Lume Analytics
Revolutionizing POS Data with AI: Design and UX Case Study
As the User Experience Lead at Lume Analytics, I directed the UX for our AI-powered Toast POS plugin, designed to provide small business owners with a simplified business metric dashboard. This case study outlines our approach to creating an intuitive and effective tool that enhances decision-making and streamlines data analysis.
Lume Analytics (formerly Datalume) is an AI-powered plugin available in Toast’s Plugin Marketplace. Designed specifically for small business owners, Lume simplifies Toast's complex metrics dashboard, helping users easily interpret and utilize their data. It acts not as a competitor, but as a supportive tool tailored to fit the unique needs of its users.
The user category and primary user persona for Lume Analytics include a wide array of small business owners who often find Toast’s complex interface challenging to navigate. This persona includes diverse business operators such as restaurant owners, bakery entrepreneurs, and other retail proprietors. These individuals seek tools that simplify and clarify their business metrics, enabling them to focus more on operations than on interpreting data.
The primary user persona, therefore, embodies the typical small business owner who values simplicity, accessibility, and efficiency in digital tools. They require a solution that streamlines the process of analyzing sales, customer engagement, and other critical business metrics, ensuring that even those with minimal technical skills can effectively manage and grow their enterprises.
Toast's interface, while powerful, often presents a steep learning curve for small business owners new to digital business management tools.
Recognizing the difficulties faced by users, especially those who might lack extensive technical experience, Lume Analytics was developed. The aim was to simplify the complex data displayed on Toast's dashboard, making it more accessible and actionable for everyday business decisions. This initiative sought to address the pressing need for an intuitive system that empowers owners with clarity and control over their operations
In developing our initial prototypes, I found myself utilizing Apple's Color Specifications found in their publicly available Human Interface Guidelines open_in_new.
In crafting Lume Analytics, I embraced color theory to create a minimalist, modern, and clean interface that enables business owners to intuitively access and organize their data. Moving away from the restrictive designs of corporate software like Toast, I incorporated their advanced features with a user-friendly twist. With the integration of LumeAI, powered by Meta’s Prophet, the platform becomes a powerful background ally, allowing business owners to focus on customer service. LumeAI is strategically placed within the interface for easy navigation, acting as a constant, intelligent assistant for business management.
The traffic light metaphor was intentionally chosen to create a familiar and intuitive user experience. By leveraging this universally recognized visual cue, the design instantly communicates the relative priority and urgency of each action to the user. The color choices were carefully considered to reinforce this hierarchy. The green "Optimal" button stands out as the primary, desirable action, drawing the user's attention. The yellow "Cautious Incomplete" label conveys a sense of caution without overly alarming the user, encouraging further exploration. Lastly, the red "Alert Not Started" button demands immediate attention, using a bold color to signal the need for urgent intervention.
Beyond the color coding, the inverted text treatment adds depth and emphasis to each label, enhancing the visual hierarchy. This cohesive design approach aims to create a intuitive, user-friendly interface that guides the user's decision-making through clear, actionable cues.The goal was to leverage universal design principles and familiarity to craft a reliable, easy-to-understand experience for the user. By aligning the visual elements with the user's mental model, the design seeks to streamline interaction and foster a sense of confidence and control.
As the UX Lead, the demands of summer coursework limited the team's ability to conduct comprehensive usability testing. This led to design inconsistencies that were overlooked, which in turn created challenges for the backend engineering team in implementing the prototype designs. The lack of thorough user feedback and testing during a critical development phase had a significant impact on the overall project, highlighting the importance of maintaining a balanced workload and prioritizing user-centered design practices.
During my tenure as UX Lead, balancing summer coursework and project demands proved challenging. The limited time available led to reduced usability testing, resulting in design inconsistencies that hindered the backend team's implementation efforts. Compounding this, the remote nature of certain bug fixes, such as the trip to Traverse City, added logistical complexities. Despite these obstacles, I gained invaluable insights into effective time management and the criticality of transparent communication throughout the design and development process. These experiences underscored the importance of prioritizing user research and maintaining a well-coordinated team, even in the face of competing priorities and constraints. Moving forward, I will apply these lessons to ensure a more streamlined, user-centric approach to future projects.