Company Introduction
Swiss Smyze AG is a hospitality technology startup specializing in creating unique, fully automated service experiences. Their flagship product is a robotic bar system that provides customers with a futuristic and efficient way to order, customize, and receive drinks. The company's mission is to blend innovative robotics with seamless user experiences to create a new standard in the service industry.
Project Background
During my time at Swiss Smyze AG, I was responsible for the interface design of its core product—a fully automated robotic bar system. The project's goal was to create an intuitive digital interface that would allow users to easily order drinks, customize options, and track the preparation process in real time. My responsibilities included designing for both the robotic bar's on-site ordering screen and the phone ordering interface.
In this role, I served as a multi-disciplinary professional, taking on the responsibilities of a UX Designer, Project Manager, and Marketing Manager. I was responsible for the end-to-end design of the Order Interface, including information architecture, user flows, UI design, and user testing.
Challenge
How do you design a simple, easy-to-use digital interface for a complex, high-tech robotic service?
Goal
Designing a Fast, Seamless, and Engaging Ordering Interface to Enhance User Experience and Reduce Customer Support Costs
My Role
End-to-end UX/UI design: research, wireframing, visual design, prototyping,
Year
Nov 2020 - July 2021 (Multiple Phases)
Tools
Figma, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator
Team
Research & Anaysis
Research Summary
As the first designer for this robotic bar, my goal was to create a user-friendly and "effortless" ordering experience from scratch. I conducted a series of forward-looking studies to anticipate user challenges when interacting with this brand-new automated service and to translate the "effortless" vision into a concrete design strategy.
Our core design objectives were clear:
Simplify the ordering path and increase efficiency.
Make a complex physical process visual to enhance user engagement and trust.
Concept Design
User Journey
Based on the insights from my research, I created a user journey map to visualize the end-to-end user experience. This helped me identify key user actions, pain points, and opportunities for engagement at each stage. The journey map focused on a user's first interaction with the robotic bar:
Pre-Interaction: The user approaches the bar, curious but unsure.
Discovery: The user finds the ordering interface and browses the menu.
Ordering: The user customizes and places their order.
Waiting: The user watches the robot prepare their drink.
Collection: The user receives their drink and completes the transaction.
Enjoyment: The user enjoys their drink, completing the experience.
This process allowed me to design with a clear understanding of the emotional state of the user at every step.
App Map & Information Architecture
App Map & Information Architecture To translate the user journey into a structured app, I first created a simple app map outlining the main screens and their relationships. This step was crucial for defining the overall structure and flow.
Home/Menu Screen: Landing screen for all users. Allows for quick browsing and category selection.
Product Detail Screen: Shows details and customization options for a specific drink.
Confirmation Screen: Displays the order summary before payment.
Payment Screen: Manages payment processing.
Order Status Screen: After payment, users can view their order number and queue information.
Completion Screen: Notifies the user that their drink is ready for pickup.
Prototyping & testing
Sketch & Low-Fi wireframe
In this phase, I translated the information architecture into design concepts. I explored various layouts and interaction patterns through sketching and low-fidelity wireframes. My primary focus was on creating a visual language that was both futuristic and approachable.
High-Fidelity wireframe
High-Fidelity Design & Iteration I used Figma to create high-fidelity prototypes and collaborated closely with the engineering team to ensure the design was feasible.
Home Page
Drink Customization
Drink Info
Locations
Filtered Page
Cart
Check Out
Terms of Service
Iteration & Implemention
Version 1
This iterative process was a crucial learning experience. It taught me the importance of prioritizing a simple, accessible user flow and aligning product design directly with business and user needs. The significant reduction in customer support calls after the launch of V2 validated that these strategic changes were the right decisions for the product.
Layout Adaptation for Phone vs. Robot Screen:
I designed the screens with two primary formats in mind:
A vertical layout for the mobile interface and a horizontal, tiled layout for the on-site robotic bar screen. While the mobile interface used a horizontal scroll bar to display product categories, the robotic bar screen presented all categories in a fully visible, grid-based layout. This ensured the interface was optimized for both the small handheld device and the large, interactive kiosk screen.
High-Fidelity Mobile Interface
High-Fidelity Robotic Bar Interface
Result
Successfully Launched & Operated: My designed interface was successfully launched and operated in a real-world commercial environment for over two years.
Significant Reduction in Customer Complaints: After the launch of my design, the number of weekly customer complaints decreased from 50+ to under 10 cases.
Result Key Learnings & Reflections
My experience on this project was a breath of fresh air compared to my previous roles. The opportunity to wear multiple hats—as a designer, project manager, and marketing manager—helped me grow tenfold as a fully-faceted professional. I am now confident in my ability to manage a project from end to end, align design goals with business needs, and communicate a product's value to the market. I can't wait to take these new experiences and skills to my next role.
Disclaimer This case study showcases my design process and contributions to the Smyze website and interface. After I left, further development was handled by external teams
