Jason Young · Systems Design / Service Design / Operational Logistics · October 2026
Integrated service design · Proposed concept, not deployed
01Firsthand observation visit
02Self-service kiosks at site
03Ordering channels studied
06Scripted validation scenarios prepared
01 — The observation
Ordering was distributed. Pickup wasn't.
At a compact downtown Kitchener Tim Hortons, a long assisted-order queue ran alongside a mixed crowd of customers who had already ordered. Kiosk and mobile customers could identify their transactions on a digital screen; counter customers were often called by the contents of their purchase.
Two people ordering the same items could respond to the same announcement. Meanwhile, kiosk and counter traffic converged with circulation toward a west-side exit, all within a restricted footprint.
Site evidence: original customer observation photo, faces obscured for privacy.Firsthand mapping: hand-drawn layout sketch, not a measured survey.
01 · FLOW
Overlapping queues
Waiting-to-order and waiting-to-collect customers occupy nearby circulation space, reducing clarity and increasing perceived congestion.
02 · IDENTITY
Two notification systems
Digital customers see identifiers; assisted-counter customers may have to recognize a spoken list of purchases.
03 · CAPACITY
Downstream bottleneck
One kiosk was unoccupied during the observation, but the shared pickup and preparation process still required coordination.
Evidence boundary: These findings come from an independent observational visit and documented sketches, not a formal traffic count, employee interview, POS audit or measured wait-time study.
02 — Before → design → after
From congestion to a coordinated service experience.
The progression begins with the observed service problem, moves through the integrated systems redesign, and concludes with the proposed future-state experience. The current-state model was reconstructed from site observations and field sketches; the future-state rendering represents design intent rather than an installed solution.
01 · Before / existing state
The crowding problem
Field-based reconstruction of the compact store: overlapping queues, unclear pickup boundaries and verbal handoff for counter orders.
02 · Design / systems integration
Coordinating the service
Universal order IDs, shared preparation status, clearer movement paths and verified handoff, designed around the constrained corner-store layout.
03 · After / proposed experience
A clearer customer journey
Concept visualization of customer arrival, kiosk use, counter ordering and pickup supported by intuitive physical and digital cues.
Design narrative: The current-state image illustrates the congestion problem; the middle board explains the operational redesign; the final rendering depicts a proposed outcome. Improvements shown are design intentions, not measured field results.
View the original early spatial renderings and layout revisions ▾
These earlier visualizations document how the research model was corrected. They are not the proposed solution and some early geometry was inaccurate; they are retained transparently as part of the design process.
Exploration A
First visualization
Initial interpretation of the site. Subsequent feedback corrected geometry and crowding.
Exploration B
Field-informed correction
Closer to the observed configuration, with revised counter, kiosk, pickup and circulation relationships.
03 — The reframed problem
One system, not three disconnected experiences.
The opportunity was not to add another ordering channel; it was to coordinate existing channels through one order identity, shared status logic and a predictable physical handoff. The proposed concept is designed around existing site constraints rather than rebuilding the restaurant.
01 · ORDERCounter / kiosk / mobile receive a distinct four-digit ID.
02 · PREPAREFood and drink tasks retain the same order record.
03 · ASSEMBLEAll items must be checked before release.
04 · DISPLAYCustomer sees Preparing / Almost Ready / Ready.
05 · VERIFYStaff check identifier and complete handoff.
Study 06 — Integrated service architecture and spatial routing. Open full board ↗
Universal order identity
Every order gets a unique active ID with visible options for customers without a smartphone.
Operationally simple
Preparation tasks share order records; ready state is withheld until food and beverage assembly is verified.
Physical and inclusive
Maintain the south entrance, west exit, accessible through-route and staff-assisted communication alternatives.
04 — Future-state service renderings
The integrated redesign, seen from the customer's perspective.
These images illustrate the proposed SERVICEFLOW experience after the current-state analysis and operational architecture work. They show customer guidance, kiosk access, pickup visibility, and verified handoff as conceptual design intent rather than a built or tested installation.
01 · Integrated arrival experience — Distinct visual paths guide customers from the south entrance toward ordering, pickup and southeast seating.02 · Self-service interface and wayfinding — Two east-facing kiosks along the west window, with directional guidance separating kiosk access from the assisted order queue.03 · Pickup-zone communication — Visual order numbers and a more organized waiting environment reduce reliance on spoken order contents.04 · Verified handoff — Matching transaction identifiers support more reliable collection of complete food and beverage orders.
Visualization note: The renderings are illustrative future-state concepts. Some fixtures and photographic details are idealized; the approved systems diagrams define the actual conceptual service logic and spatial constraints.
05 — Interface prototype
Let the number do the talking.
Customer-facing pickup information uses one unique number and three predictable statuses. The accompanying staff workflow blocks an incomplete order from being marked Ready.
Try the conceptual interaction to see how food and drink completion update order 0842. This demonstration is local to the page: it does not connect to a point-of-sale system or represent a measured usability result.
Handoff safeguard: a matching pickup number is useful for identification, but disputed or lost-ticket cases still require appropriate staff verification.
Order status / Concept demonstration
PREPARINGALMOST READYREADY
ORDER NUMBER0842
PREPARING
Waiting on beverage and food. Order cannot be released yet.
06 — When the process breaks
Recovery is part of the system.
Missing or incomplete item
Hold or withdraw Ready until corrected, verified and safely handed over.
Identical purchases
Two matching food orders retain separate identifiers, eliminating item descriptions as the sole pickup cue.
Lost receipt or phone
Use a staffed assistance route with an appropriate transaction identity check before releasing the order.
Delayed preparation
Keep an accurate customer-facing status while employees resolve the pending item.
Display or kiosk outage
Fall back to staff-managed paper tickets tied to the original order identifier.
Peak-period crowding
Use visible wayfinding to keep order queues, pickup waiters and general circulation distinguishable.
07 — Evaluation plan
Built to be tested, not just illustrated.
A moderated walkthrough and scenario simulation are specified for six conditions. The design goal is to maintain a correct order identity and prevent incomplete orders from showing Ready, even under pressure.
01Standard counter order
Verify printed ID, status visibility and handoff.
02Cross-channel overlap
Check distinct IDs across counter, kiosk and mobile.
03Identical purchases
Prevent mistaken collection of matching orders.
04Delayed food item
Keep Ready unavailable until all items are complete.
05Assisted recovery
Resolve missing tickets and disputed handoffs.
06Outage and crowding
Preserve pickup identity using staff and paper fallback.
Testing status: the protocol and scripted scenarios are developed, but participant testing and operational performance measurements have not been completed. Improvements are proposed benefits, not verified outcomes.
Study 05-C — Testing & Human Factors Validation Protocol. Open board ↗
Study 07 — Portfolio Summary & Concept Positioning. View ↗Study 06 — Final Integrated System Design.Study 05-C — Validation Protocol.
09 — Design contribution
Improve the handoffs, improve the system.
SERVICEFLOW applies systems thinking to an everyday, high-traffic environment: customer circulation, POS information, staff preparation, order identity and physical pickup are treated as one coordinated experience.
Operational logistics
Map queues, task dependencies, preparation constraints and recovery paths rather than optimizing a single screen.
Human factors
Reduce dependence on spoken names, accommodate different abilities and support staff through clear states.
System architecture
Design one information structure that can connect multiple ordering channels to a trustworthy pickup experience.
Independent conceptual study. Not commissioned by or affiliated with Tim Hortons. Visuals illustrate a design proposal, not a deployed system. No measured outcome claims.
