Design Studio
Semester 1.2
︎week 9
︎ Week 9.1
Based on your first 7 weeks...
Based on your first 7 weeks...
- What did you learn from working with students from different disciplines?
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How did cross-collaboration contribute to the project’s success
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Were there any misunderstandings or communication barriers? How did you overcome them?
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Did cross-collaboration lead to new insights or unexpected outcomes?
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Have the role you resonate with changed in any way, why?
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What worked for you?
- What don’t?
1. Learning with students from different disciplines does really challenge our communication skills between members. One of the most obvious differences is the diversity of perspectives all of the members have. For instance, we need to come up with touchpoints for certain pain points, but it requires a lot of discussion and agreement before going on to an agreed idea. As a result, working with people from other fields exposes me to a variety of viewpoints and ways of thinking. Since we each bring our distinctive perspectives to the table, variety can encourage more original and imaginative problem-solving.
2. With diverse opinions and ideas from one another, as well as a variety of different backgrounds, this improved our problem-solving skills. Since we approach problems from multiple angles, this leads to more innovative solutions and better problem-solving outcomes. Different viewpoints and experiences can uncover insights that may not have been apparent otherwise.
3. Having different backgrounds and ways of thinking from one another would always have obstacles coming through throughout discussions, like misunderstandings of ideas and communicating it smoothly to an agreement. One of the ways we tried to overcome that obstacle was to conduct regular meetings and check-ups on each other’s progress, address concerns, and clarify any misunderstandings. We felt that having regular meetings/calls allows us to ask questions and seek clarification.
4. Working with different members, I have discovered some new skills that I have never explored before, enhancing my creative thinking.
5. In the beginning, I set my role as a member who would lead, but throughout the process, it changed slowly. One of the members slowly takes over/is in charge, if the situation requires fast thinking of solutions or steps to do. However, I sometimes still take the lead in terms of tasks for each member, and schedules if it went out of schedule.
6. Throughout the whole project’s journey, one thing that worked for me was learning new skills.
7. Being the leader of the group.
2. With diverse opinions and ideas from one another, as well as a variety of different backgrounds, this improved our problem-solving skills. Since we approach problems from multiple angles, this leads to more innovative solutions and better problem-solving outcomes. Different viewpoints and experiences can uncover insights that may not have been apparent otherwise.
3. Having different backgrounds and ways of thinking from one another would always have obstacles coming through throughout discussions, like misunderstandings of ideas and communicating it smoothly to an agreement. One of the ways we tried to overcome that obstacle was to conduct regular meetings and check-ups on each other’s progress, address concerns, and clarify any misunderstandings. We felt that having regular meetings/calls allows us to ask questions and seek clarification.
4. Working with different members, I have discovered some new skills that I have never explored before, enhancing my creative thinking.
5. In the beginning, I set my role as a member who would lead, but throughout the process, it changed slowly. One of the members slowly takes over/is in charge, if the situation requires fast thinking of solutions or steps to do. However, I sometimes still take the lead in terms of tasks for each member, and schedules if it went out of schedule.
6. Throughout the whole project’s journey, one thing that worked for me was learning new skills.
7. Being the leader of the group.
︎ Week 9.2
︎ LS:N Global Article Summary - Beauty, Health and Wellness Trend
Before beginning to discuss our new studio project with the new group, the lecturers asked us to read an article from LS:N Global to summarize it. The article covers the trends that are happening in the present and also in the upcoming future. This is called Trends Rising, which is the nascent trend forecast to grow across the beauty, health, and wellness sectors in the next 1 to 3 years.
︎Trends Rising
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Since the article covers a lot of breakdowns of examples within the Trends Rising sector, we decided to summarize them one by one instead of discussing them as a whole. From the reading and trying to understand, I realized that advanced actions have been done and planned for further innovations.
︎Longevity Lifestyles (microtrends)
Longevity lifestyles mean that the health, beauty, and wellbeing sectors are embracing longevity as consumers awaken to the possibility of living not only longer, but healthier lives.
“On average, people spend about 50% of their lives in less-than-good health, including 12% in poor health, and ‘this ratio has not changed much in the past 50 years”, a McKinsey Health Institute report notes.
According to Lucy Goff, founder of wellness tech company Lyma, “Pharmaceuticals are helping us survive but not necessarily thrive”.
Longevity isn’t merely an innovation that delays death, but one that optimizes life.
︎ LS:N Global Article Summary - Beauty, Health and Wellness Trend
Before beginning to discuss our new studio project with the new group, the lecturers asked us to read an article from LS:N Global to summarize it. The article covers the trends that are happening in the present and also in the upcoming future. This is called Trends Rising, which is the nascent trend forecast to grow across the beauty, health, and wellness sectors in the next 1 to 3 years.
︎Trends Rising
Since the article covers a lot of breakdowns of examples within the Trends Rising sector, we decided to summarize them one by one instead of discussing them as a whole. From the reading and trying to understand, I realized that advanced actions have been done and planned for further innovations.
︎Longevity Lifestyles (microtrends)
Longevity lifestyles mean that the health, beauty, and wellbeing sectors are embracing longevity as consumers awaken to the possibility of living not only longer, but healthier lives.
“On average, people spend about 50% of their lives in less-than-good health, including 12% in poor health, and ‘this ratio has not changed much in the past 50 years”, a McKinsey Health Institute report notes.
According to Lucy Goff, founder of wellness tech company Lyma, “Pharmaceuticals are helping us survive but not necessarily thrive”.
Longevity isn’t merely an innovation that delays death, but one that optimizes life.
︎Drivers
Drivers are a renewed sense of purpose, ever-shifting identities and the rise of self-help and self-care are driving new conversations about health and life expansion. Similar to Trends Rising, Drivers have a lot of categories we can break down to summarize.
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with 5 different sections, we were able to see the different kinds of sectors and observe how they shift throughout the generations.
︎Insight
Insight is the beauty, health, and wellness brands that are turning to science and advanced technologies to create reliable, accessible, and nurturing longevity products and services.
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︎Foresight
In the next decade, longevity practices will be accelerated by new, intelligent technologies, and consumer attitudes to longevity – and death – will change as the prospect of immortality is explored further
Drivers are a renewed sense of purpose, ever-shifting identities and the rise of self-help and self-care are driving new conversations about health and life expansion. Similar to Trends Rising, Drivers have a lot of categories we can break down to summarize.
with 5 different sections, we were able to see the different kinds of sectors and observe how they shift throughout the generations.
︎Insight
Insight is the beauty, health, and wellness brands that are turning to science and advanced technologies to create reliable, accessible, and nurturing longevity products and services.
︎Foresight
In the next decade, longevity practices will be accelerated by new, intelligent technologies, and consumer attitudes to longevity – and death – will change as the prospect of immortality is explored further
︎ 9.2: Studio project progress
After some introductory activities, we finally started discussing our studio project. We should take on the role of a design division in a chosen organization. The objective is to elevate its products or services to new heights through innovative and user-centric service design solutions. Embarking on a transformative journey for our chosen organization to reimagine its offerings and address its specific objectives propelling beyond its current standing in the market. The first thing we did was to brainstorm different kinds of brands/services/businesses and see how they are doing in the market in the past, present, and future prediction trends. The brands we came up with were:
these are some pain points we briefly discussed and researched focusing on Kodak, Lovisa, and Revlon.
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At first, we thought that all we had to do was choose from among the brands we investigated that were "failing" in the market. We were overly focused on the companies and their products and services that had fallen behind in market trends. Because of this, we focused excessively on the chosen (yellow dots) brands and barely considered any other brands. Even though we were almost in agreement to take Kodak, following further debate and research into the brand, it turned out to be quite challenging and tricky to further develop the brand. We underestimated Kodak's presence in the market since we erroneously assumed that they only produced film cameras, which made it clear that there were many pain points we could address and opportunities to elevate Kodak. Thus, we decided to look at other brands again instead of locking in too quickly.
︎week 10
︎ Week 10.1
This week, we finally came up with our chosen brand which is one of Singapore’s coffee chains, Flash Coffee. Flash Coffe claims itself as
With its popping color branding, Flash Coffee has made a lot of appearances around Singapore, Indonesia, Korea, and Hong Kong. However, we decided to only focus on Flash Coffee’s performance in Singapore.
Since we decided on FC, we did some research and breakdown of information on FC’s overall business concept and their performance in Singapore and outside of Singapore. Our main objective would be still to stand by the company’s mission to broaden access to premium coffee for consumers across Asia using the power of technology.
![Basic findings on FC in general]()
︎ Ongoing research/findings
From what we have found on the internet, FC does really claim itself heavily as a tech-based company, whereas they used their app as their main tech element which “differs” themselves from the other competitors. The main objective of building their own app is to ensure quick and efficient ordering time and processes or to order in a “flash”. The consumers could order and pay directly via their own app. Aside from its ordering processes, its app also offers personalized promotions and loyalty programs to consumers.
In just about 3 years of operating its business, Flash Coffee has opened about 200 chain stores globally:
However, Flash Coffee’s performance is not doing so well in Singapore, yet it’s profitable in Indonesia.
With that, we are trying to dig deeper into the reason behind Flash Coffee’s market imbalances within Singapore and other chains outside Singapore, which creates the question:
︎ How can we improve Flash Coffee's sales and performance in Singapore such that it stands out among its competitors in the coffee sector?
Since Flash Coffee performs the best in Indonesia, we made an effort to examine their performance there as well. It appears that Singapore's coffee drinkers emphasize both experience and coffee quality, so they tend to pay a little more, but they can receive both for their money. On the other hand, the majority of coffee drinkers in Indonesia typically choose quick, easy, and inexpensive coffee. They only purchase coffee in order to "recharge" themselves.
While researching, we also slowly came up with ideas on possible service solutions. We have not really dived into breaking down the solutions, it was just an immediate idea that came up throughout the research.
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︎ Main Competitor
For comparison, we also examine Luckin Coffee, the "Starbucks of China," which is Flash Coffee's primary rival in the market. The CEO of Flash Coffee was initially greatly influenced by Luckin Coffee's use of technology in running its stores. We also go into Luckin Coffee and the reasons behind its remarkable success. We also examined Flash Coffee's primary rival since, despite their attempts to apply a comparable concept, it would enable us to determine what went wrong with Flash Coffee.
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︎ Consultation comments
In this week’s consultation, we received a lot of questions and comments from the lecturer regarding the basic background information on Flash Coffee as well as in terms of statistics. From the consultation, we received these questions to help our research journey:
1. Understand the company on a financial basis first.
2. Looking into the Flash Coffees situation in Jakarta, Indonesia.
3. What is the company asset? What and how do they earn?
4. Understand their core asset and what is their main asset.
5. Are they a tech company or a coffee company?
6. Define if they are doing well or not.
7. What is their level? - feels like a startup that is able to gain funding.
8. Are they strong in Jakarta? but weak in other countries?
9. Maybe coffee is not their main income & asset.
This week, we finally came up with our chosen brand which is one of Singapore’s coffee chains, Flash Coffee. Flash Coffe claims itself as
“one of Asia's fastest growing tech-enabled coffee chains.”
With its popping color branding, Flash Coffee has made a lot of appearances around Singapore, Indonesia, Korea, and Hong Kong. However, we decided to only focus on Flash Coffee’s performance in Singapore.
Since we decided on FC, we did some research and breakdown of information on FC’s overall business concept and their performance in Singapore and outside of Singapore. Our main objective would be still to stand by the company’s mission to broaden access to premium coffee for consumers across Asia using the power of technology.
︎ Ongoing research/findings
From what we have found on the internet, FC does really claim itself heavily as a tech-based company, whereas they used their app as their main tech element which “differs” themselves from the other competitors. The main objective of building their own app is to ensure quick and efficient ordering time and processes or to order in a “flash”. The consumers could order and pay directly via their own app. Aside from its ordering processes, its app also offers personalized promotions and loyalty programs to consumers.
In just about 3 years of operating its business, Flash Coffee has opened about 200 chain stores globally:
- Singapore
- Indonesia
- Thailand
- Hong Kong
- inSouth Korea
However, Flash Coffee’s performance is not doing so well in Singapore, yet it’s profitable in Indonesia.
“With 100% of our 92 stores in Indonesia being profitable, we have found a solid product market fit and are eager to expand our presence into additional cities in Indonesia to further drive sustainable growth.“
With that, we are trying to dig deeper into the reason behind Flash Coffee’s market imbalances within Singapore and other chains outside Singapore, which creates the question:
︎ How can we improve Flash Coffee's sales and performance in Singapore such that it stands out among its competitors in the coffee sector?
Since Flash Coffee performs the best in Indonesia, we made an effort to examine their performance there as well. It appears that Singapore's coffee drinkers emphasize both experience and coffee quality, so they tend to pay a little more, but they can receive both for their money. On the other hand, the majority of coffee drinkers in Indonesia typically choose quick, easy, and inexpensive coffee. They only purchase coffee in order to "recharge" themselves.
While researching, we also slowly came up with ideas on possible service solutions. We have not really dived into breaking down the solutions, it was just an immediate idea that came up throughout the research.
︎ Main Competitor
For comparison, we also examine Luckin Coffee, the "Starbucks of China," which is Flash Coffee's primary rival in the market. The CEO of Flash Coffee was initially greatly influenced by Luckin Coffee's use of technology in running its stores. We also go into Luckin Coffee and the reasons behind its remarkable success. We also examined Flash Coffee's primary rival since, despite their attempts to apply a comparable concept, it would enable us to determine what went wrong with Flash Coffee.
︎ Consultation comments
In this week’s consultation, we received a lot of questions and comments from the lecturer regarding the basic background information on Flash Coffee as well as in terms of statistics. From the consultation, we received these questions to help our research journey:
1. Understand the company on a financial basis first.
2. Looking into the Flash Coffees situation in Jakarta, Indonesia.
3. What is the company asset? What and how do they earn?
4. Understand their core asset and what is their main asset.
5. Are they a tech company or a coffee company?
6. Define if they are doing well or not.
7. What is their level? - feels like a startup that is able to gain funding.
8. Are they strong in Jakarta? but weak in other countries?
9. Maybe coffee is not their main income & asset.
︎ Week 10.2
To fully understand and experience both Flash Coffee and Luckin Coffee’s tech-enabled store operation, we decided to do some field research. However, it was unfortunate that Flash Coffee went on strike at a period when we visited some of their stores. Thus, we were only able to visit Luckin Coffee.
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It was such a new experience we have experienced. We could really feel how it was all based on techs. To order, we should order via app, and once the order is ready, we could collect the drink by just scanning the automated generated barcode given to us after we pay in the app at the designated collection area. The whole process was very fast and efficient, and the fact that we should not really socialize with the cashier was a plus point.
After experiencing Flash Coffee’s main competitor we finally can tell a lot of pain points where Flash Coffee was lacking in the market. Though both coffee chains use the app as their main tech element, how they operate the whole experience is very different.
︎ Consultation comments
Here are the comments and questions we should research more deeply on Flash Coffee’s current and future trends:
To fully understand and experience both Flash Coffee and Luckin Coffee’s tech-enabled store operation, we decided to do some field research. However, it was unfortunate that Flash Coffee went on strike at a period when we visited some of their stores. Thus, we were only able to visit Luckin Coffee.
“To facilitate this renewed focus, we ceased operations in Singapore yesterday, comprising 11 stores out of our (around) 200 global stores”
Flash Coffee closed down during a site visit day
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Luckin Coffee ordering process
Luckin Coffee ordering process
It was such a new experience we have experienced. We could really feel how it was all based on techs. To order, we should order via app, and once the order is ready, we could collect the drink by just scanning the automated generated barcode given to us after we pay in the app at the designated collection area. The whole process was very fast and efficient, and the fact that we should not really socialize with the cashier was a plus point.
After experiencing Flash Coffee’s main competitor we finally can tell a lot of pain points where Flash Coffee was lacking in the market. Though both coffee chains use the app as their main tech element, how they operate the whole experience is very different.
︎ Consultation comments
Here are the comments and questions we should research more deeply on Flash Coffee’s current and future trends:
1. What trend did they find in the beginning for them to even start this service?
2. What value are they adding?
3. Find the current coffee trends in SG or find habits/behaviors/trends that the target audience has right now.
4. How many office workers actually do touch and go? What are their other coffee-drinking habits?
5. What are they using the tech for now? (tech is just a tool) past - they used this tech on a touch-and-go basis. present -? The touch-and-go is just one portion of it.
6. Question the narrative he has in the beginning. How does Flash tell the coffee story?
7. Is the app the only way to tell the story?
2. What value are they adding?
3. Find the current coffee trends in SG or find habits/behaviors/trends that the target audience has right now.
4. How many office workers actually do touch and go? What are their other coffee-drinking habits?
5. What are they using the tech for now? (tech is just a tool) past - they used this tech on a touch-and-go basis. present -? The touch-and-go is just one portion of it.
6. Question the narrative he has in the beginning. How does Flash tell the coffee story?
7. Is the app the only way to tell the story?
︎week 11
︎ Week 11.1
This week, since we have quite a strong idea of what to research in terms of primary and secondary resources, we decided to slowly come up with possible survey questions to brainstorm on. While brainstorming on the survey questions, we also did some more online research, with information on the reason why they closed down recently in Singapore.
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these are the finalized survey questions we planned on distributing to the public. We decided to divide the questions into sections; the first section is on the working and the studying group, whereas the second section is the one who HAS and HAS NOT drunk/tried Flash Coffee before. Dividing it into different sections would allow a more detailed answer as well as a deeper understanding of the respondent’s preference and point of view in a detailed manner.
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This week, since we have quite a strong idea of what to research in terms of primary and secondary resources, we decided to slowly come up with possible survey questions to brainstorm on. While brainstorming on the survey questions, we also did some more online research, with information on the reason why they closed down recently in Singapore.
this picture (above) are some of the updates and news articles regarding the closure of Flash Coffee in Singapore. Some articles showed that the reason it closed down was due to the workers' unpaid salaries, but it was declared that the main reason for Flash Coffee’s closure was not that. Though some of the explanations for Singapore’s Flash Coffee closure were not related to the pain point we’re trying to tackle, this could help a bit in understanding the working ethics/flow of Flash Coffee in Singapore specifically.
these are the finalized survey questions we planned on distributing to the public. We decided to divide the questions into sections; the first section is on the working and the studying group, whereas the second section is the one who HAS and HAS NOT drunk/tried Flash Coffee before. Dividing it into different sections would allow a more detailed answer as well as a deeper understanding of the respondent’s preference and point of view in a detailed manner.
Click for the survey:
︎ https://forms.gle/Ek31w1Qc3vtj8zGc9
︎ https://forms.gle/Ek31w1Qc3vtj8zGc9
While waiting for respondents to the surveys, we were also slowly working on the possible services (brainstorms). Moreover, we also went outside to Singapore’s CBD area and searched for office workers to fill in our surveys. Visiting it on our own its direct site quickened the survey process as well as we were able to talk a bit about their opinions on Flash Coffee. There was one most memorable comment on Flash Coffee from one of Lazada’s workers which says,
Not only that, but as we approached our potential respondents, and introduced it’s about Flash Coffee, some of them have a bad perception already about it. They already had an idea of Flash Coffee as "one of the worst" coffee chains available in Singapore. This suggests that there is a negative perception of Flash Coffee among Singapore's coffee-drinking community.
︎ Consultation comments
Comments from the lecturer during this studio session mainly suggesting us to explore the coffee trends as well as how Flash Coffee tells its “story” in order to convince the customers.
“Flash Coffee is trash. 👎️”
Not only that, but as we approached our potential respondents, and introduced it’s about Flash Coffee, some of them have a bad perception already about it. They already had an idea of Flash Coffee as "one of the worst" coffee chains available in Singapore. This suggests that there is a negative perception of Flash Coffee among Singapore's coffee-drinking community.
︎ Consultation comments
Comments from the lecturer during this studio session mainly suggesting us to explore the coffee trends as well as how Flash Coffee tells its “story” in order to convince the customers.
︎ Week 11.2
Since we already have a good number of survey respondents for analysis, the survey's results do contribute to strengthening the case for our research. For example, our research has led us to conclude that the majority of Singaporean coffee consumers would get coffee quickly (takeaway) but would also enjoy the experience. Even though they might not take a seat and sip their coffee slowly, the process of ordering the coffee is already a part of the experience.
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Studying group
As an example, the picture above is one of the questions from the studying group, where 20 out of 46 respondents answered that they most commonly enjoy coffee to be “on the go”. However, though almost one-fourth of the respondents answered they prefer to enjoy their coffee on the go, 28 of them chose to prefer having a personalized coffee menu in comparison to a coffee shop’s seasonal menu.
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Studying group
The fact that more than half of the studying group respondents prefer a personalized menu indicates that they want their individual selves to get involved throughout the process. This could be one of the support that the coffee community in Singapore still prioritizes their time, thus ordering on the go, but still love to involve themselves personally in order to get the feel of the overall experience.
The working group, on the other hand, does fully prioritize experience as compared to the studying group. Though both groups still want the experience, the working group seems to have a higher priority.
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Working group
As can be seen, with both were given the same set of questions with the studying group, almost half of the working respondents answered that they commonly enjoy coffee either at work or even at the coffee shop. To add on, more than half also answered that they prefer a personalized menu rather than a seasonal menu. With the results, it can be seen that the working group tends to seek the experience in a certain event.
︎ Ongoing research/findings
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Although we have some strong information regarding Flash Coffee, whether that’s statistical or history. However, the lecturer told us that we still lack in terms of market research. Thus, we did some market research focusing on specifically Singapore’s coffee market community. We did find some of Singapore’s coffee community habits in terms of what and where they usually purchase their usual drinks in the market.
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Image source: Standard Insights
Moreover, we also look at the coffee trends that are currently happening specifically in Singapore. Having to know what the new steps taken to adjust to these evolving trends in coffee enables us to receive and look at new insights on how coffee consumers evolve through trends.
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The ongoing trends around the coffee community really help us in having the possible service ideas to create the solution. With that, we have brainstormed some service ideas we would like to focus on through the pain points (both from the store and customer POV) as well:
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︎ Consultation comments
Since we already have a good number of survey respondents for analysis, the survey's results do contribute to strengthening the case for our research. For example, our research has led us to conclude that the majority of Singaporean coffee consumers would get coffee quickly (takeaway) but would also enjoy the experience. Even though they might not take a seat and sip their coffee slowly, the process of ordering the coffee is already a part of the experience.
Studying group
As an example, the picture above is one of the questions from the studying group, where 20 out of 46 respondents answered that they most commonly enjoy coffee to be “on the go”. However, though almost one-fourth of the respondents answered they prefer to enjoy their coffee on the go, 28 of them chose to prefer having a personalized coffee menu in comparison to a coffee shop’s seasonal menu.
Studying group
The fact that more than half of the studying group respondents prefer a personalized menu indicates that they want their individual selves to get involved throughout the process. This could be one of the support that the coffee community in Singapore still prioritizes their time, thus ordering on the go, but still love to involve themselves personally in order to get the feel of the overall experience.
The working group, on the other hand, does fully prioritize experience as compared to the studying group. Though both groups still want the experience, the working group seems to have a higher priority.
Working group
As can be seen, with both were given the same set of questions with the studying group, almost half of the working respondents answered that they commonly enjoy coffee either at work or even at the coffee shop. To add on, more than half also answered that they prefer a personalized menu rather than a seasonal menu. With the results, it can be seen that the working group tends to seek the experience in a certain event.
︎ Ongoing research/findings
Image source: Standard Insights
The ongoing trends around the coffee community really help us in having the possible service ideas to create the solution. With that, we have brainstormed some service ideas we would like to focus on through the pain points (both from the store and customer POV) as well:
︎ Consultation comments
1. Their foundation is not strong. They expanded way too fast.
2. More people choose another brand rather than flash
3, The taste and menu are not something they would like to buy.
4. As compared to Luckin. When they first launched, their promotions were what enticed people. Their service concept is also stronger, thus attracting a bigger audience
2. More people choose another brand rather than flash
3, The taste and menu are not something they would like to buy.
4. As compared to Luckin. When they first launched, their promotions were what enticed people. Their service concept is also stronger, thus attracting a bigger audience
︎week 12
︎ Week 12.1
We solely focus on finalizing our studio project’s service idea in this week’s studio session. Before moving on, we made some to-do lists of the things we should finish by the end of week 12.1 studio class, which were:
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Before finalizing our target persona, we did some research beforehand on the existing other coffee brands’ market segmentation. For instance, we took Nescafe’s market segmentation and got a result that they divided their target audiences into 3 categories, which are: students aged 15-23, professionals aged 23-31, and managers aged 46-60. With that, we also decided to have our target persona to be divided into categories and not specifically decide on an age range. The reason behind this was that coffee drinkers are universal, there’s no specific age at which people drink or do not drink coffee, it’s all about living habits and preferences. Thus, we decided to divide our target audience into two categories, which focus on college students (18-24) and working people (25-34). Both of the categories will still have the same common goals which are convenient, and quick, and they still want their coffee to be on the go.
︎ Consultation comments
We did a consultation in the middle of the session, before continuing on doing our tasks. During the consultation session, we got some feedback and recommendations on what to do to forward on our project.
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︎ Ongoing research/findings
We were told to do some user painful journey in order to position ourselves as the user in order for us to know their position and identify their pain points. With that, we did 2 personas based on each category and a user journey for each persona.
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We solely focus on finalizing our studio project’s service idea in this week’s studio session. Before moving on, we made some to-do lists of the things we should finish by the end of week 12.1 studio class, which were:
Before finalizing our target persona, we did some research beforehand on the existing other coffee brands’ market segmentation. For instance, we took Nescafe’s market segmentation and got a result that they divided their target audiences into 3 categories, which are: students aged 15-23, professionals aged 23-31, and managers aged 46-60. With that, we also decided to have our target persona to be divided into categories and not specifically decide on an age range. The reason behind this was that coffee drinkers are universal, there’s no specific age at which people drink or do not drink coffee, it’s all about living habits and preferences. Thus, we decided to divide our target audience into two categories, which focus on college students (18-24) and working people (25-34). Both of the categories will still have the same common goals which are convenient, and quick, and they still want their coffee to be on the go.
“Coffee drinkers are typically older than 18 and most often between the ages of 24 and 54. They're well-educated, with 38% having a college degree or higher. And they're employed, with nearly 60% working full-time”
︎ Consultation comments
We did a consultation in the middle of the session, before continuing on doing our tasks. During the consultation session, we got some feedback and recommendations on what to do to forward on our project.
︎ Ongoing research/findings
We were told to do some user painful journey in order to position ourselves as the user in order for us to know their position and identify their pain points. With that, we did 2 personas based on each category and a user journey for each persona.
click for persona and user journey
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For Sarah’s (college student) user journey, we decided her as a first-time Flash Coffee customer that is having a difficulty using the Flash Coffee’s app. With that, we were able to position and identify the persona’s pain points throughout her journey in encountering using Flash Coffee’s main element, which was the app itself. On the other hand, the second persona, Kelvin, is a regular customer of Flash Coffee who suddenly encounters difficulty in getting his regular coffee as Flash Coffee closed down. From this, we could identify the point of a regular coffee customer’s pain point.
After finalizing our target persona, we continue on developing our possible services and have finally finalized to four main umbrella which are: at-home services, subscription service, pop-up service and vending machines.
After finalizing our target persona, we continue on developing our possible services and have finally finalized to four main umbrella which are: at-home services, subscription service, pop-up service and vending machines.
︎ Week 12.2
This week, we focused on finishing our presentation slides for our interim presentation the next week. In our presentation slides, we have discussed and agreed to cover the following contents:
With these planned content planning, this allows us to see whether or not we would touch our intended deliveries to the audience or not. Before moved on to work on the final presentation slides, we did a draft content in Miro. Below are the drafts we did in Miro:
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Working on this presentation with the group was remarkably smooth and efficient. In my opinion, we excelled in delegating tasks based on our respective specialties. Even though we worked on our individual tasks, it felt like we truly complemented each other as a team. For instance, I volunteered to handle the comparison between Jakarta and Singapore's Flash Coffee performance and consumer habits. However, when I integrated it into the final presentation, the visual aspect didn't quite meet the group's expectations. At that point, one of my group members, who is a communication student, came to my aid in enhancing the aesthetics of the comparison. Though sometimes we have difference in inputs or idea, we could efficiently discuss with each other and came up with a solution to move one with that agreed one idea. This experience reinforced the sense of synergy within our team.
︎ Consultation comments
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This week, we focused on finishing our presentation slides for our interim presentation the next week. In our presentation slides, we have discussed and agreed to cover the following contents:
- Background Info on FC (Research)
- Current performance? How are they doing?
- Problem Identified (what causes the downfall?) (Pain Points)
- Target Audience (previous and current)
- Consumer Trends and Market Trends
- Persona
- Painful Journey
- Areas we can touch on (for example, what can we bring to elevate the experience)
- Possible service ideas
With these planned content planning, this allows us to see whether or not we would touch our intended deliveries to the audience or not. Before moved on to work on the final presentation slides, we did a draft content in Miro. Below are the drafts we did in Miro:
Working on this presentation with the group was remarkably smooth and efficient. In my opinion, we excelled in delegating tasks based on our respective specialties. Even though we worked on our individual tasks, it felt like we truly complemented each other as a team. For instance, I volunteered to handle the comparison between Jakarta and Singapore's Flash Coffee performance and consumer habits. However, when I integrated it into the final presentation, the visual aspect didn't quite meet the group's expectations. At that point, one of my group members, who is a communication student, came to my aid in enhancing the aesthetics of the comparison. Though sometimes we have difference in inputs or idea, we could efficiently discuss with each other and came up with a solution to move one with that agreed one idea. This experience reinforced the sense of synergy within our team.
︎ Consultation comments
︎week 13
︎ Week 13.1
This week, we have an interim presentation to check up on each of the group’s mid progress of the studio project. On this interim presentation, we presented the whole content of the presentation we planned last week. Below is the final presentation slides we presented for the sharing:
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After the presentation, we received surprisingly positive feedback from the lecturers. However, we realized that we needed to ensure and clarify which services were intended for each specific target audience category. This concern arose because, during the presentation, we only mentioned that our target audience would be divided into two categories: the working group and the studying group.
Regarding the services, we had initially proposed three distinct types based on the touchpoints we introduced at the beginning. Unfortunately, we had not clearly identified which service was meant for which audience category. Consequently, we were advised to meticulously categorize our services and establish a seamless connection between them and both audience categories, forming a cohesive circle.
It is essential that the three services we presented do not appear too distinct from one another. Users should easily perceive the connections between these services.
This week, we have an interim presentation to check up on each of the group’s mid progress of the studio project. On this interim presentation, we presented the whole content of the presentation we planned last week. Below is the final presentation slides we presented for the sharing:
After the presentation, we received surprisingly positive feedback from the lecturers. However, we realized that we needed to ensure and clarify which services were intended for each specific target audience category. This concern arose because, during the presentation, we only mentioned that our target audience would be divided into two categories: the working group and the studying group.
Regarding the services, we had initially proposed three distinct types based on the touchpoints we introduced at the beginning. Unfortunately, we had not clearly identified which service was meant for which audience category. Consequently, we were advised to meticulously categorize our services and establish a seamless connection between them and both audience categories, forming a cohesive circle.
It is essential that the three services we presented do not appear too distinct from one another. Users should easily perceive the connections between these services.
As a group, we are genuinely satisfied with the results of our interim presentation. We put in a tremendous amount of effort and worked diligently to prepare and deliver our mid checkups. Seeing the positive reactions and feedback from our peers and the lecturers. It's clear that our hard work and preparation paid off, and it gives us a great sense of accomplishment and motivation to continue our work with even more enthusiasm and dedication in finishing this studio project to the fullest. We are excited to build upon this success and continue striving for excellence as a team.
︎ Week 13.2
In this week's session, our primary goal was to establish a clear and coherent flow or narrative for our overall service. During the previous presentation, we had provided only a broad overview of the service we were planning to develop. Therefore, this week, we made the conscious decision to create a detailed breakdown and flow of the service. By doing so, we gained a clear sense of direction regarding the tasks at hand, which allows us to efficiently allocate responsibilities.
Before finalizing the structure of our service breakdown, we had in-depth discussions and gathered input from every team member. We generated numerous ideas during this brainstorming session, and it's crucial to emphasize that we did not reject any ideas at this point. Our objective was to gather as many ideas as possible without immediate elimination, enabling us to explore a wide range of possibilities before refining our options later.
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︎ Service flow finalization
vending machine
1) We began this process by dissecting the service, starting with the vending machine. As a group, we engaged in a long discussions and shared numerous ideas and inputs. Given the abundance of ideas from each team member, there was a considerable amount of debate and deliberation as we attempted to select the most suitable features for the vending machine. Eventually, we successfully reached a consensus and finalized the features for our vending machine. Below is the flow of the vending machine’s feature:
Before finalizing the structure of our service breakdown, we had in-depth discussions and gathered input from every team member. We generated numerous ideas during this brainstorming session, and it's crucial to emphasize that we did not reject any ideas at this point. Our objective was to gather as many ideas as possible without immediate elimination, enabling us to explore a wide range of possibilities before refining our options later.
︎ Service flow finalization
vending machine
1) We began this process by dissecting the service, starting with the vending machine. As a group, we engaged in a long discussions and shared numerous ideas and inputs. Given the abundance of ideas from each team member, there was a considerable amount of debate and deliberation as we attempted to select the most suitable features for the vending machine. Eventually, we successfully reached a consensus and finalized the features for our vending machine. Below is the flow of the vending machine’s feature:
pop-up truck
2) Next, we delved into the concept of the pop-up truck. Discussing the pop-up truck presented some challenges within our group. Since we were planning to have both a vending machine and a pop-up truck as part of our service, we needed to come up with a unique experience to distinguish the pop-up truck from the vending machine. Initially, both the vending machine and the pop-up truck operated without cashiers, allowing consumers to choose from either of them. However, if the only function both services provided was the same – making coffee that consumers could pick up at any time – it would render having both a vending machine and a pop-up truck unnecessary.After some discussion, we opted to distinguish the pop-up from the vending machine by offering a comprehensive experience right at the booth. This means that consumers can enjoy their time at the pop-up, engaging in various activities and services, rather than just having a quick grab-and-go experience as with the vending machine.
subscription service
3) Next, let's talk about the subscription service. In this case, we made the choice to focus the subscription audience on the working category rather than students. This decision stemmed from careful considerations and a review of our survey results. We found that the majority of individuals in the working group tend to appreciate the experience and savor the moment when they enjoy coffee. In contrast, the studying group generally prefers to consume coffee quickly to stay alert.For this subscription service, we got inspirations from the concept of Spotify’s annual subscription “gifts” or surprises for some of the subscription’s aspect. Moreover, we also still keep the priority of having a high quality specialty coffee that consumers can enjoy at home without any hassle. Consumers can choose wether to have their coffee sent weekly or monthly, flavours, or even their preffered coffee beans to fit their taste and satisfaction.
After finalizing the flow or the narrative of the services, we finally could divide the task within each of the group. Each of us can finally proceed on the production stage and slowly to prototyping.
︎week 14
︎ Week 14.1
This week, our primary focus is on initiating the production phase. To achieve this goal, we have strategically divided tasks among all group members, assigning specific responsibilities for each service breakdown. This approach is designed to enhance efficiency and expedite the production process. My role involves rendering the vending machine, Yeva is responsible for rendering the pop-up truck, Zhiqi is handling packaging for the subscription services, and Ipsi is in charge of the UI design for Flash Coffee’s app.
Despite our distinct job roles, we maintain a collaborative spirit and are ready to assist each other in case of confusion or the need for feedback. For example, while working on the vending machine render, I encountered challenges as it was my first serious attempt using Sketchup. Fortunately, both Zhiqi and Yeva, with their advanced understanding of Sketchup and spatial background, generously offer their assistance when I encounter major difficulties.
This collaborative approach is not limited to my situation; Zhiqi and Ipsi also seek our opinions on matters such as color selection and placement for their respective tasks, including packaging and UI layout. This mutual support and open communication contribute to a cohesive and productive workflow within our team.
Each of us did some brainstorming of ideas before moving on to the real production step:
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︎ Consultation Comments
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In summarizing the feedback from the consultation, the primary comments from the lecturers emphasized the need for a more precise definition of our services. Additionally, they expressed the view that our proposed services lacked a certain level of technological sophistication. They provided suggestions for incorporating more tech-savvy elements into our service ideas.
Following the consultation, we promptly devised an agenda (black post its) to address the specific points highlighted by the lecturers. Prior to advancing further, we deliberately took a step back to thoroughly enhance and revise the aspects that required attention.
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After we have settled all of the minor changes after the feedback session, we continued to do our own designated service productions.
This week, our primary focus is on initiating the production phase. To achieve this goal, we have strategically divided tasks among all group members, assigning specific responsibilities for each service breakdown. This approach is designed to enhance efficiency and expedite the production process. My role involves rendering the vending machine, Yeva is responsible for rendering the pop-up truck, Zhiqi is handling packaging for the subscription services, and Ipsi is in charge of the UI design for Flash Coffee’s app.
Despite our distinct job roles, we maintain a collaborative spirit and are ready to assist each other in case of confusion or the need for feedback. For example, while working on the vending machine render, I encountered challenges as it was my first serious attempt using Sketchup. Fortunately, both Zhiqi and Yeva, with their advanced understanding of Sketchup and spatial background, generously offer their assistance when I encounter major difficulties.
This collaborative approach is not limited to my situation; Zhiqi and Ipsi also seek our opinions on matters such as color selection and placement for their respective tasks, including packaging and UI layout. This mutual support and open communication contribute to a cohesive and productive workflow within our team.
Each of us did some brainstorming of ideas before moving on to the real production step:
︎ Consultation Comments
Following the consultation, we promptly devised an agenda (black post its) to address the specific points highlighted by the lecturers. Prior to advancing further, we deliberately took a step back to thoroughly enhance and revise the aspects that required attention.
After we have settled all of the minor changes after the feedback session, we continued to do our own designated service productions.
︎ Week 14.2
Our emphasis during this week's studio session has been on production. Our goal is to achieve a substantial milestone by the end of Week 14, aiming to complete approximately 90% of the service prototypes or renderings. It's important to note that there are additional tasks beyond mockups, prototypes, and renders that still need attention. Below, are the progress updates from each group member throughout Week 14.
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First packaging prototype (to see the shape and function)
Then, moving on to create the design of the packaging while also test printing throughout the whole process of it.
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In addition to working on the packaging, we also utilized laser cutting and spray paint to create flash-shaped prototypes for the coffee compact powder. This innovation was implemented to enhance the overall aesthetic appeal of the packaging.
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Our emphasis during this week's studio session has been on production. Our goal is to achieve a substantial milestone by the end of Week 14, aiming to complete approximately 90% of the service prototypes or renderings. It's important to note that there are additional tasks beyond mockups, prototypes, and renders that still need attention. Below, are the progress updates from each group member throughout Week 14.
packaging
Did some rough prototypes, AutoCAD for precise measurements, and further prototypes with packaging design.
First packaging prototype (to see the shape and function)
After all of us deal with both the packaging’s design, thus finally cadding the dimensions/measurements in AutoCAD for maximum precision. Packaging includes: outer packaging for coffee sachets, coffee compact, and the coffee sachets itself.
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Packaging template
Then, moving on to create the design of the packaging while also test printing throughout the whole process of it.
Packaging prototype test print
In addition to working on the packaging, we also utilized laser cutting and spray paint to create flash-shaped prototypes for the coffee compact powder. This innovation was implemented to enhance the overall aesthetic appeal of the packaging.
Coffee compact prototype
renders: pop-up and vending machine
Modelling of the pop-up truck and the vending machine in Sketchup. Both Yeva and I are working together in modelling both services as we should match the aesthetic of the model and how the overall model looks. The reason behind this is because the pop-up and vending machine serves similar service and it should be connected with each other.
Unrendered model progress: vending machine
Rendered model progress: vending machine
flash coffee UI
Since the original Flash Coffee’s main asset is their own app, thus we decided to keep with the app but just elevating it to the next level. Since this week focuses on our production of service, thus below are some screenshot’s of the elevated Flash Coffee UI within this week 14.
︎week 15-16
︎ Week 15 - 16
This week, our main focus is on advancing the production of all three of our main services: the presentation board, videos, and other essential tasks. To begin with, as we have allocated specific tasks for each service, this week provides us with the opportunity to significantly improve and prioritize the completion of all production aspects.
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We encountered a lot of packaging errors, trying to find the best size possible. Not only sizing, when folding the packaging from the cad itself, sometimes the measurements were off, or it was not looking as good as what we expected it to be. Aside from the outside packaging, we also did the packaging for the coffee sachets, trying to achieve similar as a coffee or tea drip look-like. Last week, we did a really rough prototype of the drip coffee packaging, and had a new discussion and few changes to the packaging.
Firstly, as our subscription service offers various coffee flavors, sticking with the previous week's packaging color palette may not be effective. It could be challenging for customers to differentiate between flavors. Consequently, we opted for a range of packaging colors to facilitate easy identification for users, contributing to the desired branding image, especially for the subscription service.
The final outcome of our packaging exceeded expectations, effectively conveying the essence of our service. We are highly content with the chosen color palette and the overall aesthetics and functionality of the packaging. In my view, the only aspect warranting improvement or minor adjustments is the sizing. For a subscription service providing a month's worth of consumption, the current small coffee sachets may seem less convincing. Nevertheless, given that this is only a prototype, we are generally pleased with the final packaging result.
We also did some product packaging photoshoot, below are the results and snipets of the process of the shoots:
This week, our main focus is on advancing the production of all three of our main services: the presentation board, videos, and other essential tasks. To begin with, as we have allocated specific tasks for each service, this week provides us with the opportunity to significantly improve and prioritize the completion of all production aspects.
packaging
First and foremost, we opted to develop a physical prototype for the packaging. In doing so, we conducted numerous trials for both the design and the functionality of the packaging. Our primary objective for the packaging was to ensure that customers could use it in the most efficient and quick manner possible. Since we were trying to achieve that ‘quick’ action for the user when using the packaging, thus we did a lot of trials and errors, especially when creating the physical prototypes while also incorporating the template of the overall packaging.
We encountered a lot of packaging errors, trying to find the best size possible. Not only sizing, when folding the packaging from the cad itself, sometimes the measurements were off, or it was not looking as good as what we expected it to be. Aside from the outside packaging, we also did the packaging for the coffee sachets, trying to achieve similar as a coffee or tea drip look-like. Last week, we did a really rough prototype of the drip coffee packaging, and had a new discussion and few changes to the packaging.
Firstly, as our subscription service offers various coffee flavors, sticking with the previous week's packaging color palette may not be effective. It could be challenging for customers to differentiate between flavors. Consequently, we opted for a range of packaging colors to facilitate easy identification for users, contributing to the desired branding image, especially for the subscription service.
The final outcome of our packaging exceeded expectations, effectively conveying the essence of our service. We are highly content with the chosen color palette and the overall aesthetics and functionality of the packaging. In my view, the only aspect warranting improvement or minor adjustments is the sizing. For a subscription service providing a month's worth of consumption, the current small coffee sachets may seem less convincing. Nevertheless, given that this is only a prototype, we are generally pleased with the final packaging result.
We also did some product packaging photoshoot, below are the results and snipets of the process of the shoots:
posters
To enhance our production of renders and the Flash Coffee app UI, we decided to create additional elements in the form of posters. These posters serve not only digital purposes but also can be utilized during exhibitions, with the goal of elevating the overall essence of Flash Coffee promotion as a whole.
vending machine
This production week, we finalized the look (colors, elements, etc.) and details of the vending machine, as well as completed all the major renderings for both the visuals and its video walkthrough. Below are the processes of the renderings:
pop-up bus (flash on wheels)
This production week, we finalized the look (colors, elements, etc.) and details of the pop-up bus, as well as completed all the major renderings for both the visuals and its video walkthrough. Below are the processes of the renderings:
link to walkthrough video: https://youtu.be/d4zczvsd4RI?si=dPYmaRPxthQ9WvPV
flash coffee app UI
These week, we are finalizing the prototype of the Flash Coffee app.
Link to the Flash App prototype: https://xd.adobe.com/view/bae63942-f6f4-4df8-82a2-2a48a188b4b9-efb5/?fullscreen