Handheld Redesign
From Clunky to Cutting Edge: Empowering the Frontline
Reimagining how team members work—starting with the tools they use every day.
In casual dining, the frontline runs the show. But the tools meant to support them—like the Team Member Handheld (TMH)—hadn’t kept up. The device was outdated, clunky, and hard to use, creating daily friction for employees and slowing down service.
We partnered with this restaurant brand to develop a North Star Strategy for the handheld experience—making it smarter, faster, and built for how team members really work. This wasn’t just a UX lift. It was a business-critical transformation that would drive efficiency, simplify training, and boost retention by delivering a better day-to-day experience for the people on the ground.
An Outdated system that no longer worked
Challenge
The handheld was slowing things down. Poor usability meant slower workflows, more frustration, and less consistency across team members. Competitors were rolling out better tech—putting pressure on Chili’s to catch up or risk falling behind.
Opportunity
Redesigning the handheld gave us a chance to reimagine how work gets done—from training to service. A modernized tool could reduce friction, improve onboarding, and help team members focus on guests instead of fighting the interface.
Role
I led the development of the North Star Strategy, aligning stakeholders across Ops, IT, and UX to define a clear long-term vision for the handheld experience.
Understanding Today:
Listening to the Frontlines
A surface-level fix wouldn’t cut it. We knew this wasn’t about a prettier UI — it was about redesigning how the handheld worked in the real world. For team members, it needed to feel invisible, intuitive, and completely in sync with their fast-paced workflows.
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Spent time in-store observing service in real time and shadowing team members
Ran co-creation workshops to map pain points and define ideal workflows
Reviewed data to pinpoint friction areas across training, adoption, and usage
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Order delays hurt more than just speed — even a few seconds during peak hours created backup and frustration
Training was taking too long — newer team members struggled to get comfortable quickly
Workarounds were everywhere — team members were bypassing features just to keep up, signaling the need for major simplification
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Build a system that’s fast and flexible — not one or the other?
Make training so intuitive it barely feels like training?
Reduce steps without losing control or visibility?
Building for What’s Next: Designing with the Future in Mind
We didn’t just fix today’s problems—we designed for tomorrow’s frontline.
To future-proof the handheld, we explored how workforce tech is evolving—looking at trends like AI assistance, automation, and modular design. The goal: create a system that adapts with the business, not one that needs to be rebuilt every few years.
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Conducted a scan of workforce technology trends and best-in-class tools
Identified AI-powered features to boost speed and service
Designed a modular experience—easy to evolve as the business grows
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Team members want smart support: AI suggestions could help with speed, accuracy, and training.
Friction hurts efficiency: Even small usability issues slow things down in high-volume environments.
One size doesn’t fit all: Role-specific workflows improve clarity and adoption
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Reduce daily friction while keeping the experience simple?
Give teams real-time tools that actually help—not get in the way?
Design something team members want to use every day?
From Insight to Impact
The team members were clear — the tech was slowing them down. Our strategy had to do more than fix what was broken. It needed to reimagine what a handheld could do if it truly worked in service of the team.
We turned those insights into action, using them to anchor a North Star vision that would scale with the business, support future tech (like AI), and rebuild team confidence one interaction at a time.
VISION
Transform. the guest experience with innovative, technology and meaningful team member interactions.
MISSION
Equip team members with an intuitive app experience to improve guest satisfaction and operational efficiency.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Seamless: A frictionless, consumer-grade experience.
Interactive: Smart, real-time feedback to increase confidence and reduce errors.
Adaptable: A scalable foundation for future AI-driven enhancements.
OBJECTIVES & KEY RESULTS
Success in redesigning the handheld is defined by enhancing operational efficiency, elevating team and guest experience, and maximizing upsell opportunities
Quality - Increase overall team member and guest experience
Increased team member satisfaction rating
Efficiency - Increase guests per hour
Reduced error rate, reduced tap count, increased adoption rate
Upsell - Increased orders per table
Increased incremental sales
Fixing What’s Broken
and Unlocking What’s Next
We zeroed in on high-impact enhancements that could deliver immediate returns—without losing sight of the bigger picture. By addressing core friction points and laying the groundwork for scalable innovation, we built a system that performs today and adapts tomorrow.
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Rapid Prototyping – Co-created and tested updated interfaces directly with team members.
AI & Automation Exploration – Identified opportunities for intelligent task support.
Performance Optimization – Backend improvements cut load times in half and boosted responsiveness.
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Faster Tools = Better Retention – Speed and simplicity reduced daily frustrations.
Scalability Matters – A modular foundation ensures the handheld can evolve with the business.
AI Has a Role – Smart suggestions and shortcuts open the door to task-level automation
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Now – Resolve usability and performance gaps.
Next – Layer in AI-powered insights and predictive task support.
Later – Extend the ecosystem with advanced workforce integrations.
“The TMH redesign is fantastic, modern, and simpler. TMs training on this new version will only take 2-3 days…it’s going to make them figure out how to ring in their drinks properly and make interacting with guests much easier.”
Team Member
A Better Experience, A Bigger Bottom Line
This wasn’t just about cleaning up the UI. It was about unlocking a true competitive edge through smarter, faster workforce technology.
30% Faster Training Time → Lower onboarding costs and better ramp-up
15% Increase in Order Speed → Less friction, higher guest satisfaction
20% Boost in Retention & Team Satisfaction → Reduced frustration, better adoption
Revenue Uplift → Smarter ordering and fewer errors drove measurable gains
From Legacy Friction to Future Intelligence: The New Standard in Workforce Tech
The handheld is no longer just a tool—it’s a strategic asset. With smarter design, upgraded tech, and a long-term AI vision, this client isn’t just keeping up—they’re setting a new bar for operational excellence.