TGI Fridays’ Digital Transformation Journey

TGI Fridays approached Onetree with the ambitious vision of integrating virtual brand concepts into their traditional digital experience. After acquiring a portion of C3 Company, TGI faced the challenge of seamlessly incorporating ghost kitchens and virtual kitchens into their existing digital ecosystem. This task was complex, as each virtual brand had its own distinct identity, yet needed to coexist harmoniously within the overarching TGI Fridays brand. The goal was to enhance the customer experience while maintaining the unique essence of each virtual brand.
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Initial Assessment and Strategic Planning

To address these challenges, Onetree initiated a comprehensive analysis of TGI Fridays’ current digital infrastructure, including technology, internal processes, data flow, change management capacity, and organizational agility. This analysis revealed a critical need for a transition towards agile product development methodologies, which would enable TGI to rapidly adapt to market changes and customer demands, ultimately unlocking new avenues for business growth.

Onetree adopted a data-driven, customer-centric approach, prioritizing the redesign of TGI Fridays’ digital platforms. The process began with a thorough UX analysis of both the corporate website, tgifridays.com, and the online ordering platform, order.tgifridays.com.

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Expert Review and User testing

The UX analysis included an expert review, where usability experts conducted a heuristic evaluation to identify potential usability issues. This review focused on assessing the ease of navigation, clarity of information, and overall user satisfaction. Key findings revealed areas where users experienced friction, such as during the menu browsing and ordering processes. These insights were instrumental in guiding design improvements aimed at enhancing user satisfaction and reducing cognitive load.

In addition to the expert review, We conducted user testing sessions with a diverse group of users. These sessions involved observing real users as they interacted with the platforms, allowing the team to gather qualitative data on user behaviors, preferences, and pain points. The feedback collected was invaluable in refining the design to better meet the needs of TGI Fridays’ target audience.

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Accessibility Audit and Enhancements

The UX analysis also identified significant gaps in accessibility, particularly in the purchasing process. To address these issues, Onetree proposed and conducted a comprehensive accessibility audit, aligned with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

Accessibility Audit

The audit involved a multi-faceted approach, including both automated and manual testing methods. Automated tools were used to quickly identify common accessibility issues, such as missing alt text for images, insufficient color contrast, and non-compliant form labels. Manual testing was then conducted to uncover more nuanced issues, such as keyboard navigation difficulties and screen reader compatibility challenges.

Implementation of Accessibility Improvements

Based on the audit findings, Onetree recommended a series of design and technological actions to ensure compliance with WCAG guidelines. These included:

• Design Adjustments: Enhancing color contrast, increasing font sizes, and ensuring that all interactive elements are easily distinguishable.
• Semantic HTML: Structuring the HTML code to provide meaningful context for screen readers, improving the overall accessibility for visually impaired users.
• Keyboard Navigation: Ensuring that all functionality is accessible via keyboard, allowing users with motor disabilities to navigate the site effectively.
• Alt Text and ARIA Labels: Providing descriptive alt text for images and using ARIA labels to improve screen reader interpretation of dynamic content.

These enhancements aimed to create an inclusive, barrier-free experience for all users, regardless of their abilities.

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Digital Transformation and Implementation

Armed with the insights from the UX analysis and accessibility audit, Onetree identified the need for a comprehensive digital transformation that would address three key dimensions: market, user, and product.‍

Market Dimension

Onetree focused on aligning TGI Fridays’ digital presence with emerging market trends, particularly the growing demand for online ordering and delivery services. This involved integrating the virtual brand concepts in a way that would appeal to modern consumers while preserving TGI’s brand integrity.

User Dimension

The user dimension centered on enhancing the overall customer experience. Onetree worked on streamlining the user journey from discovery to purchase, reducing friction points, and ensuring that the digital platforms were intuitive and user-friendly.

Product Dimension

Finally, the product dimension focused on ensuring that TGI’s digital platforms were flexible, scalable, and capable of supporting future growth. This involved re-architecting the backend systems to accommodate the integration of virtual kitchens and other innovative concepts, while also maintaining the ability to quickly deploy updates and new features.

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