Brewr
The easiest way to enhance your coffee experience
Role
End-To-End UX Designer
Timeline
Sep 2024- Oct 2024
The problem we have
People are getting more into specialty coffee and want to perfect their brews at home. But without tools to track and improve their process, it's tough to get consistent, great-tasting results.
The solution we offer
The goal is to create a coffee journal app that helps users log their favorite coffee brands, track their measurements, and connect with other coffee enthusiasts. This app will give them the tools they need to improve their brewing skills and enjoy their coffee even more.
Define
- Need Analysis
Research
- Competitive Analysis
- User Interviews
Planning
- Affinity Mapping
- User persona
- Feature Set
- Sitemap
Design
- User Flow
- Task Flow
- Branding
- LoFI
Prototype
- Hi-Fi
Testing
and iteration
- User Testing
Results
- Revisions
- Next Steps...
What needs to be created
and why?
In the first phase, I focused on understanding the "what" and "why" behind my product. I asked key questions like: What am I creating, and why does it need to exist? Who am I designing this for, and what problem am I aiming to solve?
As a coffee lover myself, I wanted to create something meaningful for fellow coffee enthusiasts, tackling a daily problem that people like me often face at home. This phase was about setting a solid foundation and making sure my work was driven by purpose and real-life needs.
The product I created
Brewr is an app for coffee lovers to improve their brewing experience. Users can log daily notes to adjust the grind size and find what works best for their coffee machine. The app also allows users to share their favorite coffee brands with friends, set timers, and rate their coffee based on how they brew it. Plus, they can discover popular products, see where to buy them, and read reviews from other coffee fans. Brewr makes it easy to choose the best coffee grounds for brewing at home and enjoy every sip.
Coffee Market Research Data
National Coffee Association (NCA) and Statista Coffee Market Overview
Market Research Insights
According to the NCA report, coffee is a daily habit for many Americans, with brewed coffee being the most popular choice, especially among those using drip coffee makers. Additionally, 62% of respondents indicated a preference for specialty coffee. These trends highlight the growing importance of quality and ethical sourcing in the coffee industry today.
Methodologies
For this project, I used two main methods. First, I conducted a competitive analysis to see how competitors are performing. Second, I carried out user interviews to understand users' experiences and learn about their needs, values, and desires.
Key Takeaways (Competitor analysis )
01
All the apps are designed to be easy to navigate, so coffee lovers can quickly find what they need without any issue.
02
“iBrewCoffee” allows users to log their brewing methods in detail, get support and feedback, and export data in Excel and CSV formats.
03
“Filtru” has a straightforward interface for tracking coffee brands and brewing measurements, offering personalized recommendations based on what users like.
04
“Foursix” app is aimed at making pour-over coffee easier, especially for those using the 4:6 method. It features note-taking and a brew timer to help users keep track of their brewing process.
Opportunities
01
Letting users find where to buy coffee blends in one app is a great idea, so they don’t have to switch between different apps.
02
Offering a free version is a great way to attract more users. It lets them try out the app without any commitment, increasing the chances that they will upgrade to a paid version for additional features later on.
03
Allowing users to rate and view reviews of coffee blends makes it easier for them to pick the best coffee.
User Interviews
I interviewed 5 coffee enthusiasts, aged 25-33, to dive deeper into their coffee routines, favorite brands, and what they prioritize when making their perfect cup. My goal was to understand how often they try new flavors, what drives their coffee choices, and whether they use any tools or apps to fine-tune their brewing process.
"I love experimenting with different coffee brands, but I often forget which ones I enjoyed the most. I keep handwritten notes, but they can get messy and disorganized."
William | Riverside, California | 32
"I love trying new coffee, but I often forget the grind settings and water ratios that make the best brews."
Jack | Austin, TX | 28
" I tend to stick with my usual brands because I’m not sure where to find new options that match my taste."
Emily | Buffalo, NY | 28
Key Takeaways (User interviews)
01
Key factors that influence coffee choices include price, sustainability, flavor, roast, origin, and ease of brewing. Many people prioritize ethical sourcing and love experimenting with different flavor profiles.
02
Coffee habits vary significantly among individuals. Some prefer to stick to one brand because of time constraints and the comfort of familiarity, while others enjoy experimenting with new flavors and brands, trying out different options up to twice a week.
03
None of the participants currently use apps to track their coffee preferences; instead, some rely on handwritten notes to document their experiences.
04
Most participants keep notes on their coffee experiences to track which brews they prefer, helping them remember what they liked.
Affinity Mapping
After gathering all the qualitative data from the user interviews, I started organizing everything using an affinity map. I grouped the information based on user pain points, usage habits, considerations, and concerns to visualize to pattern and the themes. This helped me understand the users needs and challenges.
What we learn
01
Users want easy access to coffee blends and brewing information without having to click through multiple menus.
02
Some of the users showed genuine interest to make commitments to use an app, if it’s reliable and free to use.
03
Users appreciate the ability to write quick notes, give ratings and reviews for coffee blends.
04
Some users are interested in viewing others' journals to learn more about different coffee tastes and experiences.
User Persona
I created a user persona from interviews and affinity mapping to understand their needs and frustrations, and it helps me stay focused on solving their key challenges.
A freelance artist
Does not like to write all the brew process in pen and paper
A Coffee enthusiast
Does not know which coffee to choose for the best results
Point Of View
"I would like to find ways to support users in optimizing their coffee-making process by providing various brewing methods and helping them discover their perfect coffee taste."
“How might we create an app that helps coffee lovers track their brewing experiments and find the best brewing methods for their perfect cup of coffee?”
Feature Set
After further research into user personas,
I focused on identifying my user’s core needs and developed the feature set based on those insights.
The prioritization allowed me to focus on delivering the most essential features first, while keeping future improvements in mind.
Sitemap
I was able to create a sitemap focusing on the main features of the product. This approach will make it easier for me to see how everything connects.
Flowchart
These user and task flows will help me to hypothesizing how the users would navigate through key screens.
Task 1: Look at last month’s activity and find the best-rated coffee to share with a friend.
Task2: Make a French press coffee, set a timer, and rate it when it’s done.
Task3: Discovers the top-rated product, sees where it's available, and reads user feedback.
Wireframes (Lo-Fi)
I started with pen-and-paper sketches to map out user and task flows. After testing different options, I found a layout that fit my design style which gave me a solid direction for the digital wireframes.
UI Design (Logo, Typography, Color palette)
Main Screens
The following are the primary key screens of the main pages, accessible to users by clicking on bottom navigation bar
Usability Test Results
01
Refined the color scheme between the dropdown and button to prioritize usability.
02
Improved text and color contrast across the design for greater readability.
03
Removed the pink color from the design to ensure a cohesive look.
04
Introduced an "edit" option, empowering users to modify their notes easily.
05
Enabled users to view their past coffee ratings.
Before & After
After testing the product on 8 participants, I addressed the solutions to improve the design based on users feedbacks.
What did I learn
Users wanted to see what others wrote in their journals to help them find the best coffee. This shows the opportunity to build a more engaging community experience.
All users appreciated the feature that allows them to purchase blends after browsing the products.
Next Steps…
I would like to explore ideas on "Public Sharing" and enable this feature so user can connect with fellow coffee enthusiast for community engagement
The app could really use an improved activity page to encourage user engagement. A few users also mentioned they would like to see more useful information added to the journal page.
