I have been fascinated with personalities and human behavior my entire life. My curiosities were officially piqued as an undergrad research assistant for the UConn psychology department. After I graduated, I was drawn to front-of-house restaurant work. A mythical world where I could get paid and harvest interpersonal stimulation as part of my job. Cut to: 11 years later, and this irresistible feedback loop has continued to enrich my fascination with human behavior.
There is a great deal of fun to be had working in the restaurant industry. As with most things in life, it comes with a few notable drawbacks: nights and weekends are usually prime work hours. Sometimes weekends mean working double shifts, which can mean being on your feet for…14 hours straight. As a server or bartender, our livelihood dictates that we are at the mercy of the customer, with very little agency of our own. This premise in particular has left me feeling creatively unfulfilled for a while.
I sorted through these complicated feelings about my career in the industry about a year ago, in Fall ‘23. I began brainstorming a plan for an industry exit strategy. UX Design was something that intrigued me back in 2019, when I briefly worked a sales job at a startup. I had a friend at that company who was a UX Designer, so I reached out to him. It was an illuminating chat. UX Design felt like an opportunity to be creative and continuously progress, coming from a place rooted in psychology and a deep consideration of how people think and behave.
I made the decision later on in Fall ‘23 that I was going to enroll in a UX Design bootcamp, beginning in February 2024.
During my UX Design BootCamp experience, I learned that my favorite phase of the design thinking process is the first one, which is Empathize. It is here that we research the users’ needs. It feels fairly obvious to profess my love for user research given my background is in psychology. However, I now realize that it has actually been the past 11 years of my life working front-of-house in restaurants and bars- serving, bartending, managing- that has really enriched my user research experience. Here is how it breaks down:
A UX Researcher is asking three main questions about users: Who are they? What do they want? Why do they want it?
Working front-of-house in a restaurant is an exercise in constantly trying to answer any or all of these research questions. FOH even uses a mixed methods approach to research- incorporating both qualitative and quantitative data in pursuit of solutions.
The quantitative research method is slightly less apparent, and is typically being executed while in a FOH management position. Raw numerical data like how many times was the Old Fashioned ordered last week? Or which wine was most frequently paired with the beef tenderloin entrée? Data that gives us direct incentive to go back and iterate on a product is especially valuable, like how many times was the jungle curry sent back because it was too spicy?
The qualitative research is the bread and butter of FOH interaction, and is being conducted by researchers at every position in the FOH. I’ll start with the example that resonates most lucidly with me.
User Interviews/Field Observation: Bartending has turned me into a highly skilled interviewer and field observationalist. When bartending, each time that a guest comes to sit at the bar, it is an opportunity for an extended user interview. Data can be collected throughout the entirety of their visit at a relaxed and natural pace. The researcher may begin with questions like: Have you come in before? What do you like to drink? What do you do for work? Literally any question is on the table, given the user’s gradually heightened sense of comfort. Where are you from? What kind of music do you like? What are some of your favorite bars? Are you hungry? How often do you go out drinking? What streaming services do you use? Do you have a favorite sports team? Would you use an app that helps you schedule healthcare appointments?
I can also observe the user’s level of comfort through nonverbal communication cues. Are they closed-off, giving one-word answers and scrolling through their phone? Are they leaning back and making conversation with people around them? Are they turning the research around and interviewing me?
I can use every single answer the user gives as a data point for my research. I can use the pace and the tone of the interview to then incentivize them- be it subtly or overtly- to come back and patronize the bar (submit to another interview) again soon.
Card Sorting: As a manager or a bartender, creating sections of a menu based on quantitative data and user feedback.
5-Second Testing: When dropping off an entrée as a server, or to a lesser extent presenting a cocktail as a bartender, asking the user “how does everything look?”
Usability Testing: As a server, a quality check on the food 90 seconds after dropping it off, “how does everything taste?”
A/B Testing: Especially when serving a party of 2, “which entrée did y’all think was better?” Or, as a bartender, “which cocktail did you prefer?”
Spending over a decade conducting user research as a FOH restaurant worker has primed me for an illustrious role as a UX Researcher, UX Designer, or UX Writer.
Personal fulfillment is the process of learning something new and actively working to get better at it. Although the restaurant industry has provided me with a wonderful opportunity to make a living, I crave a direct sense of agency in my work and a tangible outlet for my creativity. UX Design is the synthesis of my sensibilities and a straight line to personal fulfillment .
