I reviewed the Subway mobile app for IOS. The Subway app allows the user to order ahead at a Subway restaurant. I have used this app numerous times to order food for my family, especially in situations where picking up the food and delivering to family members is time-sensitive. The app certainty beats handwriting down, or even texting, the orders of six family members and telling the ‘sandwich artist’ behind the counter the exact order, but has problems with its design, usability, and functionality.
When evaluating this application, the first observation is the density, or busyness of the design. The main screen of the app is littered with information and options, as seen in Figure 1. One option that could go unnoticed is the option to which location to order from, which is at the very top of the screen. If you miss this selection, once starting the order, it is nearly impossible to change the location, forcing you to ‘Force Close’ the app and start over. This has caused issues for me on more than one occasion, including accidentally sending an order to the wrong Subway restaurant. Outside of this functionality issue, adding additional items order works relatively well. The user is given a set of options related to sandwich types and can then customize the order by selecting bread, toppings, and add-ons, as seen in Figures 2, 3, and 4.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
With that said, my wife found this component of the app extremely irritating and refuses to use it.
Besides the design challenges with selecting a location, the usability and functionality also struggle when placing the order, as seen in Figure 5. It is easy to accidentally place the order before you have completed adding your items. This has also happened to me and required that I submit a second order to feed my family. Also, like the location issue, there is no way within the app to cancel an in-progress order, and even today, as I type this discussion post, I accidentally ordered a sandwich that I must pick up. That brings me to the final issue. Even if you do cancel the order from the location, it is almost impossible to receive credit back through the PayPal payment system for an ordering error. The only option available is to contact the store directly, but they have no way to credit the transaction through PayPal.
Figure 5
In summary, the Subway app serves a purpose and does improve the user experience when needing to place large orders that are time-sensitive at the restaurant. Still, the app itself suffers from design, usability, and functionality issues that create almost as much frustration as trying to place the order for six different sandwiches in a packed Subway on a Saturday.