Concept Note
Introduction
In today’s digital era, technology plays an important role in simplifying daily activities and improving the efficiency of various services. Online reservation systems have become increasingly popular because they provide users with a more convenient, organized, and time-saving experience. As technology continues to develop rapidly, service-based businesses such as barbershops are also beginning to adopt digital solutions to enhance customer satisfaction and improve service management.
UUM Barbershop is a mobile reservation application developed specifically for university students, staff members of Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), and residents living around the Sintok area. The application allows users to book haircut appointments online without having to spend long hours waiting at the barbershop. Through this system, customers can choose available time slots according to their personal schedule in a more efficient and systematic manner.
The development of the UUM Barbershop application aims to provide a smarter and more modern solution for haircut reservation services. The application not only helps users save time, but also assists barbershop owners in managing customer appointments more effectively. By implementing this digital reservation system, overcrowding at the barbershop can be reduced while improving the overall customer experience compared to the conventional walk-in method previously used.
Problem Statement
Nowadays, many barbershops around university areas still rely on traditional walk-in methods to serve customers. This conventional approach often causes customers to wait for long periods, especially during peak hours such as weekends or after class sessions. As a result, students and customers may waste a significant amount of time simply waiting for their turn to get a haircut.
In addition, university students usually have busy schedules filled with lectures, assignments, and campus activities. Without a proper reservation system, it becomes difficult for them to manage their time efficiently when visiting a barbershop. Customers are also unable to know the queue status in advance, which may lead to overcrowding and unpredictable waiting times.
Furthermore, barbershop owners face challenges in handling customer reservations manually because appointments are often managed through physical walk-ins or unorganized communication methods. This situation may result in overlapping appointments, poor customer flow management, and inefficient business operations. Therefore, the development of the UUM Barbershop application is proposed as a solution to improve the reservation process and create a more systematic, efficient, and user-friendly service for both customers and barbershop owners.
Project Goals & Future Solutions
The primary goal of the UUM Barbershop application is to modernize the haircut reservation process for the UUM community by replacing inefficient manual methods with a structured digital platform. To achieve this, the following objectives have been identified:
To develop a systematic real-time booking interface: To provide a user-friendly platform where students and staff can view available time slots and book appointments instantly, eliminating the need for physical presence to check for availability.
To optimize time management for the campus community: To significantly reduce the waiting time of customers by ensuring that each booking is tied to a specific time slot, allowing students to better balance their academic schedules and personal needs.
To streamline business operations for barbershop owners: To provide service providers with a digital dashboard to manage appointments, track daily customer flow, and prevent overlapping schedules, leading to more organized and professional business management.
To improve the overall customer experience through transparency: To provide users with clear information regarding service prices, barber availability, and booking status, ensuring a high level of trust and satisfaction within the UUM ecosystem.
Field Study & User Analysis
To understand the actual challenges faced by users at UUM, a field study was conducted through an online survey. A total of 54 respondents, primarily university members aged between 18 to 24 years old
Key Findings:
Current Habit: Despite the advancement of technology, the majority of users (55.6%) are still forced to rely on inefficient walk-in methods
. Primary Pain Point: The most significant issues identified are the uncertainty regarding barber availability (59.3%) and long waiting times even after a booking has been made (51.9%)
. User Expectation: Users prioritize speed and efficiency, with the majority demanding a simplified booking process (fewer than 3–5 steps) and the integration of a "Quick Book" feature
.
Empathy Map
Insights
- Insight 1: Users are highly sensitive to "hidden" wait times. Efficiency isn't just about booking; it's about the reliability of the scheduled time.
- Insight 2: For university students, simplicity is king. They prefer a 3-step booking flow over a feature-rich but complex app
- Insight 3: Transparency in both barber availability and pricing is the most requested improvement over current conventional methods.
How Might We (HMW) Statement:
How might we create a minimalist mobile booking experience that guarantees time certainty and provides real-time transparency for the UUM campus community?
User Persona
Design Process
The development of the UUM Barbershop application follows the Design Thinking approach to better understand user problems and create an effective solution. Design Thinking is a user-centered process that focuses on identifying user needs, generating ideas, developing prototypes, and testing solutions. This approach helps ensure that the application is designed based on real user experiences and expectations.
1. Empathize
During this phase, the team conducted interviews, surveys, and observations among university students and barbershop customers to understand the challenges they face when using traditional walk-in haircut services. The findings showed that users often experience long waiting times, overcrowded barbershops, and difficulties managing their schedules.
2. Define
Based on the information gathered from the research activities, the team identified the main problem faced by users. The major issue is the lack of an organized reservation system for haircut services, which causes inconvenience and inefficient time management for both customers and barbershop owners.
3. Ideate
In this phase, the team generated various ideas and possible solutions to solve the identified problems. Brainstorming techniques such as Lego Serious Play and Crazy 8’s sketching were used to explore creative ideas for the application features, user interface, and overall customer experience.
4. Prototype
5. Test
The clickable prototype was tested with several users to evaluate the usability and effectiveness of the application. Feedback and suggestions from users were collected to identify weaknesses and improve the overall user experience before finalizing the design.
Gantt Chart
Tools Used
1. Figma 
Figma was used to create the wireframe, user interface (UI) design, and clickable prototype for the UUM Barbershop application. It helped the team visualize the application layout and user interaction flow effectively.
2. Canva 
Canva was used to design presentation materials, Gantt charts, blog visuals, and project graphics. It helped improve the visual appearance of the project documentation and blog content.
3. Microsoft Word 
Microsoft Word was used to prepare written documentation such as the concept note, project descriptions, and usability testing reports.
4. Google Forms 
Google Forms was used to conduct surveys and collect feedback from users during the field study and usability testing phases.
5. Blogger 
Blogger (Blogspot) was used as the main platform to publish all project progress, including research findings, design processes, wireframes, and prototype updates.
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