Ambrosial

Renko

Ambrosial

Renko

Work

Renko

Context

Restaurants lose revenue and diners miss out on reservations during peak hours — Ambrosial solves both issues by enabling bidding for exclusive tables

Understanding

Problem

Because of high demand during primetime, fine dining owners lose potential revenue, while diners struggle to secure reservations

User audience

High-end restaurants owners and experience-seeking diners who are willing to pay a premium for guaranteed access

Solution

Building a web app where guests bid for table reservations, and restaurants manage auctions

Result

Desk research was conducted; web application design was created and submitted for development; internal reviews confirmed intuitive user flows, consistent visuals and no UX issues

My responsibilities

Collaborated with the Product Owner and Development lead to identify key functional requirements and possible constraints
Created 2D illustrations to visually support the product
Designed user journeys based on research and data analysis
Developed animations for core user pathways to enhance interactivity
Produced design artifacts, including UJM, App flow, Personas, Use Cases
Conducted desk research to identify feature lists and shape the design concept
Designed wireframes for initial interface prototyping
Created a design concept, high-fidelity UI and a design system

Collaborated with the Product Owner and Development lead to identify key functional requirements and possible constraints
Created 2D illustrations to visually support the product
Designed user journeys based on research and data analysis
Developed animations for core user pathways to enhance interactivity
Produced design artifacts, including UJM, App flow, Personas, Use Cases
Conducted desk research to identify feature lists and shape the design concept
Designed wireframes for initial interface prototyping
Created a design concept, high-fidelity UI and a design system

Discovery

Desk research, Interviews

I started by validating the hypothesis that fine dining owners can monetize lost revenue by allowing guests to pay for high-demand reservations. Through desk research and market analysis, I confirmed there’s demand, particularly in big cities like New York. I also analyzed competitors' auction features and guest experiences to find ways to improve the offering.

Moreover, our team conducted interviews, focusing primarily on restaurant owners to formulate hypotheses to understand potential fears and risks owners might associate with using a third-party solution.

Produced Design artifacts

Desk research

Analyzed market trends, user behavior and industry reports to understand demand for paid reservations

Analyzed market trends, current competitors, user behavior and industry reports to understand demand for paid reservations

UJM and App flow

Acknowledged the stages users go through and key parameters, including touchpoints, objections, problems and more

Use Cases

Provided a structured approach to understanding user interactions with the system, aiding developers and future testing

Personas

Distinguished information between two different user types, recognizing their motivations, risks, objectives and mental models

Can't show your the details of everything, but these are main design artifacts:

Results

visual design justification and benchmarking

I analyzed competitors' designs and found issues like poor composition, inconsistent hierarchy, outdated typography, and cluttered layouts with excessive accents and low contrast, affecting readability.

I chose to differentiate from competitors by taking the opposite approach, focusing on clarity and conciseness to communicate certainty to users. To emphasize a high-end experience, I incorporated the feeling of sophistication into the design. I defined our guiding principles — Minimal, Effortless, and Elegant — based on that design concept was created.

Main Features