AlwaysFive

AlwaysFive is a location-based happy hour finder app. The app allows users to browse through nearby bars and restaurants, find the best happy hour deals near them, access their menus, and read and write reviews about the places they have visited. Additionally, happy hour promotions have proven to be an excellent marketing strategy for local businesses to increase revenue, as well as a way for customers looking to save money.

After years of working behind the bar, I have firsthand experience of how much people, including myself, enjoy and seek out happy hour deals. However, there's a common challenge in finding bars and restaurants that offer these specials, as well as understanding the specifics of the deals they provide. At present, there are no apps on the market specifically dedicated to locating happy hours nearby.

We believe that by providing a multitude of options for users to browse and find the best deals nearby, our tool will become a go-to resource for planning events.

Furthermore, by offering the option to purchase drinks and food in advance, we anticipate that users will prefer this method, as it allows them to save money compared to buying individual items.

The Minimum Viable Product (MVP) under consideration is a local bars and restaurants finder. This app will enable users to discover the best happy hour deals nearby, access menus, and read and write reviews about the places they have visited.

The objective of this MVP is to earn the trust of users and enhance their experience at bars and restaurants. By allowing them to purchase drinks and food in advance, it ultimately aims to help them save money.

Brian, Jack & Julie, and Jake are user personas that fit within the demographics of our users. They all appreciate happy hour for diverse reasons and struggle to find the best option around them.

Combining a few jobs to be done, we mapped out the user flow below, which highlights key functionalities of the app, important pages, and the general navigation route users will take.

Three participants, all from different backgrounds and with different needs, tested AlwaysFive’s usability through a prototype. They were asked to execute a few tasks such as 'search for a bar nearby,' 'write a review,' and 'save a bar for the future,' among other tasks, to analyze the efficiency of the prototype and highlight areas that need improvement. The results highlighted the need to change some icons and the language presented on a couple of screens.

After years of working behind the bar, I know firsthand how much people, including myself, enjoy and seek happy hour deals. However, there's a common struggle to find bars and restaurants that offer them, and to understand the specifics of these deals. AlwaysFive solves these challenges by providing a location-based platform that enables users to easily find nearby bars offering happy hours, along with their menus and featured deals.