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

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.

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.

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.

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

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
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