Mcdonald’s sponsored project: Mcwonder

Overview

A speculative experience design concept for McDonald’s focused on transforming routine family dining into a more meaningful and interactive experience through play, exploration, and delayed engagement.

Timeline: 10 weeks
Team: 5 Designers
Role: UX/UI Design, Animation, Research Synthesis, Interaction Design, Storytelling
Tools: Figma, Illustrator, Prototyping, Journey Mapping

The Challenge

McDonald’s is highly convenient for families, but that convenience can also make the experience feel repetitive and transactional rather than memorable.

We explored:

  • How might we make McDonald’s feel exciting again?

  • How might we reduce stress for parents during ordering?

  • How might we create digital interactions that encourage family engagement?

Research Insights

From our research, we uncovered three key behavioral insights:

1. Convenience dominates the experience

Families often visit McDonald’s for speed and familiarity, not novelty.

2. Parents experience cognitive overload while ordering

Ordering food with children is chaotic, making it difficult to engage with “fun” experiences in the moment.

3. Educational entertainment feels more meaningful

Parents are more comfortable with screen-based engagement when it feels interactive or educational rather than passive distraction.

The Solution (McWonder)

McWonder is an interactive mini-game integrated into the McDonald’s app where families guess global McDonald’s locations through clues, cultural hints, and unique menu items.

The experience:

  • Begins during ordering

  • Can be delayed until later to reduce stress

  • Encourages collaborative play between parents and children

  • Rewards users with points, unlockables, badges, and cultural discoveries