Introduction:
FoodPanda is a popular food and grocery ordering application, available on the iOS and Android stores. The app was initially launched in 2012 in Singapore but has since then expanded to 10 countries across Asia with over tens of millions of users. While the basic version of the application is free to use, the company also offers a ‘Panda Pro’ subscription, which is highly popular, letting users order without a delivery fee if their order is above a certain amount. Users can also place orders through their website and get the full functionality of the application.
The Homepage:
The homepage of the application has several affordances that are, in some cases, made obvious by corresponding signifiers. On the top of the page, the user’s current selected location is displayed next to a pin location icon. While this section of the homepage actually allows the user to change location to their current location by enabling location services or by choosing a previously saved location, this functionality is not immediately obvious. And so, while the application affords the user the ability to change location here, this is not an easily discoverable feature. A user’s conceptual model would also likely assume that they would be required to input their location when they are ordering and checking out, which is not untrue. And so, they are unlikely to expect the ability to perform this action here.
A recommendation here would be to display a dropdown box under the location bar whenever the user opens the app after a delay of some hours. This dropdown box could say something such as ‘Is this your current location?’ which would automatically prompt the user to click on the box if their location has changed. That click would then land them on the location change page below (which is already present within the app):
Additionally, there is also a white search bar underneath the location meant for individuals to use to search for a particular restaurant or grocery store. Searchability is an affordance the application provides but the existence of a magnifying glass along with text in the box are signifiers that the text box is supposed to be used for searching.
Moreover, the search bar allows you to type in anything you would like and does not constrain you to only restaurants or stores that are available on the app. Instead, the app will show you similar options if the one you searched for is unavailable. This works well because not only does it present alternate options but also helps the user explore the various restaurants available on the application which they may not have done otherwise if they were extremely sure of what they wanted to get.
If the user knows what food they would like, the search bar also simplifies the gulf of execution for them since they do not have to scroll through a long list of restaurants to arrive at their choice.
Checkout Page:
The checkout page is probably the most informationally loaded page of the entire application. The top of the page features a progress bar which is a common design element used to indicate how far along the user is in their journey and what actions are left. In this case, all three available numbers are filled in with a black color to indicate that the user has made it to the end and that this is the last step, providing instant feedback to the user before they even place their order. However, since the user has not actually placed their order yet, it would make more sense to have the numbers filled in after the corresponding action is completed. In this case, only the first two number circles should be filled in indicating that they still have to complete and place their order.
Similar to the homepage, this page also affords the ability to change location directly underneath the progress bar. However, unlike the homepage, there is a clear signifier in the shape of an arrow to indicate that there is more to the static appearance of their currently selected location. If the user clicks on the arrow, they are once again prompted with various location options like before. The location section on this page is also a good example of mapping because the pin location icon moves to indicate your current street on the actual Google map instead of just being a text box with your location on it.
The ‘Leave at the door’ option presents an obvious option to the user and the toggle button acts as a signifier and provides feedback once the state is changed since it changes position. However, users are unaware that this function is only available for online payment and not cash which is a popular payment method for FoodPanda. Thus, this function can be a constraint for some users and it would make more sense to have this option appear underneath the payment method box after the user has selected an online method. If they have selected cash as their payment method, the option does not appear at all.
Final Recommendation:
Overall, the app does a great job at providing clear and visible information with many signifiers which make it easy for the user to figure out what to do. The app also incorporates feedback mechanisms such as progress bars and toggle buttons which assure the user of their progress. While the app has many affordances, some areas could use more signifiers such as the location feature on the homepage.