Redesigning Instacart for Home Hubs & Kiosks
Welcome! Quick & easy shopping at your fingertips.
Start shopping
Accessibility
Cancel order
Language: English
Shop by Category
View stores
Frequently purchased
Offers for you
Favorite items
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Search products, stores, and restaurants
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Enhancing everyday shopping through smart technology while bridging accessibility and innovation for a frictionless experience.
Role
UI/UX Designer
Timeline
2 months
Project
Academic Project
What I did
UI Design, UX Design, Prototyping, Usability Testing
Tools used
Figma, Miro
Link to Prototype
View Prototype
The Opportunity
Technology has expanded digital experiences beyond traditional devices like mobile phones, tablets, and computers. Various applications are now being integrated into platforms like home hubs, public kiosks, car infotainment systems, and VR/AR, providing new ways for users to interact. This creates an opportunity to bring existing services to new platforms, making them easier to access and use in different everyday situations.
Project Overview
While Instacart’s mobile app and website provide convenience, they require users to be actively engaged with their devices. This project focuses on bringing Instacart to home hubs and public kiosks, platforms where it is not yet available. The goal is to identify key features that enhance the grocery shopping experience in these environments while ensuring efficiency and ease of use.
Why these platforms
Home hubs and public kiosks were selected to expand Instacart’s reach beyond mobile, enhancing accessibility and convenience across different shopping environments.
Home Hub
Home hubs offer a voice-controlled, effortless way to shop, letting users to add items to their cart, reorder essentials, and complete purchases without constantly interacting with a screen. This hands-free approach is ideal for busy individuals, parents, and multitaskers managing work and household chores.
Public Kiosk
Public kiosks provide a quick and easy way to shop in places like malls, transit stations, or apartment lobbies. They help users shop on the go, offering a quick selection, easy navigation, and instant checkout without requiring a mobile device. This is useful for people who need groceries on the go without using an app or waiting in line.
Proto-persona
Home Hub
Name: Lisa Watson
Age: 35
Occupation: Architect
Location: Philadelphia
"I wish I could just say what I need and have it ordered instantly."
Goals
Easily order groceries while multitasking at home.
Quickly reorder essentials without manually browsing.
Pain points
Finds grocery shopping overwhelming due to lack of time.
Often forgets to restock household essentials.
Finds it frustrating to navigate through too many steps manually.
Public Kiosk
Name: Mark Davis
Age: 40
Occupation: Delivery Driver
Location: Philadelphia
"I don’t want to wait in lines or deal with checkout delays.”
Goals
Quickly order groceries while on a break.
Use a fast, self-service option without needing to speak to a cashier.
Easily find stores with the items he needs.
Pain points
Limited time for grocery shopping due to his work schedule.
Feature Prioritization with MoSCoW
The MoSCoW method was used to organize Instacart’s features based on priority. This ensured that only the most useful and relevant features were included for a smooth experience on home hubs and kiosks.
Home Hub
Below is the MoSCoW categorization of features for home hubs, focusing on hands-free convenience and reducing cognitive load for a seamless shopping experience.
MUST HAVE
Voice-activated shopping
Product and store search
Touch based interaction
Product categories
Frequently purchased items
Offers
Wide store selection
SHOULD HAVE
View cart
Instacart+
related products based on selection
In-app tipping
Nutrition facts
Scheduled deliveries or pickup
Product detail page
Favorites
COULD HAVE
Make order a gift
Integration with Uber Eats
Expiry date reminders for purchased items
Custom grocery bundles by occasion
AI-powered grocery budget tracker
WON’T HAVE
Become a shopper
Multi-destination order splitting
Tap-to-Pay
Public Kiosk
Below is the MoSCoW categorization of features for public kiosks, ensuring quick navigation, accessibility, and ease of use in high-traffic environments.
MUST HAVE
Product and store search
Touch based interaction
Product categories
Wide store selection
Accessibility
Cancel order feature
Session expiry page
SHOULD HAVE
View cart
Real time availability
related products based on selection
Nutrition facts
Multiple payment options
Scheduled deliveries or pickup
Product detail page
Offers & deals
Receipt Printer
COULD HAVE
Make order a gift
Custom grocery bundles by occasion
In-app tipping
Donation
Account sync using QR code
WON’T HAVE
Become a shopper
Multi-destination order splitting
Voice-activated shopping
Instacart+
Integration with Uber Eats
Favorites
Value-Driven Features for Non-Traditional Screens
Public Kiosk
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Accessibility
The public kiosk is designed to be accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. Features like Magnifier Mode enhance readability, while Reach Mode supports users with limited mobility. These enhancements create a more inclusive shopping experience, making quick and independent grocery shopping possible for everyone.
In Reach Mode, the navigation bar is placed at the bottom of the screen to make shopping easier for users with limited mobility or those using a wheelchair. It has arrow keys for navigation, along options like Cancel Order and View Cart to help users shop independently and comfortably.
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Session Expiry Feature for Security
Since the kiosk is used by many people, the session expiry page helps keep user data safe. To protect users information, the kiosk automatically detects inactivity and displays a session expiry timer. If the user doesn’t resume, the session ends preventing their details from being misused. This feature keeps grocery shopping safe and worry-free in a public setting.
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Multiple Payment Options
Not all shoppers prefer the same payment method, so the kiosk offers multiple options. Users can complete their purchase by tapping their phone or swiping a card. This ensures a smooth, efficient checkout experience at the kiosk.
Tap payment method
Total to Pay: $16.00
Scan Mobile App Payment
All other Payments
Accessibility
Cancel order
Back
4
Receipt Option for Convenience
Receiving a receipt in any format ensures users don’t lose their purchase details. This feature allows users to choose between a mobile receipt or a paper receipt, giving them flexibility based on their preference. Those who prefer a digital copy can receive it via text, while others can opt for a printed receipt if they need a physical record.
Print Receipt
Print a Paper Receipt
Get Receipt via Text
Your order has been placed
Your items has been placed and is on it’s wayto be processed
5
Multi-Language Support for Inclusivity
Since the kiosk is used by a wide range of people, it is set to English by default but also offers an option to switch to different language depending on the region where the kiosk is placed. This ensures that users, regardless of their language preference, can easily interact with the system, making grocery shopping more user-friendly.
Welcome! Quick & easy shopping at your fingertips.
Start shopping
Accessibility
Cancel order
Language: English
Home Hub
6
Quick Access to Essentials
The Instacart Home Hub homepage is designed with busy individuals, parents, and multitaskers in mind. By featuring cards like Shop by Category, Frequently Purchased, View Stores, Offers for You, and Favorite Items, the interface allows for quick access to important sections. This reduces cognitive load, so users don’t have to waste time searching for what they need and simplifies their experience.
Features Unique to these Platforms
Home Hub and Public Kiosk (Common Feature)
Product Category Page
Unlike the mobile app, the "Browse Categories" option on the kiosk and home hub helps users explore available products instantly, rather than going through the extra step of selecting a store first. This helps users save time, make better decisions, and complete their shopping faster and more efficiently. It’s beneficial for busy shoppers who need to minimize the steps in their shopping journey.
Search products
Back
Fruits & Vegetables
Eggs
Meat & Seafood
Bakery & Snacks
Beverages
Frozen Foods
Household Essentials
Personal Care
Baby & Kids
Health care
Bundles by Occasion
Floral
Accessibility
Cancel order
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Home Hub
Voice-Activated Shopping
The voice assistant on the Instacart Home Hub helps users to complete their shopping tasks quickly and easily with just their voice. Unlike the current mobile app or website, which rely on touch-based interactions, this feature eliminates the need to navigate through menus or type product names. Users can simply ask the assistant to find items, add them to their cart, making it a faster and efficient experience.
Leveraging Platform’s Hardware
Home Hub
Microphone and Speaker Integration
The Home Hub uses built-in microphone and speaker to provide hands-free, voice-activated shopping. Users can simply speak to the device, and the microphone picks up commands from a distance while the speaker provides responses.
Public Kiosk
Microphone and Speaker Integration
The Home Hub uses built-in microphone and speaker to provide hands-free, voice-activated shopping. Users can simply speak to the device, and the microphone picks up commands from a distance while the speaker provides responses.
Payment Methods
The Public Kiosk uses hardware like a card reader and NFC (Near Field Communication) sensor, allowing users to pay in two ways. They can either tap-to-pay using mobile wallets like Apple Pay or insert a card into the card reader for traditional payment. This flexibility ensures users can choose their preferred payment method based on what they have available.
