Zonal: Aztec+

PROJECT CASE STUDY

Overview

Zonal provides technology solutions for the hospitality sector, including ordering, payments, and venue management systems used across the UK.
Aztec+ was a complete redesign of their legacy point-of-sale system, aimed at modernising the experience and maintaining Zonal’s competitive edge in an evolving market.

The goal was to create a responsive, intuitive POS product that supported restaurant and bar staff in fast-paced, high-pressure environments.

My Role

As Product Designer, I worked on the design discovery, UX strategy, responsive interface design, and developer handover.
I collaborated closely with product managers, subject matter experts, and engineering teams to deliver a scalable solution that would meet the needs of diverse hospitality venues.

Key responsibilities included:

  • Conducting competitor and pattern research

  • Defining key user journeys and jobs-to-be-done

  • Wireframing and prototyping complex flows

  • Building and documenting design system components for cross-device consistency

The Challenge

Zonal’s legacy POS system was widely used but had become outdated and inefficient.
Restaurant staff were juggling multiple orders, modifiers, and payments with a system that didn’t reflect modern UX standards or responsive needs.

Core problems:

  • Overly complex workflows slowed service during busy periods

  • Inconsistent layouts across devices

  • High learning curve for new staff

  • Limited scalability and maintainability for future features

Research & Discovery

Due to limited direct access to end users, I carried out extensive competitor research, analysing products such as Toast, Lightspeed, and Square POS to identify usability patterns and opportunities. I also reviewed Zonal’s existing solutions to understand user expectations and feature parity.

Through this, we identified several design priorities:

  • Minimise the number of taps and screens to complete core tasks

  • Improve clarity and touch-target spacing for handheld devices

  • Maintain visual and behavioural consistency across iOS and Android

This groundwork informed a set of UX principles focused on speed, clarity, and resilience under pressure.

Design Process

Mapping the Experience

I began by defining the key jobs-to-be-done — from placing orders to editing modifiers and handling payments.

Mapping these tasks as non-linear journeys allowed the design to support the real flow of service, where staff frequently switch between tables, tabs, and tasks.

Responsive, Touch-first Design

Aztec+ needed to run seamlessly across tablets, handheld devices, and fixed terminals.

I designed adaptive layouts that scaled fluidly while keeping core interactions consistent.

Special attention was given to gesture behaviour, input spacing, and quick-access actions to support rapid workflows.

Design System Development

Alongside feature design, I worked on building out a responsive design system for the new product.

This included reusable components, interaction guidelines, and detailed documentation for engineering.

The system provided a foundation for future POS products within Zonal, improving design consistency and development speed.

Collaboration & Handoff

Throughout the process, I partnered closely with engineering to ensure visual and functional accuracy.

I supported QA by creating detailed specs, responsive mock-ups, and edge-case documentation — ensuring each interaction worked as intended across device types.

Outcomes

Aztec+ represented a significant step forward in Zonal’s product ecosystem.

Impact:

  • Streamlined, intuitive workflows for hospitality staff

  • Reduced design and development overhead through a unified design system

  • Positioned Zonal competitively against new, modern POS platforms

While still in phased rollout, early pilot feedback highlighted improved ease of use and faster task completion.

Reflection

This project deepened my experience with complex, multi-device B2B products and reinforced the importance of designing for speed, scalability, and clarity.

Working without direct user access required a disciplined, research-driven approach and close collaboration with internal SMEs to ensure the design reflected real-world needs.

A native app experience.

Designed to work natively across a range of mobile and tablet devices both iOS, iPadOS and Android were considered in the design process.

“Diet Coke, No ice”…

Custom ordering straight to the bar or kitchen.

It is vital for hospitality efficiency that staff are able to take orders accurately. We designed a system that allowed operators to customise menu item options as well as adding modifier messages as instructions to the kitchen or bar.

Bespoke dual-screen technology.

Concept designs for a dual-screen POS system that would allow hospitality and hotel staff to check-in/ checkout customers through a single seamless booking experience.

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