Role
Interaction Design Lead
Skills and Tasks
Interaction Design
Visual Design
Competitive Analysis
Empathy and Journey Mapping
Wireframing and User Flows
A/B and Usability Testing
Tools
Figma
Duration
10 Weeks, Spring 2024
Team
Ava Carroll / Strategy Lead
Andrea Da Silva / UI Lead
Kenzie Alderson / Research Lead
Zoe Bair / Product Lead
Solving America's Tipping Problem
As tipping amounts rise and the practice becomes more frequent, customers are growing increasingly frustrated, leading many to forgo tipping altogether. This poses significant challenges for staff who rely on these earnings, particularly in cafes where customers often feel uncertain about where their tips are going and are expected to tip up to 30%, regardless of whether they simply picked up a water bottle or received full table service.
The Solution
Cheers is a payment terminal and app clip ecosystem that reinvents America’s tipping experience through empathetic interactions that foster transparency, autonomy, and privacy for customers.
Presenting
My Role
My interest in prototyping and motion design led me to become our team's lead interaction designer, where I oversaw the design process from wireframes to final development. Working closely with Andrea, our UI lead, I contributed to the app clip and terminal design while also managing competitive analysis, surveys, user flows, and usability testing. Most of all, I loved prototyping our designs in Figma and creatively exploring user interactions to enhance engagement and understanding of the app's functionality. This project sparked a love for prototyping interactions and crafting UIs.
Tap to
Thank
Foxy Loxy
Research Plan
Uncovering the hidden anxieties behind tipping: our research reveals why customers feel unappreciated, pressured, and uneasy in public tipping situations.
Secondary
Survey
Interviews
Interviews
19
Responses
64
Articles
40+
Analyzed 40+ Articles
Secondary Research Insights
72% of people felt like more places were asking for tips compared to 2018.
It’s no surprise that a majority of Americans say they feel they’re being asked to tip at more and more places, with the trend known as “tipflation.”
New York Post
Survey
We gathered 64 responses—half from food industry workers and half from customers—and were surprised to learn how many people feel stressed when tipping.
People feel societal pressure to tip
People tip more when prompted by a digital screen
Interviews
We conducted 19 interviews with servers, business owners, and customers to gain deeper insights and validate our research findings.`
19
Interviews
3
Business
Owners
9
Servers
7
Customers
Our Guiding Principles
Uncovered through our research, these four core insights became the driving force behind our design decisions, shaping the solutions with user-centered precision.
Area of Opportunity
To understand how competitors address the tipping issue, I researched various existing models, including POS systems, innovative tipping services like Easy Tip, and the traditional tip jar.
Invasive
Inviting
Inefficient
Efficient
Journey Map
Tracing the target audience's experience from entering the store to tipping to leaving allowed us to identify key touch points and pain points.
Design Thinking Workshop
By assessing the desirability and feasibility of our initial solutions through participant discussions and activities, we fostered open creativity that sparked new ideas and validated our core research insights—making the process a great success.
Reimagining the Tipping Flow
I sketched potential flows for a new cafe tipping system, collaborated with the team to generate new ideas, and organized our final decisions into a comprehensive user flow.
App Clip Wireframes
We explored an app clip solution—an RFID-activated app that doesn't require downloading—allowing customers to tip on their phones after their cafe experience, giving them the flexibility to make confident tips at their own pace.
Terminal Visualization
Simultaneously, we explored various shapes for the terminal design. After settling for a final concept, we prepared it for CAD modeling and subsequent testing.
AB Testing
We set up a camera to observe users interacting with our prototypes without giving specific instructions, allowing us to capture their genuine behaviors and thoughts. Since we had two interaction flows, this approach helped us identify which flow was simpler and more intuitive.
A Test
B Test
Iterations after Testing
We took into account the key insights from all three rounds, refining our interfaces into their final design.
Tipping Options
Tip Later
I’ll take my time
Tip Now
Let’s get this over with
Tip Cash
Got spare change
What type of service did you receive?
Self-Service
I grabbed my item
Quick Service
Served at counter
Full Service
Food brought to table
How was the service?
-/5
Tap a Hand to Review
Full Service
Food brought to table
Awful
1
5
Great
4
Good
3
Neutral
2
Poor
We Recommend:
Or Custom
20%
$3.47
Your tip is going to:
Service
Cook
Business
Click to Confirm
The Cheers Terminal
The Cheers Terminal will be installed in cafes to facilitate tipping. By partnering with major POS systems like Toast and Square, the Cheers Terminal will seamlessly integrate into existing setups, specifically for the tipping process.
The Cheers App Clip
Customers can select 'tip later' at checkout, connecting their phone to the Cheers App Clip via an NFC tag on the terminal. No downloads are required, but the app clip remains accessible on their phone like an app, allowing them to tip after receiving full service. Reminders ensure they don’t forget.
The Cheers App
The Cheers App is for those who frequently tip with Cheers. With the full app, customers can collect thank you notes from the servers they tipped. Additionally, servers can track their tip amounts and personalize a thank you note to send to customers.
How Does Cheers Solve the Tipping Problem?
Drawing from our research, we designed our solution to prioritize user privacy, confidence, and transparency while maintaining a quick, kind, and human experience.
A Stellar Team
This team was a perfect match, with each member's unique skills fitting together like puzzle pieces.
Zoe Bair
Physical Lead
Ava Carroll
Strategy Lead
Andrea Da Silva
UI Lead
Kenzie Alderson
Research Lead
Kara Rivenbark
Interaction Designer
Return to Home
Design Assistant @ NN/g
KARA RIVENBARK
Secondary
Survey
Interviews
Interviews
19
Responses
64
Articles
40+