Festival Mobile Order
A web app for festival mobile ordering where participants can access the app by scanning QR codes around the venue, then order and pick up food with cashless payment and less queuing.
Partner Festivals
Built alongside Japan’s multicultural festival organizers
KOTORI was shaped through close collaboration with organizers creating welcoming, food-first experiences for communities across Japan.
🇻🇳
Vietnam Festival
Festival organizer partner in Japan
🇨🇳
China Festival
Festival organizer partner in Japan
🇧🇷
Brazil Festival
Festival organizer partner in Japan
🇳🇵
Nepal Festival
Festival organizer partner in Japan
🇮🇩
Indonesia Festival
Festival organizer partner in Japan
🇵🇭
Philippine Festival
Festival organizer partner in Japan
At a glance
Summary
Sole Product Designer
Role
3–4 months
(Discovery → Validation)
Duration
WEBAPP
Platform
Responsibility
Led end-to-end UX research from discovery interviews to on-site observation
Designed user flows and high-fidelity UI for customer & tenant apps
Conducted analysis and translated findings into actionable design decisions
Collaborated with engineers to iterate post improvements
Details
Research
framing
User interview
Competitor analysis
On-site observation
Task flow mapping
Iterative validation
Details
The challenge
30–60 min wait times cause customers to abandon purchases entirely
Visitors spend their time to buy 1 store only due to queuing
Language barriers, handwritten Japanese-only menus confuse international visitors or vice versa
Cash-only payments create limited types of transactions
Details
The outcome
320 users in a 2-day pilot — 131 (Day 1), 189 (Day 2)
Browser-based QR ordering — no app download, no account needed
Multi-language menus (JP/EN/ID/VN/PH) with real-time order tracking
8 post-pilot improvements shipped; guest checkout, offline tolerance, vendor alerts
Validated vendor growth lever: paid in-app banner reached 4,218 store page views and generated ¥186,150 in sales.
Details
AI Tools
& Platforms
Figma Make: Rapid layout exploration and auto-generated UI variations for mobile ordering screens
ChatGPT: Brainstorming UX copy, drafting interview scripts, and summarizing research notes
FigJam: Collaborative affinity mapping and user journey workshops with stakeholders
Details
Key Screens
Details
Branding
Logo, Typography, and Color pallete.
Details
Research goal
For Festival Attendees: Enable attendees to enjoy the festival smoothly and explore a variety of traditional foods without the frustration of long queues.
For Vendors: Help vendors increase sales and order volume by improving ordering efficiency and reducing congestion at booths.
Overview
The problem and solutions
A browser-based ordering service that enables customers to pre-order and purchase food via smartphone at festivals, then pick it up at the booth
Long queues
Order ahead + dedicated pick-up lane
Language barriers
Multi-language UI + visual cues
Payment friction
Cashless payment via Smiles
Order uncertainty
Real-time status + notifications
Long Queues at Food Booths
Festival attendees wait 30–60 minutes at popular booths during peak hours, leading to frustration and abandoned purchases.
Order Ahead & Skip the Line
Customers scan a QR code, browse the menu,
and place orders from their phone
Language Barriers
Japanese or Non-Japanese visitors struggle with handwrittenmenus and verbal ordering, causing mistakes and slower throughput.
Multi-Language Visual Menus
Auto-detected language (JP/EN/ID/VN/PH) with
image-led menus reduces cognitive load and ordering errors.
Payment Friction
Cash handling in crowded environments
creates stress for both customers and staff, slowing down the entire ordering process.
Integrated Cashless Payment
One-tap payment via Smiles wallet or QR code
eliminates cash handling delays and builds on existing user trust.
Order Status Uncertainty
Customers hover near booths anxiously
asking 'Is it ready yet?'
Integrated Cashless Payment
Live order tracking (Waiting → Ready → Received) with push notifications so customers can enjoy the festival freely.
Key benefit
For Stores
Eliminate long queues at temporary booths
Increase sales efficiency during peak hours
Reduce staff burden for queue and cash handling
Digital order list replaces verbal queue management
Direct customer communication channel
For Customers
Order food without waiting in line
Pick up food when it's ready — enjoy the festival
meanwhile
Use familiar mobile payments with minimal steps
Multi-language support reduces ordering mistakes
No app download or account registration required
Research
Interview
Interviews with our multicultural team members, who also take part in festivals from their home countries here in Japan.
8
Participants
2 Japanese, 2 Indonesians,
2 Philippines, 2 Vietnamese.
Nationalities
100%
Would use service
Participant demograhic
User research findings
Feature importance ranking
Field research
Direct On-site research (Phase 1)
The first operational pilot ran on March 7–8, 2026 in Osaka with two booths live on KOTORI mobile ordering. This phase was a usability and feasibility test: could festival visitors order and pay from their own phone at all, and where does the flow break under real on-site conditions.
8K-10K
Total attendees
11:30–14:30
17:00–19:00
Peak hours
~40
Food booths
60%
Attendees
Detailed phase analysis
Total user access
Total Access Log
Payment type
Customer situation
Phase 1 Issues
During the first festival deployment of KOTORI, several operational and UX issues were discovered through stakeholder feedback, on-site observation, and operational notes.
Stallholder/vendor feedback
User feedback
Event organizer feedback
Technical issues
KOTORI user access summary
Insights and reccomendations
Based on field observations and pilot findings, the following operational recommendations were developed for both store staff and festival organizers.
For store
For visitor
Findings
Direct On-site findings (Phase 2)
During the Vietnamese Festival pilot, direct observations and informal intercept interviews were conducted at food booths during peak hours.
8K-10K
Total attendees
11:30–14:30
17:00–19:00
Peak hours
~40
Food booths
60%
Attendees
Detailed phase analysis
Total user access
Total Access Log
Payment type
Customer situation
Phase 2 problem
During the first festival deployment of KOTORI, several operational and UX issues were discovered through stakeholder feedback, on-site observation, and operational notes.
Stallholder/vendor feedback
User feedback
Event organizer feedback
Technical issues
KOTORI user access summary
Insights and reccomendations
Based on field observations and pilot findings, the following operational recommendations were developed for both store staff and festival organizers.
For store
For visitor
UI Design
UI screen results
The customer journey is shown across five essential moments — from secure access to order completion and account preferences.
1
Insight: High drop-off during registration
Solution: Anonymous ordering with email + mobile only
Reduced friction by 70%
2
Insight: Language barrier at festivals
Solution: Auto-detect OS language setting
Immediate localization
3
Insight: Users don’t know what to expect
Solution: Clear value proposition — “Skip the Line”
Increased click-through
Login
Home screen
Order
Payment
Settings
Strategy
From Insights to Design
Early planning relied on organizer-provided estimates, on-site observation, and comparable past events from the first Vietnamese cultural festival attended by the team.
UX Strategy mapping
TOP rated features
Second priority
User flow
Journey mapping
Early planning relied on organizer-provided estimates, on-site observation, and comparable past events from the first Vietnamese cultural festival attended by the team.
Customer page
Tenant page
Organizer page
UX UI Design
Design outcomes
Each screen is grounded in research insights. Below, see how user findings directly shaped interface decisions.
Customer screen
UX success criteria
A comprehensive summary of all solutions derived from user research, competitive analysis, on-site observations, and first-phase pilot findings.
Results
Impact summary
A comprehensive summary of all solutions derived from user research, competitive analysis, on-site observations, and first-phase pilot findings.
Bhaswara Maralaut
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