I'm making an ordering-system for restaurant waiters, and I want to make the navigation through the menu quicker and more efficient, so that the waiters can quickly find and add the right item to and order. I believe the disipline is whitin interaction design, but I'm certain other creative souls can contribute as well.
What I need is ideas for how to do this best. Where should I crowdsource my need?
Designing for menus and interfaces like that should keep the main thing, the main thing. Clean and easy to navigate menus. It does take time, it involves a lot of trial and error. It took 16-17 times before I could finally get mine right. Check the link below, this is a pretty good example of keeping the main thing the main thing.
Answer source: http://www.behance.net/gallery/Morning-Rain-iOS-Weather-App/4266673
Easy. Touchpad menus or offer diners the opportunity to check your menu with their smart phones/device. Order themselves with the touch a finger without needing to engage a waitier until they are delivering the food! Hand out touchpads (smart device) to those who do not have phone or device. One main server (computer) (perhaps a wi-fi /Local area Network) update menu instantly when sold out or added, add enticing pictures of entres on the menu, instantaneous orders display in the kitchen on screens. SOmething like that!
i can't wait to give you free ideas here that you should instead be seeking on a proper corwdsourcing idea-generation site. no wait, i can wait.
Answer source: www.my-brain-has-this-thing-called-common-sense.com
K.I.I.S....Try to configure your app for the fewest touches per order. With that goal in mind you will be focused on the the ease of use and simplicity needed to successfully create your app. Make your menus flow like in a conversation and you will have met the holy grail of POS order management.
The best way to achieve ease of use for waiters on a system like you want is to use a touch screen with multiple sections, split everything up into the appropriate areas and manage them that way. Working in a pub part time I have learnt to use our till system really quickly, everything is portioned off into the appropriate sections and is easy to find. I can help with this and design something nice and simple for you to use, obviously I would need to see what hardware you have available so I can work with that to achieve the greatest results for you. Feel free to drop me an email or a phone call anytime and we can discuss it further.