Coffee Monster Sticker Project

Throughout this project, I will be referencing the Google design sprint process.

I am a freelance UI designer, and I also work as a barista at the cafe "Coffee Monster" in NY. Coffee Monster Cafe launched a new dessert menu featuring items like banana pudding, cakes, and more. Many customers have been asking me questions like, "What are these?" "Are these items from the new menu?" "What are the ingredients?" and "Are these house-made?"

While I appreciate these questions, I've come to realize that we haven't provided enough information to our customers, leading to confusion. In pursuit of solving the problem, I redesigned the packaging of new menu with the design sprint process.

 
 
Deliverable
Illustration
Date
October 2023
Role
Visual Design
Client
Coffe Monster


PHASE 1: UNDERSTAND

Long Term Goal

Time Suggested: 45minutes
Took Me: 1 hour

Here, I've researched some common examples of long-term goals for cafes and resized each goal based on how our cafe manager would highlight them.

I was amazed to discover the multitude of potential goals, yet I honed in on the most significant one: Achieving Consistent Profitability.
Questions

Time Suggested: 30minutes
Took Me: 20minutes

I utilized three questions below, which the author of the article had also drawn from a sprint book:

1. What questions do we hope to answer by the end of the sprint
2. To meet our long term goal, what has to be true?
3. If our project fails, what might have caused that?

Expert Sessions and HMW Notes

Time Suggested: 2hours
Took Me: 2hours

Initially, I went through visitor reviews and comments on platforms like Yelp and Google.Drawing from the insights gathered from these reviews, I formulated "How Might We" (HMW) notes. Among the nine notes I generated, I selected the most pivotal and impactful questions:

1. HMW make customers feel happy from our services / products?
2. HMW make our products look more attractive to customers?


PHASE 2: UNDERSTAND

Pick a target

Time Suggested: 45minutes
Took Me: 1 hour
Time Suggested: 30 minutes
Took Me: 30 minutes

I continued to work with the HMW notes, delving into more activities.

I initiated brainstorming sessions for potential solutions. I noticed that I was overthinking, so I attempted to generate as many ideas as possible without thinking too deeply into each one.

I constructed a graph that plotted the relationship between effort and effect, with the lower left quadrant representing 'low effort and minimal effect,' and the upper right quadrant signifying 'high effort and substantial effectiveness.'I positioned each sticky note on the graph accordingly.

Throughout this process, I eliminated solutions that exhibited either low effectiveness or excessive effort. Moreover, I factored in my capabilities as a junior designer and focused on solutions attainable in the short term.

Ultimately, I arrived at two solutions for this project:

1. Advertise Posters
2.Differentiate Packages



PHASE 3,4: SKETCH, DECIDE

Crazy 8’s

Time Suggested: 8minutes
Took Me: 60minutes

From the identified solutions, designing packages and posters emerged as my action plans.The Crazy 8's activity was a highlight of the sprint for me. Admittedly, I had to adapt the rules of this activity since performing Crazy 8's alone posed challenges.

However, constrained by the time limit and the iterative nature of drawing, it turned out to be a valuable exercise for conceptualizing and outlining sketches.

Within the allocated 8 minutes, I allocated 1 minute per drawing. As I progressed through each minute, I found that the continuous variation in features enhanced my ability to visualize the concept and effectively convey my ideas through drawing.
 


PHASE 5: PROTOTYPE

Time Suggested: 1 day
Took Me: 1 day

Coffee Monster's new dessert menu spurred the creation of a fresh and energetic brand identity, along with innovative packaging design

Vibrant colors, bold typography, and distinctive monster illustrations are employed to capture the attention of visitors.

A new style of illustrations has been introduced, reminiscent of playful monsters. These illustrations showcase a creature with numerous teeth, elongated legs, and arms, effectively depicting the step-by-step process of crafting our desserts.
 


PHASE 6: VALIDATE

Sprint Conclusion: Recap and Next Steps

Time Suggested: 60minutes
Took Me: 1 day

The outcomes of this design sprint are as follows:

A Valuable Lesson: My most significant takeaway is that the entire process should revolve around the users' needs. Over the course of the 5-day design sprint, I realized that my approach and values sometimes deviated from addressing the core requirements of the users.

Collaboration's Significance: I also recognized the vital role of collaboration with fellow team members during the design sprint. Although I completed my first solo design sprint, I believe that working alongside others would have led to even more insightful results, particularly during activities like the sticky note session.

Packaging Design Reflections: Reflecting on my packaging design, my most prominent misstep was viewing the project solely through the lens of a Visual Designer. Throughout the sketching phase, I failed to adequately consider the user's perspective or the café owner's viewpoint. In essence, my focus remained primarily on crafting a visually appealing end product.

Excitement for Future Sprints: Given my ongoing learning journey, I'm eagerly anticipating future design sprint experiences, whether conducted individually or, hopefully, collaboratively.
© Eunbi Kang 2024 | Designer | kangeunbi24@gmail.com