Unified Research Section:

• One research methodology covering all areas

• Shared user personas and pain points

• Cross-cutting insights that informed all features

2. FEATURE-SPECIFIC SECTIONS (400-500 words each)

Template for Each Sub-Project:

[Feature Name]: Problem → Solution → Impact

Problem (100 words):

• Specific user pain point for this feature

• Current workflow inefficiencies

• Business impact of the problem

Solution (250 words):

• Design approach and key decisions

• Unique challenges for this feature area

• Cross-functional collaboration specifics

• User testing insights

Design Rationale (100 words):

• Why this approach vs. alternatives

• Technical constraints and solutions

• Integration with other dashboard areas

Impact (50 words):

• Feature-specific outcomes

• User feedback highlights

3. DETAILED BREAKDOWN BY FEATURE

Feature 1: Reporting Dashboard

Focus Areas:

• Data visualization strategy

• Customizable metrics selection

• Mobile vs. desktop experience

• Real-time vs. historical reporting

Feature 2: Order Management

Focus Areas:

• Order status workflow design

• Bulk actions and efficiency

• Real-time updates system

• Integration with tablet experience

Feature 3: Refunds Process

Focus Areas:

• Simplified refund workflow

• Error prevention design

• Customer communication automation

• Staff permission management

Feature 4: [Your Fourth Area]

Focus Areas:

• [To be defined based on your work]

4. CONTENT EFFICIENCY STRATEGIES

Avoid Repetition:

Instead of: Repeating user research for each feature Do: Reference shared research with feature-specific insights

Example:

"Building on our foundational research with 15 restaurant managers, the refunds process emerged as a critical pain point, with 73% reporting weekly frustration with the current system."

Cross-Reference Features:

Example:

"The order management redesign needed to seamlessly integrate with our refunds process (detailed below) to prevent data inconsistencies that plagued the previous system."

5. VISUAL ORGANIZATION

Navigation Strategy:

📊 Dashboard Overview
   ├── 📈 Reporting Dashboard
   ├── 📋 Order Management  
   ├── 💰 Refunds Process
   ├── ⚙️ [Fourth Feature]
   └── 📊 Unified Impact

7. SENIOR-LEVEL DIFFERENTIATION

Show Systems Thinking:

"Designing these four features required careful consideration of data flow, user mental models, and technical constraints. Changes to the refunds process, for example, needed to update order statuses, trigger reporting calculations, and sync with the tablet experience."

Demonstrate Leadership:

"I facilitated weekly design reviews with stakeholders across all four feature areas, ensuring consistency while respecting each area's unique requirements."

🚀 IMPLEMENTATION APPROACH

Week 1: Content Audit

• Document what you remember about each feature

• Gather any existing screenshots, notes, or metrics

• Identify shared vs. unique aspects

Week 2: Feature Prioritization

• Choose your strongest 3-4 sub-projects

• Focus on areas with clearest business impact

• Ensure variety in problem types shown

Week 3: Content Creation

• Write shared sections first (opening, research)

• Develop each feature section using the template

• Connect features to show systems thinking

ChowNow Dashboard: Senior-Level Case Study Development Plan

📋 REQUIRED CONTENT OUTLINE

1. STRATEGIC OPENING (150-200 words)

Framework:

Market Context + User Problem + Business Stakes + Your Solution Approach

Content Needed:

• Restaurant management software market size/trends

• Time restaurant owners spend on administrative tasks

• Cost of operational inefficiency to restaurants

• ChowNow's competitive positioning in restaurant tools

Example Structure:

"Restaurant owners spend 15-20% of their time on administrative tasks instead of customer service and business growth. With the restaurant management software market growing at 8.9% annually toward $7.2B, operators demand integrated solutions that consolidate order management, reporting, and financial operations. ChowNow's 22K+ restaurants needed a unified dashboard that would reduce administrative burden while providing actionable business insights to compete with all-in-one platforms like Toast and Square."

2. PROBLEM DEFINITION (200-300 words)

Research You Need to Document:

User Pain Points:

• How much time do restaurant managers spend switching between systems?

• What reports do they generate manually that could be automated?

• How often do refund processes cause customer service issues?

• What business decisions do they struggle to make without data?

Business Problem:

• Customer complaints about dashboard complexity

• Support ticket volume related to reporting/refunds

• Competitive disadvantage vs. integrated platforms

• Churn risk from frustrated restaurant owners

Content Structure:

Current State → Pain Points → Business Impact → Opportunity

3. RESEARCH & DISCOVERY (300-400 words)

Document These Activities:

User Research:

• Restaurant owner/manager interviews (how many?)

• Workflow shadowing/observation sessions

• Current state journey mapping

• Pain point prioritization exercises

Stakeholder Research:

• Customer success team insights

• Support ticket analysis

• Sales team feedback on competitive disadvantages

• Executive alignment on dashboard priorities

Competitive Analysis:

• Toast, Square, Resy dashboard comparisons

• Feature gap analysis

• Best practices identification

Content to Include:

• Research methodology and participant details

• Key insights with supporting quotes

• How insights influenced design priorities

• Stakeholder alignment process

4. DESIGN STRATEGY & PROCESS (400-500 words)

Document Your Approach:

Information Architecture:

• How did you organize reporting, orders, and refunds logically?

• Card sorting or tree testing results

• Navigation structure decisions

Design Principles:

• What guided your design decisions?

• How did you balance power users vs. occasional users?

• Mobile-first vs. desktop-first approach

Cross-functional Collaboration:

• How did you work with the systems design lead?

• Engineering constraint discussions

• Product manager alignment on priorities

Iteration Process:

• Initial concepts and stakeholder feedback

• User testing methodology and findings

• How feedback shaped final designs

Content Structure:

Design Principles → IA Decisions → Collaboration Process → Iteration Cycles

5. KEY FEATURES & SOLUTIONS (500-600 words)

For Each Area (Reporting, Orders, Refunds):

Reporting Dashboard:

• What metrics matter most to restaurant owners?

• How did you make complex data digestible?

• Customization capabilities and rationale

• Mobile vs. desktop considerations

Order Management:

• Workflow improvements over previous system

• Real-time updates and notification strategy

• Bulk actions and efficiency features

• Integration with tablet experience

Refunds Process:

• Current vs. improved refund workflow

• Error prevention and validation

• Customer communication improvements

• Staff training considerations

Cross-cutting Features:

• Nested modifiers: Technical complexity and UX solutions

• Post-order adjustments: Business rules and user experience

• Tablet adaptation: Design system consistency

Content Structure for Each:

User Need → Design Challenge → Solution Rationale → Implementation Details

6. OUTCOMES & IMPACT (200-300 words)

Metrics to Document:

User Experience:

• Time savings per restaurant (before/after)

• User satisfaction scores or NPS improvement

• Support ticket reduction in dashboard-related issues

• User adoption rates of new features

Business Impact:

• Customer retention improvements

• Reduced customer success team workload

• Competitive advantage in sales conversations

• Revenue impact (if available)

Qualitative Feedback:

• Restaurant owner testimonials

• Customer success team feedback

• Internal stakeholder satisfaction

Content Structure:

User Metrics → Business Metrics → Qualitative Feedback → Future Opportunities

7. LEARNINGS & REFLECTION (150-200 words)

Professional Growth Documentation:

• What did you learn about restaurant operations?

• How did this project change your design approach?

• What would you do differently next time?

• How did you grow as a cross-functional collaborator?

🎯 IMMEDIATE ACTION PLAN

Phase 1: Content Gathering (Week 1)

• Collect user research notes and recordings

• Gather business metrics and outcomes data

• Screenshot current vs. old dashboard states

• Interview customer success/sales teams for impact stories

Phase 2: Content Creation (Week 2)

• Write strategic opening using market research

• Document research methodology and findings

• Explain design rationale for each feature area

• Quantify outcomes and impact

Phase 3: Visual Enhancement (Week 3)

• Create before/after workflow diagrams

• Design process flow visualizations

• Include user feedback quotes prominently

• Add metrics visualizations

Estimated Total Content: 2,000-2,500 words

Would you like me to help you develop any specific section of this outline?