Zuma stands for a sophisticated twist on the traditional Japanese Izakaya style of informal eating and drinking; Co-founded by Rainer Becker and Arjun Waney in 2002, Zuma has 11 venues globally and 3 pop up locations as of 2019.
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I was given the option to improve existing methods of education and training for new staff and build upon those methods (Zuma Boston). Design applied internally to an industry environment that already has a successful foundation is an underrated tool to emphasize function over form. And I believe doing so enables industry workers to provide a fluid and organic experience focused on improvising, instinct and having the confidence do so.
The Map
Zuma Boston opened up in early 2019 and I began working there during the summer a few months later as a Server Support. Although my first industry job since being a teenager, the designer in me couldn't help but notice minute problems in this new restaurant that needed addressing.
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Because the restaurant is so new and complex it can be overwhelming to new employees regardless of experience in the field. And more often than not some food and drinks would be brought to places they shouldn't have. This can be minor, however serving a 200$ Tomahawk Steak to the wrong table proved to be a very costly mistake. Furthermore delivering food and drinks to the wrong location could create issues with allergies and negate any precaution to avoid anything dangerous for our guests.
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I asked the general manager, "is there a map of the restaurant?", so I could prevent this from happening to myself. He replied "of course!" and He came back to me with the original blue print of the restaurant.
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What you see to the left, is what many people were forced to learn by word of mouth. And in creating this map we were not only able to allow employees to be more comfortable navigating the space. This map would also be changed and altered when consulting and arranging for private events.
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The Textbook
Swiftly after being promoted from Server Support to Lead Server Support it became my responsibility not only to manage other Server Supports during their shifts, but also to train new Supports and help them grasp the curriculum of the Zuma Experience. Reflecting on my personal experience when I was being trained I remembered that there was a plethora of outdated information. Zuma's menu and ingredients constantly evolves and changes and the textbook unfortunately did not reflect that. So in order to make the process of teaching new employees smoother and easier I updated and rearranged everything. In addition, created files that are easy to edit and would not require me to make new changes and updates.
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The App
This conceptual exercise was not officially implemented at Zuma Boston. However I think it is a fun opportunity to become a little more expressive with the actual BRAND of Zuma and provide a new way to appeal to a larger audience and engaging with devoted guests.
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