About the project
The Problem
Users became increasingly frustrated with the large number of changes made to the visual and functional language of the app’s order flow. This contributed to a 40% disapproval rating on the app store and increased customer care tickets by 19% within 3 weeks of release.
My Solution
Reincorporate preexisiting functionality while updating the visual language and customizability of each food item. Complete rigorous user testing to ensure viability before deployment. This update led to (results metrics).
Too many changes, not enough testing
In March of 2025, the new Whataburger® app was launched with a fresh look and feel. Key changes were made by a previous design team to enhance the user experience within the app’s most important flows, including ordering, location services, and the loyalty program. However, the app's new functionality didn't translate. Users struggled to find their ingredients and were limited on the type and amount of items they could add to their meal. This was antithetical to having an order made Just Like You Like It®, the cornerstone of Whataburger’s ordering experience.
Furthermore, the app had not been properly user tested, and the release did not include data tracking to understand where friction or bugs were occurring. App store ratings and feedback on social media went as follows:
"I noticed that is missing full customization of any Entree. Such as being able to put jalapeño ranch or whatasauce into a patty melt. The feature "Who is name for this item" got removed for no reason. It was mostly used to communicate special requests to the kitchen."
Reddit user PerezPlusFilm
"This new @Whataburger app is a major downgrade. It’s multiple extra clicks for things like toasted buns. I don’t see an overall option to whatasize. Did you guys even pilot test this?"
X user Bimmerhead
"Why do they make it so difficult to customize your order using the app. Simple things like no salt. Ez ice can’t be done.”
Reddit user BrushCountryDuke
Identifying existing pain points
Intriguingly, the new app did allow for things such as easy ice, toasting the bun, and whatasizing the meal. The fact that users could not find these options spoke volumes. Trying to solve previous pain points like infinite scrolling and price transparency caused item modifications and availability to disappear. My task was to modify the order flow’s function and design to restore trust in our app (and to make customer care’s lives a lot easier!).
First, I had to pinpoint the largest changes made to the app, how they deviated from the previous design, and deduce why they caused so many issues from our users. Here were a few of the most glaring issues:
Instead of a linear process, users toggled back and forth within a "meal builder" flow that updated the items as they went. Seeing the same screen 3+ times caused delays and confusion.
Customizable categories separated the item's original recipe from its add-on categories, which proved confusing. Users wondered why lettuce wasn't in the toppings section and why mustard wasn't in the condiments section.
Each item was placed in a content card that occupied a lot of space. The selected states were too subtle and items were oddly placed and categorized.
Restoring what worked,
improving what didn’t
Based on a comprehensive competitive analysis of other restaurant apps and iterative user testing, our team determined that returning to a linear ordering process, rather than the meal builder, would improve the user’s ordering experience by matching their mental models of placing an order. We also wanted to front choices such as pickup/delivery and meal/single item instead of placing them within toggles. Thus, every choice a user made upstream would impact what they saw downstream. Item cards would also shift to a list with updated visuals to condense information. Improved categorization and labeling ensured that each item was in its logical spot.
Although we were returning to preexisting logic, this project included several large updates, such as an entrée builder/navigation bar, improved active states, quantity selection options, and iconography. These changes are discussed in more detail below:
The flow begins with a decision rather than nesting it in a toggle. Updated copywriting for the items and adding descriptions + images fared well in user testing. Testers articulated exactly what they'd receive and what would happen after pressing either option.
New entrée builder feature shows the default recipe for each item. Tapping the item scrolls to its parent heading (pressing pickles takes you to the toppings section).
New items or modified amounts are reflected within the builder (pressing cheese and adding a slice adds 2x cheese to the entrée builder)
Side sizes receive a visual treatment with iconography that matches the relative size and packaging of their order. Sauces and the whatasize toggle were moved to this screen to match mental models of when they'd want to upsize an item.
Finally, drinks also received a visual update with dropdown options that address both size and the "hidden" ice issue.
Testers give us two fries thumbs up!
I was in charge of creating tests, assembling designs (both static and prototypes), and synthesizing results to drive design updates. Some prototypes required conditional logic, as I asked users to customize a meal and wouldn’t let them progress until they had done so correctly. In total, 16 tests and over 300 unique testers completed tasks related to images, colors, action sheets, customization, and more. The results were highly promising:
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On average, it took users 1m 7s to customize their meal, down 20 seconds from the existing design
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On tasks related to sandwich, side, and drink customization, 79% of users labeled the flow as either “Very Easy” or “Easy” to accomplish.
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90% of users responded positively to visual tests of the new design, praising our large food images, portion controls, interface, and color coding
As of August 2025, this customization feature is on the roadmap for a release by end of year. I’m so excited to give customers the control and accessibility they deserve!
Future considerations
As our menu expands, our team will need to make updates to drink customizations, especially as more complex items such as coffees and the new Whatafresher get introduced. We will also need to partner with our restaurant ops product manager to discuss re-categorization of both individual items and whole food categories (like breakfast) so that they fit within our design logic. Finally, as we continue on to the Locations project, additional logic will need to be defined to highlight or hide regional menu items for users.