Crepes & Waffles
E-commerce platform for delivery and in-store pickup.
Role
Product Lead & UX/UI Designer
Platform
Web
Team
1 Product Lead – 1 UX/UI Designer – 2 Full-stack Developers – 1 QA
Context
Crepes & Waffles is one of the largest restaurant chains in Colombia, with a national presence and a well-known brand recognized for innovative products, local ingredients, and good value.
Challenge
The pandemic pushed Crepes & Waffles to quickly open its own delivery channel, since the company did not have one before. The first version allowed the business to launch an MVP and respond to that immediate need.
However, the platform was not ready to scale and support large numbers of users. Some parts of the experience were also unclear and created friction during the purchase process, causing some users not to complete their orders.
The challenge was to evolve the MVP into an owned, scalable, and easy-to-use channel that could become an important part of the business after the pandemic.
Solution
Based on the consulting results and the analysis of user behavior, we identified several important opportunities to simplify the buying experience.
One of them was allowing users to buy without creating an account. We also identified that, since menu availability changes by location, we needed to know the delivery address or pickup location first. This allowed us to show only the products that were actually available and avoid users spending time selecting items they could not order.
We also found that users wanted to complete their purchase quickly once they started checkout. Together with the team, we designed a two-step checkout: first personal information and then the payment method, reducing the number of decisions needed to complete the order.
At an operational level, Crepes & Waffles uses three internal systems. We designed the platform to connect with them and, at the same time, become the central integration point for third parties. This allows new providers to connect through an API without rebuilding the same integrations every time.
50%
Increase in online sales.
My contribution
I designed the user experience through high-fidelity wireframes and defined the product’s visual direction in line with the brand guidelines.
I also managed the project and led the design team in creating all user interfaces, ensuring a consistent experience aligned with the established visual direction.
I managed the client relationship, identifying new needs and developing proposals to sell additional features and support the platform’s continued evolution.
Results
50% increase in online sales through the e-commerce channel.
The platform became the central point for third parties to integrate and generate orders.
The owned channel currently represents 80% of online sales, without relying on paid advertising to drive traffic to it.
Decisions
Allow users to buy without creating an account. We prioritized reducing entry friction and allowing any user to complete a purchase without registering first.
Ask for location before showing the menu. Since each location can have different availability, we decided to ask for the delivery address or pickup location first so users would only see products they could actually order.
Make the platform the central integration point. Instead of creating a separate integration every time a new provider appeared, we designed the platform to expose an API and allow third parties to connect to it. This reduced integration times from months to weeks.
Design an interface that represents the brand. We avoided building a generic e-commerce experience and worked to bring elements of the Crepes & Waffles identity and restaurant experience into the digital channel.
What I would do differently
I would make the benefits of creating an account more visible. Currently, around 70% of purchases are made as a guest. I would keep the option to buy without registering, but I would communicate the benefits of having an account more clearly to increase repeat purchases and build a more direct relationship with users.
