sami iyengar

To address communication and ordering inefficiencies in small, culturally-specific, family-owned restaurants, my team and I designed a touchscreen tablet system mounted at each table to streamline the dine-in experience without replacing in-person service. We began by creating storyboards that captured common ordering pain points, such as language barriers, uncertainty around menu items, and hesitation when requesting assistance, and used these scenarios to guide early design decisions. Through a multilingual, image-based interface, customers can view the menu, place orders, call a server, and explore the restaurant’s story, all without needing to rely on verbal interactions. Designed with accessibility and clarity in mind, the interface supports users who may face language barriers or feel uncertain navigating traditional menus, offering features like live table-specific order tracking, visual confirmation messages, and bilingual labeling. We gathered qualitative feedback on early prototypes and iterated based on user responses, which directly informed features such as the “call server” functionality, reassurance-focused confirmation messaging, and the decision to use table-mounted devices to preserve a more personal dining experience. This digital solution reduces order errors and service confusion while retaining the warm, personal atmosphere that defines small-scale hospitality and dining environments.​​