Simplifying group food decisions for India
Group ordering experience that transformed how Indians order food
My Role
Product Design Lead
Research, Interaction Design, & Rapid Prototyping
Team & Collaboration
Stakeholders: Product Manager, Engineering Lead, Researcher, Marketing Manager, Customer Support, Executive Sponsor
Timeline
4 Months, Launched in Nov 2021
Overview
Group food ordering was chaotic. 15-30 minutes deciding restaurants, multiple phones for variety, 25-minute delivery gaps. Traditional platforms treated group orders as separate transactions, missing that group dining is about shared experiences and connection.
Rebel Foods reimagined this through EatSure's "Digital Food Court", unified browsing, real-time shared carts, transparent payments. Launched across 75+ cities with 2,000+ orders, onboarded 40% new users, and 3x higher order values.
HIGHLIGHTS
Turning group ordering chaos into India's first multi-restaurant experience, tripling order values and scaling across 75+ cities.
1.1
UI Design
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1.2
UI Design
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1.3
UI Design
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CONTEXT
The Indian Group Dining Reality
Key market context
India's food culture is inherently social, from family gatherings to office lunches, food brings people together. Yet digital platforms hadn't caught up with this social reality.
While players like Swiggy and Zomato dominated individual ordering, no one had solved the complex challenge of group ordering that preserved individual choice while creating collective joy.
Group Orders Drive Volume
Group orders (4+ people) comprised 23% of total orders, representing significant yet underserved market share.
3x Revenue Potential Ignored
Group order values were 2.8x higher than individual orders—massive untapped revenue left on the table.
The Untapped Market Opportunity
India's ₹4,200 crore food delivery market had massive growth potential locked behind poor group ordering experiences.
Chaos in Every Order
73% used multiple phones for variety, 40% faced wrong orders, and groups spent 15-30 minutes just deciding where to order.
2.0
Market Research
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OPPORTUNITY
Turning Chaos Into Connection
Six Design Opportunities That Could Transform Group Ordering
The chaos revealed a path forward: Design for the social nature of group dining, not against it. The market gap was our chance to reimagine how technology brings people together over food.
The core business goal: Bridge the gap between individual choice and collective joy, while building an engagement engine for EatSure.
We identified six critical touchpoints where design could eliminate friction:
RESEARCH
The Research Journey
A 16-Week Journey to Uncover What Users Really Needed
We refused to design based on assumptions and followed a structured 4-phase research approach. What started as a feature request became a deep dive into how Indians share food and moments together.
Through this approach which spanned 6 weeks, we moved from market analysis to human truth discovery, validating our direction with users at every step.
3.0
Research Timeline
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Phase One: The Market Reality Check
Week 1-5
We began by analyzing the competitive landscape to understand what already existed. If someone had already solved this, we needed to know. And if they hadn't, we needed to understand why.
3.1
comp analysis
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3.2
Feature matrix mapping
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Key Findings from Phase 1
Every platform treated group orders like individual orders happening to the same address. They solved for logistics but completely missed the social dimension.
Phase Two: Human Truth Discovery
Week 6-10
The competitive analysis told us what was missing. Now we needed to understand why it mattered and more importantly, what users truly needed beyond just fixing logistics.
What we did
3.3
User Research Data Set
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3.4
User Research Insights
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3.5
User Journey & Emotion Mapping
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Key Emotional Insights from Phase 2
What we thought was a logistics problem was actually an emotional one. Users didn't just want faster ordering. They wanted to feel included, express care for others, and create shared moments worth celebrating
Phase Three: Solution Validation
Week 11-16
We had insights. We understood the emotional truth. But before committing to development, we needed to validate: Were we solving the right problem in the right way?
What we did
3.6
Concept Testing Wireframe
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Outcome from Phase 3
The testing produced a clear mandate: build for collaboration over automation, transparency over convenience, and individual agency within collective experience.
Key Validated Features:
What This Meant
Good group experiences don't eliminate friction—they make friction visible and manageable together.
VISUAL DESIGN
From Concept to Composition
Our Design Philosophy: Three Core Pillars
We reframed our challenge: Instead of "How do we make ordering faster?" we asked "How do we make people feel more connected?" The answer emerged in three pillars.
Core userflows defined
4.1
All 3 User Flows
CANVAS
Host Flow
The Caring Coordinator
The host creates a group order, invites participants via shareable link, manages the unified cart with real-time visibility, and handles payment, all while feeling empowered rather than burdened.
Create group order
Share invite
Manage group cart
Finalize payment
4.2
Host Flow UI Screens
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4.3
Host Flow UI Screens
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Guest Flow
The Empowered Participant
From joining seamlessly to browsing freely, adding items confidently, and tracking transparently, this flow ensures guests never feel like an afterthought.
Join via invite
Browse restaurants
Add items
Track order
4.4
Guest Flow UI Screens
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4.5
Guest Flow UI Screens
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Tracking Flow
Live Group Order Tracking
Real-time visibility from kitchen to doorstep with map tracking, status updates, and delivery countdowns, keeping everyone in the loop and building anticipation together.
Group order placed
Order tracking
Order status
4.6
Tracking Flow UI Screens
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4.7
Tracking Flow UI Screens
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USER TESTING
Validating assumptions with real users, real groups, and real emotions
What We Needed to Learn
We had designed for transparency, collaboration, and connection. But principles on paper don't guarantee real-world success. Before scaling across cities, we needed to validate four critical assumptions about our solution.
Who We Tested With
We recruited participants who mirrored the real-world scenarios from our research, people who actually coordinate group meals, not just testers clicking through screens.
5.1
User Demographics
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How We Ran the Tests
Our approach balanced authenticity with rigor: remote moderated sessions testing realistic scenarios, think-aloud protocols capturing user reasoning, and mixed-fidelity prototypes ensuring accurate feedback on core flows and edge cases.
What We Asked Users to Do
Four realistic tasks tested the complete journey. Each scenario validated whether our design actually delivered on the promise of effortless coordination.
5.2
User Research Data Collection
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How We Measured Success
Success meant more than features that worked. It meant an experience that felt effortless. We set quantitative benchmarks that ensured we'd validate both functional performance and emotional impact, proving our design delivered on its promise.
Findings from User Testing
Success meant more than features that worked. It meant an experience that felt effortless. We set quantitative benchmarks that ensured we'd validate both functional performance and emotional impact, proving our design delivered on its promise.
Before
Homepage group order promo was easily missed as users quickly scrolled past.
After
Animated PIP component with explainer and dismiss option grabbed user attention.
Before
Group ordering option appeared without context—users didn’t understand or explore it.
After
Feature introduced with an illustrated card depicting a group, making the purpose instantly clear.
Before
Savings were shown as plain text, leaving users uncertain how/where savings occurred.
After
Savings now use an icon for trust and detail exactly where money was saved, boosting user confidence.
Before
Group ordering in menu lacked motivation—users saw no clear reason to tap.
After
Card layout and “Save BIG Together!” tag provided a clear value proposition and incentive.
RESULTS & IMPACT
Measurable Success & Business Impact
Driving Growth
Real user data from the pilot phase shows strong growth, engagement, and market fit for group ordering. Each metric below highlights the business and user impact of this feature.
LEARNINGS
Design Insights & Personal Growth
Lessons That Shaped My Process
Key moments of learning that transformed how I approach research, iteration, and evidence-based design. Here are some takeaways that will carry into future projects.
