Grubhub

Sponsored Ads

I designed an ad creation experience that allows Grubhub’s merchants to promote their stores to diners in high-traffic areas of the Grubhub app.

ROLE
Lead Product Designer

TEAM
Myself, (1) Product Manager, (1) Frontend Engineer, (2) Backend engineers, (1) Copy Partner, (1) Sales Partner

SKILLS
User Research, Wireframing, Prototyping, Data Visualization

Explore prototype

Problem

Grubhub had many offerings when it came to marketing tools for our restaurants like custom promotions, diner incentives, and loyalty perks.
But we were still behind competitors regarding our range of offerings.

HMW provide restaurants with more ways to attract diners on Grubhub while improving our competitive advantage?

Solution

I designed an intuitive and customizable sponsored ad creation flow for merchant partners. We introduced clear value propositions to highlight the benefits of sponsored ads and incorporated engaging visuals to demonstrate ad placements within the Grubhub app. The streamlined, single-page experience simplifies the process, allowing effortless customization of active dates, target customers, peak times, and budget settings.

Once live, users can manage their ads through a dedicated management page, where they can track key insights such as sales, impressions, return on ad spend, and customer breakdowns—empowering them to make data-driven decisions. Within the Grubhub app, ads are prominently placed at the top of search results and on the "Featured Finds" page.

Research

I compared our marketing offerings to other delivery platforms, such as DoorDash, UberEats, and Postmates.
Sponsored ads stood out as an important opportunity, where restaurants can bid to surface their business in high-traffic areas of a delivery app.

Goals

Customization

Empower merchants to optimize ad spending and reach the right audience.

Visibility

Introduce Ads in an area of the Grubhub portal where merchants can easily find it.

Simplicity

Make ad creation quick and effortless for our busy merchant partners.

Design Exploration

01 // Brainstorming

I collaborated with my partners to design a seamless solution for restaurants to launch sponsored ads on Grubhub. Understanding that restaurant operators are busy—many managing multiple locations—we prioritized an intuitive, low-effort ad creation process.

02 // Flow mapping

To enhance visibility, we introduced a dedicated ‘Ads’ page within the restaurant portal. Through flow mapping, I identified key customization options that provide restaurants with flexibility while keeping the setup simple. These options included active dates, targeted customers, specific timeframes, and monthly budgets—empowering businesses to optimize ad spending and reach the right audience with minimal effort.

03 // Wireframes

I outlined the value propositions for the Ads landing page and partnered with my copywriter to develop compelling messaging. Utilizing our design system, I built form components for the ad creation flow, designing new elements for day and time selection. To enhance efficiency and stand out from competitors' multi-page flows, I designed a streamlined single-page experience.

04 // High-fidelity designs

I focused on defining components, incorporating preview visuals to show where ads would surface, and providing data visualizations for performance insights. These refinements ensured clarity, engagement, and an intuitive experience for restaurant operators.