Client
IdeoU
COMPANY
(personal project)
ROLE
Researcher, Strategist
How might we redesign coffee shops to incorporate 65+-year-olds’ needs?
Challenge
The initial challenge was to design a product or service for 70+-year-olds. I focused in on 65+-year-olds and their experiences in coffee shops because coffee shops are currently dominated by young people, laptops and earbuds, and convenience.
Process
The first phase focused on gathering insights, and the second phase focused on building prototypes, iterating and gathering more insights to improve the product or service.
The research included interviews with extreme users, empathy experiments, brainstorming, prototyping, feedback, and iteration.
What it all led to
A visual prototype of the product, a ‘Seating Meter’. It is a text-enabled, parking-metered-inspired product that sits on coffee shop tables and shows wait time and wait lists (see below). Next steps would be testing the prototype and iterate on desirability, feasibility & viability.
The Work
OBSERVATION & EXTREME USER INTERVIEWS
I observed 65+ year olds’ behaviors and interactions in Starbucks, the Barnes & Noble’s cafe, and McDonalds. In McDs, I spotted regulars within 10 minutes (ask me how I knew!) and then hung out with them for two hours. They’d been going to McDs everyday for 16 years!
EMPATHY EXPERIMENT
I put myself into a 65+-year-old’s shoes by limiting my mobility and speed in a fast-paced environment. The idea? Walk around Eataly while wearing high heels and carrying a 6-pack of eggs, which also created a sense of fragility and protectiveness.
SENSEMAKING & Insights
JOURNEY MAPPING & Brainstorming
Rapid Prototyping & FEEDBACK
Iteration: Seating METER
The below is a new experience map that could create a new system and a prototype that focuses on addresses the issue through a product, Seating Meter. Next step is to test this prototype to understand how people respond to knowing wait time, paying for a seat and time limits.
