Background

In the summer of 2021, as the world was starting to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, I joined the Toast Mobile Order & Pay team. While quarantine restrictions were easing, many diners remained cautious about in-person interactions, particularly with waitstaff. To address these concerns, Toast sought to streamline the dining experience by enabling guests to order and pay directly from their phones using a QR code.

Role & Responsibilities

I joined the team as a UX Design Intern, focusing on improving the app’s design and conducting user research.

My first major task was to map out the current state of the app. Since the product had been developed rapidly in response to an urgent need, there was no single “source of truth” for its design or functionality. This led to inconsistencies across the product, such as mismatched text and components. I cataloged the app’s features, identified these inconsistencies, and worked to refine the design for a more cohesive user experience.

Beyond design improvements, I also conducted user research to understand this evolving market, where digital ordering and contactless payments were becoming more common but not yet fully embraced. Since the product was still evolving, there were many unknowns, and gathering real-world insights was critical.

My tasks included:

• Setting up user research studies and drafting questionnaires

• Recruiting participants for interviews and usability tests

• Conducting interviews, online, in-person and via phone

• Performing observational research in real-world settings, such as restaurants

• Analyzing and presenting findings to guide product decisions

These efforts provided valuable insights into customer behaviors and preferences, shaping future iterations of the app and helping balance technology with the dining experience users expected.

Key Challenges

• Balancing Technology and Tradition: The product received mixed reactions—some embraced its convenience as the future of dining, while others felt it diminished the personal touch of eating out.

• Designing for a B2B2C Model: The app had to serve both restaurant owners (B2B) and diners (B2C), balancing ease of setup and integration for businesses with a seamless ordering experience for customers.

• Competitive Market: With the world eager to return to socializing, the restaurant contactless payment market became highly competitive. The challenge was to innovate quickly or risk being left behind by competitors. Simply having a “right to win” didn’t guarantee success.

Learnings & Conclusion

My intership at Toast was a valuable first step in UX Design, teaching me how to collaborate across disciplines and design for real-world impact. Working on the Order & Pay app during a uniquely dynamic period made for an intense, fast-paced experience, where a lot was happening despite the short duration of my internship.

As Toast navigated a competitive market, I gained insights into user behavior, product innovation, and the challenges of designing for both businesses and consumers. This experience helped me grow as a designer and deepened my understanding of creating impactful digital experiences.