McDonalds
Serving 14M+ users a new way to order at McDonald’s
Project Overview
As part of McDonald’s digital push, we brought the Service à Table feature into the app. The idea: sit down, scan a QR code, order from your phone, and get served — no kiosk, no waiting.
The feature existed before, but only via in-store kiosks and table markers. We redesigned it to work seamlessly within the app, already used by 14M+ users in France.
Problem Statement
The original Service à Table was limited to kiosks and table markers, causing:
Long queues during peak hours (especially at lunch and dinner).
Availability issues with table markers, forcing customers to wait at the counter.
A lack of app integration, despite 40% of McDonald's orders already coming through the app.
The challenge: make Service à Table fully digital and accessible via the app, improving the experience for both users and staff.
Industry
Food
My Role
UX Designer
Platforms
Mobile App
Timeline
January 2024 - March 2024
Process & Approach
QR Code Sticker, Provided by McDonald’s
At the start of the project, McDonald’s had already designed and introduced a QR code sticker placed on each table.
It was meant to:
Announce the new Service à Table experience
Help users identify their table number
Redirect to the app to start an order
QR code sticker on each table
Flow overview
To kick off, we mapped out a global flow of the Service à Table experience — from the moment users launch the app to the final delivery at the table.
Global Flow - V1
This helped us align early on with stakeholders and development teams, and gave us a clear sense of the journey’s complexity.
Detailed flow & early screens
We also explored the full detail of the user journey, screen by screen.
The first version included:
Detailed tutorial
Manual table number input
A full mobile ordering flow with payment and confirmation
Detailled Flow
First Screens
After real-world testing, we identified key pain points:
Wrong restaurant selected
Some users started an order in the wrong location, resulting in failed or misplaced orders.
Table number errors
Users entered incorrect or random table numbers or changed tables mid-order.
Flow complexity
The need to type the table number added friction and confusion, especially for new users.
Final Solution
Rethinking the experience:
a scan-first approach
Based on field feedback, we pivoted to a scan-first approach:
Streamlined the entry point
Scanning the QR code launches the app and auto-fills the restaurant and table number
Removed manual input
Reduced cognitive load and human error
Final flow overview
We knew we had to strip the journey back to its essentials. The new experience centered on a simple principle: scan to start. No more manual input, no more room for error.
By using the QR code as both entry point and table identifier, we eliminated confusion and made the process frictionless.
Final Userflow
Final UI Screens
Our first version relied on the user entering their table number manually in the app. This allowed customers to:
Start an order before entering the restaurant.
Inject their order into the system once seated.
Order Mode Selection
Users can choose “Service à Table” with a single tap directly from the app.
Tutorial
A brief guide introduces the new Service à Table feature and shows users how to scan the QR code to start their order.
QR Code Scan
The app opens automatically when scanning the table’s QR code, identifying the restaurant and table. It's now a mandatory step to go further in the order.
Order Tracking
Users can follow their order status in real time until delivery at their table.
Impact & Learnings
Since its recent launch, the new Service à Table feature has been deployed in over 90% of McDonald’s restaurants across France. Users find it easy and intuitive to use, and early feedback confirms the simplified flow resonates well with customers.
From my perspective as a UX designer, this project reinforced the importance of focusing on core user needs rather than trying to cover every edge case. Simplifying the experience proved key to making the feature truly accessible and efficient.
Going forward, I also learned that rapid, real-world testing and iteration are crucial to refining digital solutions.