Kitchen Display System
NCR Voyix | Restaurant Industry
Role
Product designer
Team
Cross functional team:
1 product manage
1 product owner
1 engineering team
Timeline
16 month engagement
Context & Problem
As digital ordering channels expanded and kitchen operations became increasingly complex, restaurant teams required faster, clearer ways to manage incoming orders during peak service hours. NCR Voyix’s existing Kitchen Display System (KDS) interface, while functional, was built on legacy design patterns that limited scalability and visual clarity.
Through user interviews with kitchen staff, it became clear that dense information layouts and limited visual hierarchy increased cognitive load in already high-pressure environments. At the same time, the redesign needed to operate within fixed hardware constraints, including a 22” display, and align with existing system architecture.
The business sought to modernize the KDS experience to strengthen market competitiveness while better supporting real-world kitchen workflows.
My objective was to re-evaluate the information architecture and visual hierarchy to reduce cognitive strain, improve task prioritization, and establish a scalable design foundation for future releases.
My Role
As the product designer embedded within a cross-functional team (PM, PO, Engineering), I was responsible for evaluating legacy patterns, defining updated information architecture, and leading the end-to-end redesign of the KDS user interface.
This included competitive analysis, user interviews, wireframing, high-fidelity UI design, prototyping, and the creation of a KDS-specific component library to support scalable implementation.
Constraints & Strategy
This redesign was initiated mid-project, requiring alignment with existing feature decisions and established system architecture. Rather than starting from a blank slate, I needed to evaluate and build upon legacy patterns while identifying opportunities for structural improvement.
The experience had to function within fixed hardware limitations, including a 22” kitchen display used in high-pressure, fast-paced environments. Designs needed to prioritize glanceability, clarity, and rapid task recognition under real-world operational stress.
All proposed changes required close collaboration with Product and Engineering to ensure feasibility within existing technical constraints and roadmap priorities.
These constraints shaped a strategy focused on architectural clarity, scalable component structures, and thoughtful visual hierarchy improvements rather than surface-level aesthetic changes
Approach
Upon joining the project midstream, I began with a comprehensive audit of existing features and design artifacts to understand legacy decisions, architectural patterns, and product dependencies. This assessment allowed me to identify structural inconsistencies and opportunities for improving information hierarchy across the system
In parallel, I conducted product and competitive research, as well as user interviews with kitchen staff, to ground design decisions in real operational workflows rather than assumptions.
Given that feature development was already in motion, I collaborated closely with Product to interpret stories not just as individual deliverables, but as opportunities to refine broader system patterns. My focus shifted from designing isolated screens to strengthening the overall experience architecture.
Each finalized solution was documented with clear interaction specifications and system-level annotations to ensure scalable implementation and alignment with Engineering.
Strategic Decisions (RENAME THIS)
Decision 1: Restructuring Information Hierarchy for Glanceability
The Problem: Kitchen staff needed to quickly identify order priority on a 22” display in high-pressure environments.
Why it mattered: Improved task scanning and reduced cognitive overload during peak service.
What I changed:
Simplified visual grouping
Reduced non-essential metadata
Increased contrast between priority states
Decision 2: Designing Within Fixed 15” Hardware Constraints
Design response:
Established modular layout zones
Created scalable components
Optimized touch targets for kitchen use
The constraint: Limited viewport and fixed hardware.
Decision 3: Establishing Scalable System Patterns
Design response:
Standardized interaction patterns
Created reusable layout templates
Defined consistent state logic
The challenge: Features were being designed in isolation.
Outcome & Early Impact
The redesigned POS experience was implemented as part of Aloha Cloud, modernizing the product’s visual system and navigation framework across both terminal and handheld devices.
The redesign established clearer navigation patterns, improved cross-device consistency, and introduced scalable layout structures adaptable to future feature expansion. Usability testing throughout development informed refinements that strengthened workflow clarity and reduced friction during order entry.
Beyond visual modernization, this initiative contributed to aligning product and engineering around a cohesive interaction framework that supported the broader evolution of the POS ecosystem.
Takeaways
Joining an initiative that already had partially approved work reinforced the importance of thoughtful evaluation rather than immediate reinvention. Balancing respect for existing decisions with opportunities for structural improvement required intentional design judgment.
This project further strengthened my ability to use user research as a strategic validation tool, not only to refine interaction patterns but also to align cross-functional stakeholders around data-informed decisions. Continuous usability testing helped ground modernization efforts in real user behavior rather than aesthetic preference.
Ultimately, this experience deepened my understanding of designing within evolving product ecosystems — modernizing interfaces while preserving operational familiarity and technical feasibility.