Six Flags
Dining Feature
Redesign

Project Overview

Six Flags is an amusement park for thrill seekers and families alike; it provides exciting and fun experiences for all ages. The amazing assortment of food offers something for all park visitors, from pizza to Chinese food.

Project Duration

November 2021 - March 2022

My Role

UX designer redesigning Six Flags dining feature from conception to delivery.

Responsibilities

Conducting interviews, paper and digital wireframing, low and high-fidelity prototyping, conducting usability tests, and iterating on designs.

The Problem

Visitors of Six Flags love park snacks and food, but need a better way to view all restaurant options and information, in a quick and easily accessible manner.

The Goal

Create a dining app feature that will allow all users to view the theme park restaurants information, like menu, location and pricing, in a comprehensive list.

User Research

I conducted interviews to understand the users I am designing for and their needs. A primary group identified through research was people looking to view menu options for multiple park restaurants before making an eatery decision.

This group also revealed user problems with dietary restriction accessibility, and long lines and wait times when having to order on site of the restaurant only.

Pain Points

1

No Comprehensive Menu: There is no localized place to view all menus for all eating establishments within the park, making it hard to make an informed decision on where to eat.

2

Long Wait Times: Inability to see menus results in longer wait times as people struggle to read the menu and place their orders.

3

Cluttered Menus: Restaurant menus within the park are often cluttered and difficult to read from afar, meaning one can’t decide what to eat until you are at the register.

4

Unclear Directions: Standard park maps can be difficult to understand, and finding the way to restaurants can be very frustrating.

Personas

Problem Statement: Alison is a theme park food lover who needs a way to view all food options that a theme park has to offer because she wants to make an informed decision on where to eat.

User Journey Map

Mapping Alison’s user journey revealed how helpful it would be to have a central location to find restaurant information within the park.

Paper Wireframes

When beginning the designing process, I took some time to work out a few iterations of the app on paper. Doing this allowed me to see multiple elements and ensure that the best one was chosen. Eventually I decided to have 2 home page options, one with restaurants shown in a list view, and one with restaurants shown in map form. This allows for different users to still get the most out of the app.

Digital Wireframes

Directions to a restaurant are based on users current park location

This button allows users to see a map of the route they should take

Continuing in the initial design phase, screen designs were based around research gathered during user interviews.

Being able to order ahead of arrival and clear menus were two user needs discussed during user research.

This button allows users to order in app and avoid lines

Menu information is clear and concise

Low-Fidelity Prototype

The low-fidelity prototype was later used in usability testing and followed 3 flows allowing users to order food, filter restaurants by type or location, as well as search for restaurant directions.

View Six Flags Dining Feature Redesign low-fidelity prototype.

User Research

I conducted two rounds of usability testing. Results from the first round helped guide the process from wireframes to mockups. The second round of testing was done with a high-fidelity prototype and the results revealed changes that needed to be made to the mockups.

Round 1 Findings

1

Users want to order and pickup food quickly

2

Users want to find restaurants more easily

3

Users want to view full menus ahead of time

Round 2 Findings

1

Users want to be able to change text and button size

2

“Begin Order” function is not clear

3

Users want clear labeling of icons and buttons

Mockups

Early iterations provided “order now” and “directions” buttons on the restaurant menu page, but after the usability study, I placed the buttons higher on the screen, and made them larger to grab focus more easily. I also changed “directions” to “take me there” as some users were confused by the wording.

The second usability study revealed users were frustrated that drink selections did not outwardly react when adding an item to the cart. I added an “Add to Order” screen as well as a quantity selector when “add to order” is pressed.

High-Fidelity Prototype

The high-fidelity prototype featured more instructive user flows when ordering food, as well as customizable options regarding text and button size.

View Six Flags Dining Feature Redesign high-fidelity prototype.

Accessibility Considerations

Used icons to help make navigation easier.

1

Included dietary restriction filters for those with food allergies or dietary concerns

2

Provided an option to alter text and button size for those who may be visually impaired.

3

Impact

This dining feature allows users to have a fuller experience of all Six Flags has to offer.

One quote from peer feedback:
“I like the dietary restrictions, because when I worked there people wanted to know what's gluten free or vegan and I didn't know."

What I Learned

While redesigning the Six Flags dining feature, I learned the importance of designing with accessibility always in the forefront of my mind. Even something as simple as the color scheme and button sizes matters in the overall accessibility of the product.

Takeaways

Next Steps

1

Conduct another usability study to see if user pain points have been effectively attended.

2

Conduct more user research to see if there are any other areas to be considered.

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