McMenamins Restaurant's mobile site
URL
http://mcmenamins.com
The Challenge
McMenamins has grown over time, one property at a time. One downside of this organic growth path is that even the employees have a hard time explaining all the things to see and do at McMenamins properties. The information architecture required to build a website to showcase their properties–that is easy to navigate–was quite a feat of user experience. I was asked to extend this: show all the amenities at all the properties, but keep it in the real estate window of a SmartPhone.
The Solution
Using surveys conducted on the current site and social platforms, I created an array of user profiles that we could use to inform user engagements. After identifying the current and potential users of the site for both desktop and mobile, it became obvious that the best site we could offer their customers was one that focused on a search-for-location-or-amenity. I created a ‘solar system’ of the properties’ features and organizational structure in order to build an extensible system they could be applied to future properties. I delivered mobile wireframes that outlined the possible scenarios and destinations. The result was an elegant and easy-to-use mobile site that allows users to search through the McMenamins universe by time OR space. The feedback was immediate and overwhelmingly positive; users loved the new format that allowed them to find their favorite pubs by amenities and introduced them to new locations.
