Rusty's Southern Restaurant

Want to learn more about the process behind the Rusty's Southern project? Read on.

Research Process

Between the two of us, we embarked on service safaris for at least a dozen meals, spanning from individual lunch dining, to couple dinner dining, to family brunch dining. We took detailed notes on what we observed.

Later on, I experimented with mapping these meals onto mini maps to capture the emotional highs and lows.

We also involved other designers and researchers in the office by recruiting them to visit Rusty's and its competitors. Each participant followed a short protocol that included noting expectations before going to the restaurant, snapping a picture of the entrance, and describing the high, low, and surprising moments of the meal. We followed up each visit with an hourlong interview. At the same time, a remote designer on our team conducted research on the restaurant scene and on how Rusty's was received on Yelp.

Analysis

We coded our findings and mapped them on gigantic butcher paper, clustering and reclustering as we absorbed the information. We laid out the findings from left to right in the 5 E's framework as a journey map reflecting positive experiences on the top and negative ones at the bottom. In this way, we identified three core themes from the research:

1. Authenticity and the Southern experience. There was an opportunity to excite diners and create a lasting impression by conveying Rusty and his team's expertise and authenticity in South Carolinan cuisine and craft beer.
2. Consistency. Inconsistencies in service had the potential to affect diners' experiences negatively.
3. Spaces. While quirks in the restaurant layout posed challenges that were as immovable as the tall column between the bar and the main dining area, small additions and changes to the entrance and decor could go a long way towards alleviating the awkward first-time experience and bolstering the authentic and homey atmosphere people expect from a Southern restaurant.

Workshop Planning

Before moving to the design phase of the project, we planned a design workshop to help the client digest the findings and get involved in brainstorming. Among the activities on the agenda, I designed a card game using the data we collected that results in participants creating a pretend restaurant experience. After drawing six cards and assigning emotional reactions to each of the scenarios on the cards, participants were asked to storyboard the experience and rate it. The game was originally conceived as a game of chance on a board, but we refined and transformed it through multiple rounds of quick and dirty prototyping.

Other activities we designed included a role playing game using a Lego model of the restaurant and a reimagining of the menu.

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