ZeroCater Marketplace

Designing a comprehensive vendor marketplace connecting restaurants, caterers, and office food programs with seamless ordering and management tools.

Role:Product Designer & Front-End Engineer
At:ZeroCater
Year:2015-2017
Platforms & Tools
ReactWebMobileAPI Integration
Focus Areas
Marketplace DesignVendor OnboardingOrder ManagementUX Research
ZeroCater Marketplace platform interface

The marketplace platform that opened ZeroCater's curated network to hundreds of new restaurant partners.

The Challenge

ZeroCater needed to scale beyond curated catering partnerships to create a comprehensive marketplace where any restaurant or caterer could join the platform. The challenge was designing a dual-sided marketplace that served both vendors seeking new customers and offices needing reliable food service options.

As the lead designer and front-end engineer, I needed to create intuitive experiences for vendor onboarding, menu management, order processing, and customer discovery while maintaining ZeroCater's quality standards.

ZeroCater marketplace dashboard interface

Comprehensive dashboard for managing marketplace orders, vendors, and customer relationships.

Design Process & Iterations

The marketplace required extensive iteration and testing to balance the needs of restaurants, caterers, and office customers. Through user research, competitive analysis, and rapid prototyping, we developed a platform that simplified complex marketplace dynamics.

ZeroCater marketplace design iterations and wireframes

Iterative design process showing evolution from initial wireframes to final marketplace interface, exploring different approaches to restaurant discovery and ordering flows.

Research & Discovery

  • • Interviewed 25+ restaurant owners about their catering pain points and digital ordering needs
  • • Analyzed competitor platforms (Grubhub, Seamless, Eat24) to identify marketplace best practices
  • • Conducted user testing with office managers to understand discovery and ordering preferences
  • • Mapped vendor onboarding journeys to identify friction points and optimization opportunities

Key Design Decisions

  • • Simplified vendor onboarding with progressive disclosure and smart defaults
  • • Created unified menu management system supporting different restaurant formats
  • • Designed discovery algorithms balancing quality, availability, and customer preferences
  • • Built order management dashboard streamlining communication between all parties

Cross-Platform Implementation

The marketplace needed to work seamlessly across all devices and contexts. Restaurant partners needed mobile-friendly interfaces for on-the-go order management, while office administrators required comprehensive desktop dashboards for planning and oversight.

ZeroCater marketplace desktop interface showing restaurant listings and ordering options

Desktop Platform

Comprehensive marketplace interface optimized for office administrators managing large-scale catering orders and vendor relationships.

ZeroCater marketplace mobile interface

Mobile Experience

Restaurant-focused mobile interface enabling vendors to manage menus, track orders, and communicate with customers from anywhere.

Technical Architecture & Engineering Collaboration

Frontend Implementation
  • • React-based responsive components with shared design system
  • • Real-time order updates using WebSocket connections
  • • Progressive Web App features for mobile restaurant partners
  • • Optimistic UI updates for improved perceived performance
Design-Engineering Process
  • • Direct implementation of designs in React codebase
  • • Collaborative API design with backend engineering team
  • • Component-driven development with Storybook documentation
  • • A/B testing framework for marketplace optimization

Results & Business Impact

300+
Vendors Onboarded
First 6 months post-launch
40%
Order Volume Increase
Compared to curated-only model
85%
Vendor Satisfaction
Post-onboarding survey results
60%
Faster Onboarding
Reduced from 2 weeks to 3 days

Vendor Feedback

"The marketplace onboarding was incredibly smooth. We went from signing up to receiving our first orders in just two days. The interface makes it easy to manage our menu and track orders."
— Local Restaurant Partner

Customer Impact

"Having access to so many more restaurant options transformed our office lunch program. The variety keeps everyone happy, and the ordering process is seamless."
— Office Manager, Tech Company