Fast food is all about convenience. No surprise that fast food brands gravitate towards a convenience medium like mobile phones.
Pizza Hut’s recently launched iPhone app requires setting up a simple account but is required only once. When this is complete the first interface is a choice on delivery time. Food categories are selected from a rotating carousel which includes ‘iFaves’ or previous saved orders which is a great feature not available on the Dominos application.
The main game is pizza topping and base selection. Pizza Hut opts for a landscape view which has more on-screen space for two rotating carousels of toppings and bases. This constant swiping through options recreates the feel of browsing through a real menu.
Domino’s have been advertising heavily over the past few months on mobile web and in apps for their iPhone app, which was released November 2009. After a similar signup process to Pizza Hut, the user is faced with a heirarcial menu of items, in a messy and cramped button format. There is a lot on the screen, though you are drawn to the red button for ‘Hot Pizzas’ mostly.
The navigation is generally clumsy however other areas such as individual product pages are similar to Pizza Hut. One element I liked was the in-house promotion ads (example below for Créme Brulee Puffle) to showcase new items. Another cool feature was being able to track the status of the order for the super keen.
Overall, the Pizza Hut app feels less cramped and is easier to navigate. The ability to save favourite orders is where this app becomes a time saver and more convenient than making a phone call (lets be honest, it’s not that hard).
The Pizza Hut app also had a game at the start .. Whilst I am not sure entirely why, it seems like it may have been designed to pass the time while you wait for your pizza to arrive or as another touchpoint to bring potential customers back to the app.
Either way, both are free and users will probably gravitate towards their favourite or local brand rather than the brand with the best app.
Download links:
* Pizza Hut
* Domino’s Pizza
To view the complete set of screenshots click here.
