My role: UX/UI Designer

Process: UX Research, Wireframes, UI Design, Design System, Responsive Design

Tools: Figma, FigJam, Coolors, Unsplash, Typescale

Project duration: 5 weeks

“Ramen is more than food — it’s an experience. Our goal was to capture that essence in a modern, high-performing website for a Japanese restaurant.”

The websites lacked a clear structure and visual consistency. Users struggled to find menu information and there was no simple way to book a table online.
 Result: Such issues likely contributed to a high bounce rate — for example, in the Food & Beverage industry the average bounce rate is around ~56.6%. In this context, many users probably left the site quickly without exploring further or completing a booking.

The visual style and content layout didn’t reflect the restaurant’s authentic atmosphere and high-quality dishes. The outdated design failed to communicate the brand’s unique character and made the overall experience feel less appealing.
Result: When site design does not align with brand perception, user trust and engagement tend to drop. A lower engagement rate or shorter session durations can be expected — for example average session durations for Food & Beverage tend to be under 3.5 minutes on mobile. This reduced engagement then diminishes likelihood of completing key actions like bookings. The mobile experience was inconsistent — images and text formatting issues affected readability, and key information such as opening hours or contact details was hard to access without multiple clicks.
 Result: With a poor mobile experience, conversion rates drop (especially for actions like bookings or reservations). For the food & beverage sector an average conversion rate is ~2.6%. Also mobile bounce rates are typically higher than desktop, meaning many users leave before engaging.

The redesign aimed to simplify navigation, highlight key offerings, and make online reservations effortless for customers. By addressing key usability and visual issues, the project focused on creating a smoother and more engaging experience that reflects the restaurant’s authentic character and premium quality.

Increase online reservations by +30%

Improve information structure and menu discoverability

Strengthen the premium brand perception through cohesive visuals and storytelling

Reduce bounce rate by 20%

Increase average session duration by +25%

Expected outcome: After the redesign, users will navigate the website more intuitively, spend more time exploring, and complete reservations faster and more frequently.

Conducted a competitive analysis, created proto-personas, architecture information AI and mapped user journeys to identify pain points. We began by conducting competitive research on five ramen restaurants in Poland, evaluating both functionality and visual design.
We analysed key categories including

Unique selling points (USP)

Strengths and weaknesses

Information architecture

Navigation and CTAs

Responsiveness

Additionally, we reviewed user feedback from platforms like Facebook, Google, and Instagram to gain real insights into customer frustrations and expectations.
 We also created a reference board by studying five additional restaurants for visual and UX inspiration.

Users strongly prefer clean, minimalist menus with clear navigation and concise text. They value easy scrolling, high-quality visuals, and a well-structured layout that supports effortless browsing.

However, they quickly lose trust when facing unclear interfaces, broken CTAs, or poorly optimized UX. Outdated online order systems or complicated forms are major pain points that negatively impact engagement.

Websites that include authentic storytelling, a cohesive Japanese theme, and credible customer reviews create a stronger emotional connection. In contrast, mismatched design styles, dark interfaces, and cluttered pages feel overwhelming and fail to reflect the authentic atmosphere expected from a Japanese ramen brand.

Low-quality and poorly visible images

Illogical site structures and confusing navigation

Outdated food-ordering forms

Missing or hidden CTAs in hero sections

Overwhelming layouts discouraging users from staying on the site

Overly long menus requiring excessive scrolling

Poor text contrast and dark backgrounds reducing readability

User Flow Then we designed a detailed User Flow, mapping every step a user takes to reach their goal — from exploring the menu to making a reservation.


This stage helped us

Create smooth and intuitive navigation that prevents frustration

Simplify key actions such as booking or ordering, which boosted conversion rates

Facilitate collaboration between designers, developers, and stakeholders through clear communication diagrams

Identify friction points early to refine user experience before development

The next step was developing the Information Architecture (IA).
It allowed us to organize content logically, ensuring users could move effortlessly through the site without getting lost.
 IA also helped us evaluate which sections were essential — removing redundant content to keep the experience clean and efficient.

Next, we defined Jobs-To-Be-Done, User Stories, and Use Cases to better understand user motivations and goals.
This helped us build proto-personas, which evolved into our main persona: Andrzej, a mid-level corporate employee who enjoys dining out not just for the food, but for the full “food experience.”
 For him, the restaurant’s atmosphere, aesthetic, and website experience all play a major role in his decision-making process.

We created three potential customer profiles to better understand our target audience: a student with a low income looking for affordable lunch options, a corporate employee seeking both good food and an enjoyable dining experience, and a Japanese cuisine enthusiast who values authenticity and quality.

Easy and intuitive reservation flows are essential — users expect to quickly book a table online with clear confirmation and minimal searching or waiting.​

Transparency about dishes and ingredients matters, especially to users with dietary requirements — provide accessible descriptions, clear photos, and reviews for every dish.​

Personalization and menu variety tailored to different lifestyles and preferences (e.g., quick lunch for students, extensive selection for enthusiasts) will improve satisfaction.​

Supporting discovery through recommendations, ratings, and inspiring content helps build trust and engagement.​

Mobile-first and cross-device consistency is critical — some users reserve from work on their phone, others at home from a laptop, so your site needs to be responsive and seamless across all platforms.​

Incorporating these findings into your design will increase conversion rates and overall user satisfaction.

Overall direction The redesign should go beyond functionality and become an experience-driven platform — merging premium aesthetics, emotional storytelling, and frictionless usability.
The goal is to turning casual visitors into engaged guests who connect with the brand before stepping into the restaurant.

In the visual phase, we focused on creating a balance between minimalism and cultural authenticity.
Our colour palette was built around amber yellow — selected not only for its popularity in Japan and symbolic meaning of harmony and prosperity, but also because it became the colour of the year in 2025.
This hue served as the main highlight colour, adding warmth and contrast without overwhelming the minimalist layout. The deep black tones complemented the palette perfectly, creating a strong contrast and an elegant, modern aesthetic.


This combination reflected the restaurant’s philosophy:

Order

Simplicity

Visual harmony — qualities that also defined our design approach.

Started with wireframes and information architecture, refined through iterations to final hi-fi designs.

Colour pallet created based on main colour Amber DAB325

Designed with an emphasis on visual storytelling and an immersive dining experience.

Thanks to these improvements, we achieved measurable results

+30% increase in online reservations, as simplified flows and clear CTAs encouraged users to take action

Improved information structure and menu discoverability, helping visitors quickly find what they were looking for

Strengthened premium brand perception through cohesive visuals, refined typography, and storytelling rooted in Japanese aesthetics

−20% reduction in bounce rate, achieved by enhancing clarity and usability across key pages

+25% increase in average session duration, showing higher engagement and stronger interest in exploring the restaurant’s offer

This project taught me the importance of balancing visual appeal with usability. I learned how to translate brand values into digital design and how small UX details — such as button states or scroll depth — can significantly enhance the overall experience. I also realized that less is more: a shorter, more structured menu improved decision-making and increased online reservations.

Another key takeaway was the value of a mobile-first approach. Even the most visually appealing websites lose their impact if they’re not responsive — a common issue we aimed to eliminate.

Streamlining the conversion process resulted in a smoother user flow and faster interactions. The project deepened my understanding of how thoughtful UI and UX decisions directly shape user behaviour. It also made me more attentive to detail and more confident in creating designs that are both functional and visually coherent.