VCU BRANDCENTER MASTER’S THESIS
Bluplate: A Restaurant Labor Solution
An app that connects restaurants and temporary student workers, helping restaurants meet customer demand while allowing students to work on their own time.
Role
UX/UI Designer
Skills
Product Design
Motion Design
Research
Branding
Duration
Jan - March '22
Overview
Following the height of COVID-19, a labor shortage emerged in low-wage industries, significantly affecting the restaurant sector. Restaurant workers found themselves less inclined to resume their low-paying positions. Restaurant managers struggled to find workers to fill gaps and meet resurging consumer demand.
CHALLENGE
How might we relieve the effects of the restaurant labor shortage?
OPPORTUNITY
A temporary staffing model is flexible and prevents full-time employees from being overworked. However, restaurants want staff they can trust that won’t detriment the reputation of their business. Recognizing that flexibility is the main priority for students when considering a work opportunity, I was interested to find out that most restaurant managers were open to leveraging temporary staff for all skill levels of work.
Process
INDUSTRY TREND
There was a 6-fold increase in restaurant job openings from 2020 to 2021, and more than half of restaurant owners say hiring and retaining staff is the most difficult challenge they face.
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
After analyzing and auditing market leaders in temporary staffing apps, I noticed most of these products offer highly skilled, high cost workers with lengthy onboarding.
Snagajob
Bluecrew
Indeed Flex
Wonolo
Instawork
Qwick
Upwork
Adia
USER INSIGHTS
I gathered insights from both parties of potential users of the app; college students and restaurant managers.
Recognizing that flexibility is the main priority for students when considering a work opportunity, I wanted to determine whether restaurant managers would be open to employing college students as temporary workers. I surveyed more than 30 local restaurant managers, finding that there was a need for all skill levels of work and a legitimate interest in temporary staff.
USER PERSONAS
From user interviews and surveys, I developed personas for potential users of the product.
LOW FIDELITY WIREFRAMES
Next, I let participants freely interact with the low-fi wireframe prototype and provide feedback for screens to determine macro changes needed for improved performance and user experience.
Solution
Bluplate stands out from typical temporary staffing apps in that recruiting and onboarding processes are quick and easy. Low to medium-skilled student workers handle tasks that require minimal training, optimizing and enhancing the efficiency of full-time, highly skilled employees. Following a commission model, Bluplate keeps a percentage from each payment processed on the platform.
Onboarding
For students, Bluplate registration is simple and intuitive. Users enter a one-time password, verify their student status, upload work documentation, and link their bank information.
OTP for new and returning users
Verification of student status
Upload work documents
Set up direct deposit
Shift Search
Students can search or browse available shifts to request on the search tab, filter or sort their search, view shifts nearby via map, and examine shift details.
Browse available shifts
Sort shift search results
Toggle to map view
See shift details
Profile Management
Students can track pending shift requests, customize their profile, view payment history and direct deposit information, and bookmark potential shifts and their favorite places to work.
Track your shifts
Personalize your profile
Manage and view payments
Save shifts and restaurants
User Flow
Design System
Social Ads
Future Plans
Bluplate shouldn’t just be a temporary fix to help a recovering restaurant industry. To help build a sustainable competitive advantage, Bluplate’s design should be flexible and scalable for eventually expanding their offerings and end user base. Bluplate could incentivize app sharing, partner with Universities, or include other forms of on-campus employment.
2024 by Brooke Beam
bsbeam25@gmail.com
VCU BRANDCENTER MASTER’S THESIS
Bluplate: A Restaurant Labor Solution
An app that connects restaurants and temporary student workers, helping restaurants meet customer demand while allowing students to work on their own time.
Role
UX/UI Designer
Skills
Product Design
Motion Design
Research
Branding
Duration
Jan - March '22
Overview
Following the height of COVID-19, a labor shortage emerged in low-wage industries, significantly affecting the restaurant sector. Restaurant workers found themselves less inclined to resume their low-paying positions. Restaurant managers struggled to find workers to fill gaps and meet resurging consumer demand.
CHALLENGE
How might we relieve the effects of the restaurant labor shortage?
OPPORTUNITY
A temporary staffing model is flexible and prevents full-time employees from being overworked. However, restaurants want staff they can trust that won’t detriment the reputation of their business. Recognizing that flexibility is the main priority for students when considering a work opportunity, I was interested to find out that most restaurant managers were open to leveraging temporary staff for all skill levels of work.
Process
INDUSTRY TREND
There was a 6-fold increase in restaurant job openings from 2020 to 2021, and more than half of restaurant owners say hiring and retaining staff is the most difficult challenge they face.
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
After analyzing and auditing market leaders in temporary staffing apps, I noticed most of these products offer highly skilled, high cost workers with lengthy onboarding.
Snagajob
Bluecrew
Indeed Flex
Wonolo
Instawork
Qwick
Upwork
Adia
USER INSIGHTS
I gathered insights from both parties of potential users of the app; college students and restaurant managers.
Recognizing that flexibility is the main priority for students when considering a work opportunity, I wanted to determine whether restaurant managers would be open to employing college students as temporary workers. I surveyed more than 30 local restaurant managers, finding that there was a need for all skill levels of work and a legitimate interest in temporary staff.
USER PERSONAS
From user interviews and surveys, I developed personas for potential users of the product.
LOW FIDELITY WIREFRAMES
Next, I let participants freely interact with the low-fi wireframe prototype and provide feedback for screens to determine macro changes needed for improved performance and user experience.
Solution
Bluplate stands out from typical temporary staffing apps in that recruiting and onboarding processes are quick and easy. Low to medium-skilled student workers handle tasks that require minimal training, optimizing and enhancing the efficiency of full-time, highly skilled employees. Following a commission model, Bluplate keeps a percentage from each payment processed on the platform.
Onboarding
For students, Bluplate registration is simple and intuitive. Users enter a one-time password, verify their student status, upload work documentation, and link their bank information.
OTP for new & returning users
Verification of student status
Upload work documents
Set up direct deposit
Shift Search
Students can search or browse available shifts to request on the search tab, filter or sort their search, view shifts nearby via map, and examine shift details.
Browse available shifts
Sort shift search results
Toggle to map view
See shift details
Profile Management
Students can track pending shift requests, customize their profile, view payment history and direct deposit information, and bookmark potential shifts and their favorite places to work.
Track your shifts
Personalize your profile
Manage and view payments
Save shifts and restaurants
2024 by Brooke Beam
bsbeam25@gmail.com
Future Plans
Bluplate shouldn’t just be a temporary fix to help a recovering restaurant industry. To help build a sustainable competitive advantage, Bluplate’s design should be flexible and scalable for eventually expanding their offerings and end user base. Bluplate could incentivize app sharing, partner with Universities, or include other forms of on-campus employment.
VCU BRANDCENTER MASTER’S THESIS
Bluplate: A Restaurant Labor Solution
An app that connects restaurants and temporary student workers, helping restaurants meet customer demand while allowing students to work on their own time.
Role
UX/UI Designer
Skills
Product Design
Motion Design
Research
Branding
Duration
Jan - March '22
Overview
Following the height of COVID-19, a labor shortage emerged in low-wage industries, significantly affecting the restaurant sector. Restaurant workers found themselves less inclined to resume their low-paying positions. Restaurant managers struggled to find workers to fill gaps and meet resurging consumer demand.
CHALLENGE
How might we relieve the effects of the restaurant labor shortage?
OPPORTUNITY
A temporary staffing model is flexible and prevents full-time employees from being overworked. However, restaurants want staff they can trust that won’t detriment the reputation of their business. Recognizing that flexibility is the main priority for students when considering a work opportunity, I was interested to find out that most restaurant managers were open to leveraging temporary staff for all skill levels of work.
Process
INDUSTRY TREND
There was a 6-fold increase in restaurant job openings from 2020 to 2021, and more than half of restaurant owners say hiring and retaining staff is the most difficult challenge they face.
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
After analyzing and auditing market leaders in temporary staffing apps, I noticed most of these products offer highly skilled, high cost workers with lengthy onboarding.
Snagajob
Bluecrew
Indeed Flex
Wonolo
Instawork
Qwick
Upwork
Adia
USER INSIGHTS
I gathered insights from both parties of potential users of the app; college students and restaurant managers.
Recognizing that flexibility is the main priority for students when considering a work opportunity, I wanted to determine whether restaurant managers would be open to employing college students as temporary workers. I surveyed more than 30 local restaurant managers, finding that there was a need for all skill levels of work and a legitimate interest in temporary staff.
USER PERSONAS
From user interviews and surveys, I developed personas for potential users of the product.
LOW FIDELITY WIREFRAMES
Next, I let participants freely interact with the low-fi wireframe prototype and provide feedback for screens to determine macro changes needed for improved performance and user experience.
Solution
Bluplate stands out from typical temporary staffing apps in that recruiting and onboarding processes are quick and easy. Low to medium-skilled student workers handle tasks that require minimal training, optimizing and enhancing the efficiency of full-time, highly skilled employees. Following a commission model, Bluplate keeps a percentage from each payment processed on the platform.
OTP for new & returning users
Verification of student status
Upload work documents
Set up direct deposit
Onboarding
For students, Bluplate registration is simple and intuitive. Users enter a one-time password, verify their student status, upload work documentation, and link their bank information.
Browse available shifts
Sort shift search results
Toggle to map view
See shift details
Shift Search
Students can search or browse available shifts to request on the search tab, filter or sort their search, view shifts nearby via map, and examine shift details.
Track your shifts
Personalize your profile
Manage and view payments
Save shifts and restaurants
Profile Management
Students can track pending shift requests, customize their profile, view payment history and direct deposit information, and bookmark potential shifts and their favorite places to work.
User Flow
Design System
Social Ads
Future Plans
Bluplate shouldn’t just be a temporary fix to help a recovering restaurant industry. To help build a sustainable competitive advantage, Bluplate’s design should be flexible and scalable for eventually expanding their offerings and end user base. Bluplate could incentivize app sharing, partner with Universities, or include other forms of on-campus employment.
2024 by Brooke Beam
bsbeam25@gmail.com