Corner deli interior-Deli Delion, Broadway & Waverly
SOL HUH
1.29.2006.
User-Centered Design

We don’t want to stay in a Deli for a long time because when we use a deli, we are usually in hurry so we can grab something quick. Also the deli often get too crowded so that you want to get out of the place as soon as possible. For that reasons, the deli offers convenient system and environment to the customers in many different ways.

What’s the purpose?
The Corner deli, Delion is to provide more food, cigarettes and drinks in a short time.

Users?
Target people of the deli sales are students, office workers in neighbor, and mostly NYC resident who doesn’t have enough time to go to restaurant.

Aspects of Objects and communications:
Corner deli needs to provide fresh and warm food as quickly as possible to the impatient customers. Therefore the communications between clerks and customers should be made quickly and precisely so the customers can get the products in time with satisfaction and the deli makes more profits in a same time. Also the communication between workers is very important to hand in the exact information of products that customers have been purchasing. After the customers order the products, they usually are on the line for couple of seconds before they pay. When they finally pay, person behind the counter receives the information from the other worker. To reduce time that formats the line and to charge the clear amount of money, the communication between workers should be accurate and immediate.
Even though Delion doesn’t have particular system for communication between workers, they depend on well-trained workers who can deal with couple of different orders at the same time.

Environment:
When we consider the major part of purpose of deli, freshness of food and clean environment is one of the most necessary qualifications. Besides, finding products should be easy.
The cleaning status of this deli is comparatively better than the most of the other NYC deli. Salad bar is a very open place to look inside, so you can check the freshness of food. Finding products can be a little tricky because there is no sign other than the salad bar and sandwich bar. For example, if you want to order a coffee, you have to order at the counter but you can’t see any indication for that.


Physical, cognitive, social, cultural and emotional human factors considered in the design? Successful?
Deli Delion is a quite successful place in the matter of their business. Also, in the design matter, it is quite successful too. They located frequent sales products in the front, so users can find things fast and easy.
Salad Bar is shown from the outside. Pedestrians can see the staff working on squeezing a cup of fresh fruit juice. Though it is not a well-decorated modern style of interior, users find the place comfortable and convenient.

How could it be more user-centered?
Some delis’ interior is designed to make customers stay longer in the deli so they choose more products while they are staying. However, this cannot be the user-centered design when we think about the purpose of using deli—grabbing something quick. The deli Delion is a well-designed place for the purpose. There are couples of suggestions to make deli a better user-centered designed place.

Line Formation divider-
Line for the counter and the line for the sandwich bar is not quite well distinguished. Section divider would help people not to stay on the wrong line.

Light in the rack 2,3 area-
Back of the deli is not the most places that people to step in because most of products they need are placed on the front row. Some people who want to look at more products go to this section of deli. However, it’s darker than the other side of deli so not many people go to this section. Better lighting system in this section will improve the shopping environment for users.

Tip jar- There is no tip jar in this deli. Why not?

Easy way to order a combination of sandwiches-
Addressing sandwich often becomes an awkward because of many different choices and options. Simple menu—with popular

combination of sandwich—will help customers to get food more quickly and easily.
Popular drinks on the front side-
Popular drinks such as water and vitamin water should be replaced to the front refrige, Ref.2. They are placed in Ref.3 where there is less lighting with narrow alley. Also this alley is used for the worker’s commute to the storage.

More signs on eye level-
Most signs in Delion are way too high to look at or they don’t even have signs for racks. “Line forms here” and “Order coffee here”, etc would be helpful.