USERVE POS

End-to-end redesign of a point-of-sale system UIUX used by 35,000+ merchants nationwide.

Timeline
Feb 2024 – Present
My role
Lead UI/UX Designer
Company
Universal Processing
uServe point-of-sale interface shown across restaurant devices

01 · Overview

Context

uServe is a complex, multi-tenant POS software suite that runs across multiple devices and operating systems. It’s used by a wide range of businesses—from restaurants to coffee shops and salons.

  • hardware

    4+
    • /POS terminals
    • /tableside tablets
    • /self-service kiosks
    • /kitchen display

  • software

    4+
    • /CRM
    • /order management
    • /back office & reports
    • /reservation system

  • OS

    3
    • /IOS
    • /Android
    • /Windows

  • tenant

    4+
    • /waitstaff
    • /diners
    • /admin & owners
    • /kitchen crew

The mission

Modernized a legacy POS through a full rebrand and usability overhaul, building the credibility needed to win higher-end merchants.

Delievered design

uServe point-of-sale system on a Galaxy Tab tablet with stylus
POS system frontWaitstaff-facing
uServe back-office Overview reports dashboard on a Galaxy Tab tablet with stylus
POS backoffice + CRMRestaurant-owners-facing
uServe customer ordering experience for UP Bakery on a Galaxy Tab tablet with stylus
Online ordering webappCustomer-facing

Impact

Visual Credibility

perceived product value
+22%
perceived product stability
+25%

Learnability

time to first task success
-14%
support dependency
-25%

Efficiency

task completion speed
+12%
feature adoption
+25%

02 · Discovery

Research

Interviews with sales team, restaurant waiters, and restaurant owners
Stakeholder research quotes about the existing point-of-sale experience
Tracking user traffic and behaviors through Google Analytics
Google Analytics behavior flow for back-office product usage
Field study, contextual inquiries & usability testings
Field study and usability testing in restaurant environments

Insights

In the competitive POS market, user frustration can undermine conversion and retention at every stage of the customer lifecycle—from initial exposure and onboarding to ongoing power use. Through user interviews, sales team shadowing, and usage data analysis, I identified three critical UX challenges across these stages.

Identified problems synthesized from discovery research

03 · Insights to design

From Insights to Design

My goal was to build users’ trust in both the product and their ability to learn it. The challenge wasn’t a lack of features, but how they were presented, organized, and revealed. I focused on making the experience more intuitive and transparent, so users feel guided, informed, and in control throughout their journey.

Visual credibility

Distinct brand identity

Competitive audit and a cohesive uServe palette so the product reads as intentional—not generic—next to Toast, Square, and legacy terminals.

Competitive brand audit, uServe color palette, and POS branding compared to competitors

Accessibility

Handedness, dark mode, and alternative palettes so staff can work comfortably through long shifts and varied lighting.

Right-handed and left-handed POS layouts, dark mode, and alternative color palettes

Learnability

Intuitive and less cognitive load

Split-bill flows were redesigned so common paths need fewer taps and less finger travel during rush periods.

Usability metrics for split-bill tasks: time to first success, taps, and finger travel

Tooltips and smart-diagnosis

Inline guidance and diagnose actions explain dense reporting formulas without pulling owners out of their workflow.

Report tooltip explaining grand total formula and smart diagnose action in back office

Efficiency

Flexibility to customize

Owners can define custom metric groups and formulas so back-office reports match how each restaurant actually operates.

Custom metrics group builder with formulas for back-office reporting

Information architecture

The rule of 7

Back-office information architecture diagram organized by the rule of seven

04 · Design to dev

Design System

The solution paired a more recognizable brand with a clearer information hierarchy. Color, spacing, and component behavior became shared rules instead of one-off screen decisions.

uServe component library: segmented controls, buttons, station chips, inputs, status tags, dropdowns, and toggles
uServe color tokens for text and border, with light and dark mode values
uServe screen layout grid, first variant
uServe screen layout grid, second variant

Design principles

  • Create visual hierarchy within traditionally dense, flat POS screens.
  • Keep primary actions obvious while preserving expert-user efficiency.
  • Use consistent interaction patterns across light and dark environments.
  • Make the system responsive to the different tablet sizes used in the field.

05 · Final prototype

To-go order screen with an empty cart
To-go order screen with items added to the cart
Selecting item modifiers on the order screen
Adding a custom item to a to-go order
Number pad modal for entering quantities
Sending part of an order to the kitchen
Restaurant table layout for dine-in orders
Viewing the orders for a table
Payment screen
Applying a discount on the payment screen
Gift card sale screen
Refilling a gift card
Choosing between cash in and cash out
Cash counter for the drawer
Recalling a previous order
Close batch summary
Confirming the batch close

06 · Reflection

What the complexity taught me

Designing a business-critical system sharpened both my systems thinking and my collaboration with engineering.

  • Document responsive behavior across breakpoints instead of treating layouts as fixed screens.
  • Bring technical feasibility into design conversations early and adjust decisions collaboratively.
  • Identify edge cases before handoff so components survive real operational complexity.
  • Represent layered data, parallel processes, and multi-state information without overwhelming the user.
  • Prioritize features deliberately to keep dense interfaces clean and functional.