Project
Overview
Project
Overview
We partnered with Kanpai BBQ & Shabu, a Japanese restaurant in the Convoy District of San Diego, CA, for a website redesign that provides customers with an easily accessible menu, clear answers to their questions, and a captivating gallery, all while enhancing Kanpai’s professional online presence.
We partnered with Kanpai BBQ & Shabu, a Japanese restaurant in the Convoy District of San Diego, CA, for a website redesign that provides customers with an easily accessible menu, clear answers to their questions, and a captivating gallery, all while enhancing Kanpai’s professional online presence.
Time: 10 weeks
Tools: Figma, Squarespace
Team: Jasmine Tran, Ellie Chen, TJ Catabay
Time: 10 weeks
Tools: Figma, Squarespace
Team: Jasmine Tran, Ellie Chen, TJ Catabay
[1] User Interviews
[1] User Interviews
We interviewed 9 participants with varying familiarity with Kanpai. Participants were a mix of friends, acquaintances, and strangers approached on campus and online, allowing us to gather diverse perspectives on dining preferences and expectations. Our interview consisted of two parts: broad questions about dining habits and motivations, followed by website-specific questions evaluating the current Kanpai site.
These insights informed the development of our personas, scenarios, and use cases. Interview responses can be viewed here.
We interviewed 9 participants with varying familiarity with Kanpai. Participants were a mix of friends, acquaintances, and strangers approached on campus and online, allowing us to gather diverse perspectives on dining preferences and expectations. Our interview consisted of two parts: broad questions about dining habits and motivations, followed by website-specific questions evaluating the current Kanpai site.
These insights informed the development of our personas, scenarios, and use cases. Interview responses can be viewed here.
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Walk me through your process of deciding where to eat out.
What reasons bring you to a restaurant to eat out?
Have you heard of/been to Kanpai before?
When you hear the restaurant name of Kanpai BBQ & Shabu, what type of restaurant do you expect to see?
Do you know where Kanpai is located?
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Walk me through your process of deciding where to eat out.
What reasons bring you to a restaurant to eat out?
Have you heard of/been to Kanpai before?
When you hear the restaurant name of Kanpai BBQ & Shabu, what type of restaurant do you expect to see?
Do you know where Kanpai is located?
KANPAI WEBSITE QUESTIONS
Did you know that Kanpai had a website? If yes, how did you find it? If not, how did you hear about Kanpai?
Take 1 minute to freely browse this website.
Based on the website, how much is an AYCE meal at Kanpai?
Find Kanpai's social media on the website.
Based on just looking at this website, how would you expect yourself to order once you get to the restaurant?
What surprised you about the website?
What didn't surprise you about the website?
Did you experience any issues while using the website? (Not finding the information you're looking for, broken links, etc.)
On a scale from 1-5, how would you rate the clarity and organization of the content on the website?
KANPAI WEBSITE QUESTIONS
Did you know that Kanpai had a website? If yes, how did you find it? If not, how did you hear about Kanpai?
Take 1 minute to freely browse this website.
Based on the website, how much is an AYCE meal at Kanpai?
Find Kanpai's social media on the website.
Based on just looking at this website, how would you expect yourself to order once you get to the restaurant?
What surprised you about the website?
What didn't surprise you about the website?
Did you experience any issues while using the website? (Not finding the information you're looking for, broken links, etc.)
On a scale from 1-5, how would you rate the clarity and organization of the content on the website?
[2] Personas, Scenarios, and Use Cases
[2] Personas, Scenarios, and Use Cases
[2] Personas, Scenarios, and Use Cases
We identified three personas based on user behavior when choosing a restaurant: the foodie, the regular, and the celebratory customer.
Some prioritized food quality and uniqueness, others valued convenience and familiarity, and some focused on ambiance for special occasions. Each persona reflects a distinct way customers engage with Kanpai.
We identified three personas based on user behavior when choosing a restaurant: the foodie, the regular, and the celebratory customer.
Some prioritized food quality and uniqueness, others valued convenience and familiarity, and some focused on ambiance for special occasions. Each persona reflects a distinct way customers engage with Kanpai.
PERSONAS
PERSONAS
SCENARIOS & USE CASES
SCENARIOS & USE CASES
USE CASE SUMMARY TABLE
USE CASE SUMMARY TABLE
[3] Client vs. Audience Objectives
[3] Client vs. Audience Objectives
CLIENT OBJECTIVES
Our client emphasized that Kanpai’s website should reflect the restaurant’s premium AYCE (all-you-can-eat) experience. It should highlight the quality of the ingredients they use, and the restaurant’s social and interactive dining environment. The redesign should increase customer engagement, but also ensure that it aligns with Kanpai’s brand and identity.
Differentiate Kanpai’s AYCE experience
Promote fan favorites and group dining options
Incorporate Reviews
Inform about the ordering process
CLIENT OBJECTIVES
Our client emphasized that Kanpai’s website should reflect the restaurant’s premium AYCE (all-you-can-eat) experience. It should highlight the quality of the ingredients they use, and the restaurant’s social and interactive dining environment. The redesign should increase customer engagement, but also ensure that it aligns with Kanpai’s brand and identity.
Differentiate Kanpai’s AYCE experience
Promote fan favorites and group dining options
Incorporate Reviews
Inform about the ordering process
AUDIENCE OBJECTIVES
We identified that the customers’ main priorities are to view a detailed menu that is accompanied by images, look at reviews from previous customers, and easily find location and details on operating hours. Their end goal is to decide if Kanpai is the restaurant that they want to visit based on all of their requirements.
Detailed, intuitive, and visual menu
Images of restaurant's interiors and dining experience
Reviews and Yelp integration
Clear reservation system and process
Hours and location information
AUDIENCE OBJECTIVES
We identified that the customers’ main priorities are to view a detailed menu that is accompanied by images, look at reviews from previous customers, and easily find location and details on operating hours. Their end goal is to decide if Kanpai is the restaurant that they want to visit based on all of their requirements.
Detailed, intuitive, and visual menu
Images of restaurant's interiors and dining experience
Reviews and Yelp integration
Clear reservation system and process
Hours and location information
[4] Competitive Analysis
[4] Competitive Analysis
We selected sites that:
Have intentional use of quality images
Are restaurants with a similar or related cuisine to Kanpai
Have clear visual and information hierarchy
Have features that might be useful for Kanpai, especially features wanted by our stakeholder and user personas
We evaluated each site alongside Kanpai in four key areas: Branding, Functionality, Site Architecture/Navigation, and Content. Below is a summary of key design elements and features we found inspiring and potentially worth implementing. The in-depth analysis can be viewed here.
We selected sites that:
Have intentional use of quality images
Are restaurants with a similar or related cuisine to Kanpai
Have clear visual and information hierarchy
Have features that might be useful for Kanpai, especially features wanted by our stakeholder and user personas
We evaluated each site alongside Kanpai in four key areas: Branding, Functionality, Site Architecture/Navigation, and Content. Below is a summary of key design elements and features we found inspiring and potentially worth implementing. The in-depth analysis can be viewed here.
[5] Scope & Sketches
[5] Scope & Sketches
KANPAI'S ORIGINAL WEBSITE
KANPAI'S ORIGINAL WEBSITE
As shown through our user interviews, the original Kanpai website had poor usability and inconsistent branding. It wasn’t mobile-friendly, required zooming, and had a cluttered single-page layout with broken links. The PDF-only menu and lack of navigation made the experience frustrating and missed the chance to highlight Kanpai’s unique BBQ and Shabu offerings.
As shown through our user interviews, the original Kanpai website had poor usability and inconsistent branding. It wasn’t mobile-friendly, required zooming, and had a cluttered single-page layout with broken links. The PDF-only menu and lack of navigation made the experience frustrating and missed the chance to highlight Kanpai’s unique BBQ and Shabu offerings.
TOTAL PROGRAM SIZE
The redesigned Kanpai website will consist of three structured pages: Home, Menu, and About Us, accessible via a top navigation bar on desktop or a hamburger menu on mobile. Kanpai’s logo will serve as a clickable button returning users to the Home page.
Home
The landing page will be the most content-rich, featuring up to 600 words, 20 images, and 10 sections, including collapsible elements and high-quality visuals. It will present key information about Kanpai, serving as the primary introduction to the restaurant.Menu
This page will showcase an extended version of the menu with images and words. It will include item descriptions, recommendations, and images to give customers a clear idea of offerings.About Us
Focused on Kanpai’s story and background, this page will use a blend of text (up to 400 words) and images (up to 5) to convey the restaurant’s history and build customer trust.
TOTAL PROGRAM SIZE
The redesigned Kanpai website will consist of three structured pages: Home, Menu, and About Us, accessible via a top navigation bar on desktop or a hamburger menu on mobile. Kanpai’s logo will serve as a clickable button returning users to the Home page.
Home
The landing page will be the most content-rich, featuring up to 600 words, 20 images, and 10 sections, including collapsible elements and high-quality visuals. It will present key information about Kanpai, serving as the primary introduction to the restaurant.Menu
This page will showcase an extended version of the menu with images and words. It will include item descriptions, recommendations, and images to give customers a clear idea of offerings.About Us
Focused on Kanpai’s story and background, this page will use a blend of text (up to 400 words) and images (up to 5) to convey the restaurant’s history and build customer trust.
PERSONALITY AND TONE
Kanpai’s website will reflect its lively, high-quality, and professional brand while remaining welcoming and accessible. Clean visuals will highlight the restaurant’s food, interior, and dining experience, supported by a warm, direct writing style. A high-quality image gallery will showcase the BBQ and hot pot experience, and an intuitive layout will make key content like the menu, FAQs, and testimonials easy to find. Building on Kanpai’s bold colors and traditional Japanese elements, the new site will enhance its strong brand and reflect its exceptional service.
PERSONALITY AND TONE
Kanpai’s website will reflect its lively, high-quality, and professional brand while remaining welcoming and accessible. Clean visuals will highlight the restaurant’s food, interior, and dining experience, supported by a warm, direct writing style. A high-quality image gallery will showcase the BBQ and hot pot experience, and an intuitive layout will make key content like the menu, FAQs, and testimonials easy to find. Building on Kanpai’s bold colors and traditional Japanese elements, the new site will enhance its strong brand and reflect its exceptional service.
USER FLOW
USER FLOW
SKETCHES
SKETCHES
[6] Style Guide
[6] Style Guide
[7] Low Fidelity Wireframes
[7] Low Fidelity Wireframes
MOBILE
MOBILE
DESKTOP
DESKTOP
[8] High Fidelity Prototype
[8] High Fidelity Prototype
MOBILE
MOBILE
DESKTOP
DESKTOP
CLIENT FEEDBACK
Our client was pleased with the overall look of the prototype, especially the mobile version, which he found professional and user-friendly. He liked the dropdown menu, simplified menu preview, and provided more photos and bullet points for the story section. His main feedback was to prioritize the menu and pricing, reduce desktop margins, and avoid image overload. We addressed this by refining the layout, adjusting spacing and colors for clarity, and organizing contact details better, especially on mobile.
CLIENT FEEDBACK
Our client was pleased with the overall look of the prototype, especially the mobile version, which he found professional and user-friendly. He liked the dropdown menu, simplified menu preview, and provided more photos and bullet points for the story section. His main feedback was to prioritize the menu and pricing, reduce desktop margins, and avoid image overload. We addressed this by refining the layout, adjusting spacing and colors for clarity, and organizing contact details better, especially on mobile.
From Prototype to Live Site
From Prototype to Live Site
We are currently in the process of bringing our final prototype to life, translating our design into a fully functional website that reflects Kanpai's brand and user needs, using Squarespace!
This is estimated to take about 2 weeks, and this page will be updated with a live link once the site is launched.
We are currently in the process of bringing our final prototype to life, translating our design into a fully functional website that reflects Kanpai's brand and user needs, using Squarespace!
This is estimated to take about 2 weeks, and this page will be updated with a live link once the site is launched.
