Chicago Knife Center
A digital experience built for professional chefs, Michelin-star restaurants, commercial knife rental clients, and walk-ins — focused on speed, trust, and precision.
Role
UX Designer | Product Designer | Banding Identity
Industry
Service Hospitality Business
Duration
6 months
Responsive landing page for the service hospitality -Restaurant knife-sharpening business.
Problem Statement:
Our premium sharpening service lacked a cohesive digital presence. Clients couldn’t book appointments easily, learn about service turnaround, or browse rental options. Michelin chefs demand reliability; walk-ins need education; everyone needs a smooth digital experience.
Chefs and restaurants struggled to find reliable, premium sharpening services online.
Walk-ins didn’t know where to go or how to trust the service.
No simple way for restaurants to manage knife rental programs or recurring orders.
Project Goal:
Build a digital presence that is as sharp, precise, and reliable as the service itself.
Research:
Methods:
User interviews with chefs, kitchen managers, and hobbyist cooks
Competitor analysis (local knife sharpeners, online services)
Shadowed drop-off customers to identify confusion points
Insights:
Professional chefs: Speed + reliability are non-negotiable
Culinary students/home cooks: Need education on knife care
Restaurants: Require account management for rentals & invoices
All users: Prefer mobile booking and real-time updates
Personas
Michelin Chef Marco: Needs knives sharpened weekly; values speed, loyalty programs.
Restaurant Ops Manager Linda: Manages 100+ knives; needs rental dashboard & scheduling.
Home Cook Alex: Walk-in, first-time, needs reassurance + education.
UX Goals
✅ Streamline booking flow (3 steps max).
✅ Create educational touchpoints for new customers.
✅ Build a commercial dashboard for rental clients.
✅ Design branding that reflects craftsmanship, trust, and sharp precision.
Information Architecture & User Flows
Homepage: Hero → Primary CTA (Book Sharpening / Explore Rental) → Service Highlights → Testimonials → Blog Snippets → Contact.
Booking Flow: Service → Time → Confirm & Pay.
Commercial Dashboard: Knife inventory → Pickup/Drop-off schedule → Billing & Reminders.
Visual Design Strategy
Colors:
Red (precision), Black (craftsmanship), White (purity/clean cut).
Typography:
Montserrat Bold for headlines (sharp, modern).
Open Sans for body text (clean, readable).
Brand Motifs:
Knife-edge dividers.
Subtle metallic textures.
Motion effects mimicking sparks from sharpening.
Prototype & Testing
Wireframes in Figma → Interactive Prototypes.
Tested with chefs (mobile booking).
Feedback: Simplify service options; add pickup reminders; make rental info prominent.
Final Design Features
Mobile-first booking system (with repeat order option).
Educational blog + guides (build trust with new users).
Restaurant dashboard with invoicing and service schedules.
Live chat support for urgent kitchen needs.
Results (Projected / Early Data)
Faster booking time (avg. 2 mins).
Conversion of 40% walk-ins into subscriptions.
Michelin-star restaurants enrolled in rental service.
Positive feedback from chefs: “Feels as precise as the service.”
Outcomes
+58% increase in bookings
60% walk-ins convert customers
22 Resturant clients onboarded
25+ 5-star review growth across Google
Lessons Learned
Professional clients prefer efficiency over aesthetics.
UX needs to mirror the craftsmanship of the service.
Education helps build trust and loyalty with walk-ins.
Next Steps
Loyalty/referral program.
Expand dashboard with knife lifespan tracking.
Integration with POS systems for restaurants.
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