Yelp Usability Redesign

UX Research & Design
Role: UX Researcher & Designer | Context: UBC Human Computer Interaction Course Project
Participants: 10+ Yelp/restaurant review app users

Overview

This project evaluated how users discover and compare restaurants on Yelp. Through usability testing and interviews, I identified key pain points around filter overload, trust in sponsored results, and comparison difficulty, then translated those insights into product requirements and a mid-fidelity prototype designed in Figma.

Problem Statement

Users struggle to efficiently find trustworthy, relevant restaurants on Yelp. An overwhelming number of filters slows decision-making, while sponsored results appearing prominently in search undermine users' confidence in the platform.

Methodology

I conducted think-aloud usability sessions followed by semi-structured interviews to understand user expectations and frustrations when using Yelp. Findings were synthesized using affinity diagrams to identify recurring patterns.

Key Findings

• Users anchor decisions on price, reviews, and location
• Sponsored listings reduce perceived trust and authenticity
• Excessive filtering options increase cognitive load, not control

Product Requirements

Based on research findings, the redesign needed to:

• Support fast restaurant discovery based on user priorities
• Communicate reliability and transparency, especially around sponsored content
• Reduce cognitive load while preserving flexibility for exploration

• Support users’ search process by allowing them to identify restaurants based on their priorities (e.g., price, reviews, location, menu information, ratings).

• The user should feel that restaurant information is reliable and authentic.
• Provide a sufficient number of filter options while avoiding overwhelming users with too many choices.

• Maintain a sense of trustworthiness even with the presence of sponsored results.
• Provide enough search results so users do not feel disappointed by limited options.
• Offer a personalized set of categorized filter options tailored to users’ needs, based on their preferences or past behavior.

The Solution

I designed a medium-fidelity, horizontal prototype in Figma to explore breadth of interaction rather than depth. The design experimented with two conceptual models:

• Night market model for visual browsing and discovery
• Map-based model for spatial awareness and comparison

Key features included toggleable grid/map views and a lightweight comparison flow to help users evaluate restaurants more confidently.

Evalution & Reflections

Follow-up usability testing showed the design was effective in supporting restaurant comparison and overall satisfaction, but revealed learnability and intuitiveness issues, particularly within the map interactions.

Future iterations would focus on:

• Simplifying comparison interactions
• Improving visual hierarchy in grid layouts
• Leveraging familiar map patterns (e.g. persistent sidebars) to reduce friction