Vinnie VanGoGo’s
Redesigning Savannah’s oldest pizzeria for tourists
The Wrong Story for a Great Restaurant
Vinnie Van Go Go’s is a historic Savannah landmark, but its website made it difficult for tourists to understand what made it worth visiting. The redesign focused on making discovery, exploration, and visit planning clearer.
My Role
As Team Lead and UX Researcher, I led the research and information architecture while keeping the team aligned through regular feedback sessions. I synthesized findings into clear priorities that guided UX writing, SEO, content strategy, and key experience decisions.
See how it works
I Started by Understanding Who We Were Designing For
Before redesigning the experience, I wanted to understand who was actually using the website, what they were looking for, and what shaped their decision to visit.
I don’t just want a good meal, I want to feel the story behind the place.
+30 Interviews
5 Hours of Observation
Tourists Were the Real Audience
Research revealed that tourists relied on the website to decide whether Vinnie Van Go Go’s was worth visiting, but the experience wasn’t giving them what they needed to make that decision.
How I Challenged Our First Assumption
We assumed locals ordering online were the primary audience. I used interviews and observation to test whether that assumption reflected how the website was actually being used.
I Used Jobs-to-be-Done to Uncover the Real Goal
Tourists weren't just browsing a website, they were trying to make a decision. Framing the research this way kept every design choice tied to that decision.
Exploring Savannah
Understand what makes this place worth visiting
Confidently decide if it belongs in my trip
I Mapped What Tourists Needed to Make a Decision
I synthesized the research into five needs that shaped the experience from discovery to visit.
-
Discover
Understand what the restaurant offers
-
Connect
Learn its story and historic identity
-
Experience
See the atmosphere and visual character
-
Explore
Find nearby landmarks and attractions
-
Visit
Plan the trip with location and details
How I Turned Different Opinions Into a Research Question
The team had different opinions about what information to prioritize. Instead of choosing based on assumptions, I used our feedback session to align on one question: What matters most to tourists?
I Let Tourists Shape the Structure
I used card sorting to understand how tourists grouped information and what they expected to find first.
I Turned Their Priorities Into Structure
I reorganized the information architecture around what tourists valued most, creating clearer paths to the menu, story, nearby attractions, and visit information.
I Designed Around What Tourists Needed First
I explored different layouts to bring high-priority information forward and reduce the steps between discovery and visit planning.
I Wrote the Way Tourists Search
I used tourist search behavior to shape headings, navigation, and UX writing, balancing discoverability with a friendly, local voice.
Designing the Feeling Before the Visit
Based on tourist feedback and visual preference research, We selected brick red, warm cream, and vintage-inspired tones to reflect Savannah’s historic character and create the feeling of the restaurant before the visit.
Testing If We Solved the Right Problem
We tested the first prototype with 5 tourists across 3 key tasks to understand if the experience matched their needs. The results revealed areas where visitors struggled with navigation, finding key information, and planning their visit.
Turning User Feedback Into a Better Experience
User testing revealed where tourists needed more clarity when discovering the restaurant and planning their visit. We refined the design to make key information easier to understand and access.
Hero Image
Replaced the image to better capture the restaurant’s historic atmosphere and first impression.
Hero CTAs
Added “Explore Our Menu” and “Visit Us” to help tourists quickly access the information they need.
Navigation Label
Changed “Connect With Us” to “Visit Us” to better reflect how visitors plan their trip.
Validating the Improved Experience
A second round of testing confirmed that the redesign better supported tourists in discovering the restaurant, finding key information, and planning their visit.
of participants completed the tasks successfully
How does the redesign bring more tourists to Vinnie VanGoGo's?
The redesign removed key barriers for first time visitors by improving discoverability, clarifying the restaurant’s identity, and making it easier for tourists to confidently choose Vinnie VanGoGo’s.
Visitors Found What They Needed Faster
93% of users successfully completed key tasks during testing.
How A clearer information architecture helped users quickly find the menu, location, story, and essential details.
Tourists Recognized Its Historic Identity
Visitors understood what makes Vinnie VanGoGo's unique.
How The hero section, historical imagery, and storytelling highlighted its heritage and Savannah character.
Visitors Explored More of Savannah
Tourists could discover more around the restaurant.
How The Explore Nearby feature connected Vinnie VanGoGo's with nearby historic landmarks.
The Website Became Easier to Discover
The experience better matched how tourists search online.
How UX writing and SEO improvements aligned content with visitor search needs.
Reflection
This project helped me understand the importance of structuring information and designing clear information architecture. I learned that even simple content becomes difficult to use when it is not organized around user needs, especially for first time visitors.
The team behind Vinnie VanGoGo's
I was lucky to work alongside two talented teammates who brought different perspectives, ideas, and strengths to the redesign.
- Xiaoming ZhangPrototype Designer
- Lujia XuUI Designer
- Maryam EyvaziTeam Lead & UX Researcher
