer the complete picture that a personal website does. What's more, it allows them to directly control the message that they send out to the world.
- The importance of clarity of scope. After our first meeting with the client, we felt that we had a pretty good understanding of the project requirements. The client certainly felt the same. The further we got into the project the more it became clear that we needed to re-discuss the scope. Features originally discussed (e.g. Sold-out indicator, Closing Early Indicator) didn't fit with the owner's desire for a hands-off approach to the website.
- Further limiting the scope allowed us to focus on the features that were most important and set the rest aside for future iterations.
*Update* I've hand coded the Galleria Umberto site using HTML, CSS, Bootstrap, and Javascript*