Kitchen (Mess) | ArushiSoni

Overview

It becomes important to designing a user-friendly interface for systematic accounting of data in the mess, which is a commercial kitchen, along with customer feedback, as it can help reduce cognitive load on chefs. Chefs often have to juggle multiple tasks simultaneously, which can be overwhelming and affect their ability to perform effectively. This solution provides a streamlined and intuitive interface for data management and customer feedback, so that the manager and the chefs can more easily keep track of key metrics and make better decisions which will lead to improved efficiency, productivity, and overall quality of the dining experience.

My Role

In a team of 5 members, i played a crucial role in doing the research and designed few interfaces that meets the needs of the chefs by using principles of usability, user-centered design, and information architecture. Additionally, i wrote a research paper for the same topic. I worked with the kitchen staff to gather, organize and manage the data collection by identifying key metrics and developing a system for tracking customer feedback. Hence i played a crucial role in ensuring that the final product meets the requirements set forth in the design brief.

Challenges

Complexity of data: The kitchen environment can generate a lot of data, and it can be difficult to determine which data points are most important to track.
User adoption: Even if the interface is well-designed, it may take time for the chefs, students and other kitchen staff to adopt the new system.
User adoption: Even if the interface is well-designed, it may take time for the chefs, students and other kitchen staff to adopt the new system.

COMMERCIAL KITCHEN

Bringing down the research to the system of commercial kitchen and digging deeper into problems tackled within this environment.

A visit was done to 4 to 5 major types of commercial kitchens : Mirch Masala (fine and dine), Subway (fast food), Hocco Eatery, The Chocolate Room and even the campus mess in Gandhinagar.
Besides, An interview was conducted with catering service and people from IHM.
Herein are the major problems encountered in a commercial kitchen:

FIELD RESEARCH

1. Supply of Ingredients

If any ingredient goes out of stock at the end moment, procuring it immediately is difficult, substitute is required-> convincing the customer needed

2. Keeping Track

Managing online and offline orders
Keeping track of what plate is to be delivered on which table is difficult
Order bill management – memorising orders difficult

3. Rush Hours

Multiple things to be managed
Temperature of food needs to be maintained
Things become confusing when consumption and load increases
Customers complain about delay in serving
Convince the customers to wait

4. Equipments

Makes things easier and complicated at the same time – Pressing the wrong button
Chances of human error increases if not using the correct equipment. Why? Because of rush (Inflow and Outflow of orders)
Failure : If any appliance stops working/needs repair, getting the spare one immediately consumes time

COMMERCIAL KITCHEN

CAMPUS MESS

The campus mess was chosen due to its availability and ability to serve a large number of students within a short time frame, despite various constraints

• Number of students : 1600 (approx.)
• Food made for approx. 1000 – Serves 1200.
• Peak hours :-
Weekdays : 8:30-9:30am , 12-1, 5-5:30, 8:30-9pm
Weekends : 8:30-9:30pm
Can change according to menu items and demand
• Manual tasks carried out in the mess (Consumes time)
Cutting (salads-not done using vegetable cutter, soft items like paneer, gattas etc)
Peeling, Rolling, Stuffing
Cooking over burners, hot plates
Constant cleaning
Rinsing
• Equipments (chefs demand for more modern equipment)
- Appliances like dough kneader, pulverizer, potato peeler, vegetable chopper, roti maker, dish washer, blender, microwave, toaster are present to automate several processes

OVERVIEW

• Staff (19 chefs in total present)
- Trained staff required
- Workers are usually dedicated to only one job (adds to monotony)
•Tracking of raw materials
-The college’s mess store room stocks grocery for 2 weeks. The required ingredients are issued as and when necessary and are accounted for in the system
-Dairy products, fruits and vegetables (mainly perishable items) are directly ordered by the head chef

COGNITIVE TASK ANALYSIS

The task of preparation of samosa for Hi- Tea and cognitive load on the chefs was accurately analyzed and CTA Diagram for the same was made.

VISIT TO NIRMA UNIVERSITY MESS

To dive more into the area of Commercial Kitchen, a visit to one of the colleges in Ahmedadad was made and insights were obtained

GABBARSINH- HEADCHEF
NARAYAN SINGH- MANAGER

There were multiple issues in the kitchen:

Working environment- heat/sweat
No particular role assignment or zone to work
No proper logging of raw materials in the kitchen (only a dairy maintained)
Chefs are not given paid leaves or emergency services coverage.
Simple tasks and manpower could be replaced with better machines : Since they make chapati's manually, students’ rush in front of the roti counter and pressure when rotis don’t come out on time was observed (time pressure)

MAJOR PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED

All the problems were analyzed and drawn down to 3 main cognitive problem statements

Multiple factors can contribute to pressure and the root cause can be drawn down to the lack of planning and understanding

PROBLEM- 1

TIME PRESSURE

PROBLEM- 2

CONCENTRATION (ALERTNESS) ISSUE

Lack of concentration was mainly drawn down to space constraint and individual experience

PROBLEM- 3

ACCOUNTING OF DATA

Difflicult in achieving and tracking exact quantity was a major issue

DERIVING CONCEPT DIRECTION

After analyzing the problem handful of ideations were made and few key points from the ideas were taken to finalize concept direction

USER PERSONA

I am head chef at Karnavati Unviversity and i handle the accounting, which is a very tedious process and supervising the chefs

Goals:

Frustration:

Provide tasty and hygienic food to the students
Keep record of all the data( waste food, raw materials etc) at one place
Spend less time on calculating the data

I waste a lot of time in accounting the data
Do mistakes while accounting
Sometimes raw materials get out of stock

Name: A. K. Das
Occupation: Head Chef
Age: 56 years
Location: Karnavati University, Gandhinagar (Guj.)

USER PERSONA

I am chef at Karnavati University, i prepare food for the students in the mess. I usually have night shift in which i prepare breakfast and dinner

Goals:

Frustration:

Maintain the same taste of the food throughout
Accomplish the task in time
Spend less time on calculating the data
Maintain quality and quantity to the food

Mental stress during peak hours
Feels very hot while cooking on the burner
No paid leaves or emergency services coverage
Lack of concentration

Name: Shiv Ram
Occupation: Chef
Age: 32 years
Location: Karnavati University, Gandhinagar (Guj.)

USER PERSONA

I serve food (all the 3 meals) to the students and i face a lot of stress while serving during the peak hous when there is a long queue

Goals:

Frustration:

Serve the desired quantity of food
Come daily to the college
work efficiently during peak hours

Need to stand for long while serving
Feels sweaty after sometime due to hot food in the container

Name: Akshat Singh
Occupation: serving food at the counter
Age: 21 years
Location: Karnavati University, Gandhinagar (Guj.)

OBJECTIVE

To design an user friendly interface for systematic accounting of data in the kitchen along with customer feedback, to reduce cognitive load on the chefs