Contextual Research Project by John Colón

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INDUSTRIAL DESIGN 711: CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH PROJECT GROUP 2: COFFEE SHOPS JOHN COLON, SIQI HU, KATHLEEN KAISER, SAMANTHA TEYHEN

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN 711 | CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH PROJECT

Table of Contents

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PROJECT OVERVIEW ....................................................................................................................................................................................................3 PART 1 Observations, Secondary Research and Research Matrix ................................................................................. 04 Visual research—Starbucks and Independent ................................................................................................................................................05 Observational research—Starbucks and Independent ................................................................................................................................ 07 Secondary Research ......................................................................................................................................................................................................10 Framing .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................12 Research Matrix ............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 13 Timeline ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 14 PART 2 Research Protocol ................................................................................................................................................... 15 Research Protocol and Methodology ................................................................................................................................................................... 16 Consent Form ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 17 Screener............................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 18 Discussion Guide—Preliminary Short Interviews ............................................................................................................................................. 19 Questionnaires .................................................................................................................................................................................................................20 Surveys ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 24 Refined Online Survey ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 25 PART 3 Preliminary Research ..............................................................................................................................................26 Mural Working Board—Online Survey .................................................................................................................................................................. 27 Mural Working Board—In-person Questionnaire and Survey ................................................................................................................... 29 Additional Questions Discovered and Mind Maps .......................................................................................................................................... 31 PART 4: Field Research and Interviews .............................................................................................................................32 Refined Discussion Guide for In-person Interviews ...................................................................................................................................... 33 Cultural Probes ................................................................................................................................................................................................................34 In-person Interviews ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 35 PART 5: Data Analysis and Development of Key Findings ............................................................................................36 Demographics of Participants ................................................................................................................................................................................. 37 Personas and Empathy Maps................................................................................................................................................................................... 38 Stakeholder Maps .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 39 Affinity Map ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................40 PART 6: Research Synthesis and Design-Strategy Development .................................................................................. 41 Research Matrix Questions Answered by Secondary Research ............................................................................................................ 42 Revised Problem and Opportunity Statement ................................................................................................................................................43 Design Criteria .................................................................................................................................................................................................................44 Design Strategy—Key Findings and Recommendations ............................................................................................................................ 45 Revised Models—Mind map and Journey Map ................................................................................................................................................46 Communicative Model— Opportunity Map and Customer Touch Point Map ..................................................................................48 In Conclusion......................................................................................................................................................................... 50

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INDUSTRIAL DESIGN 711 | CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH PROJECT

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Project Overview What is this study about: This study is about the differences between independently owned coffee shops and Starbucks. Why are we studying this: To find out how we can help independently owned coffee shops financially compete with Starbucks while keeping their inherent independent qualities and equally independent customers. How will we go about this study: We used methods of observation, secondary research and primary research through online surveys, in person questionnaires and long-format interviews. What should the reader expect to read: This research will provide the reader with observational notes and images, customer surveys and interviews and final recommendations using design thinking. How is this study relevant and to whom: The study is relevant to the sustainability of independent coffee shops, their owners, employees and members of coffee house culture. What is the problem trying to solve: How can independent coffee shops be successful, differentiate themselves from the ubiquity Starbucks’ and resonate with the coffee-culture customer. What do we expect to achieve: We expect to find out the relevant differences between Starbucks and an independent coffee shop as relating to environment, location, expectations, customer’s needs and coffee shop culture. What is novel and interesting about this: The normal perception of business “success” may not apply when researching a business that is supported by a unique customer culture.

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PART 1: Observations Secondary Research Research Matrix

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Visual Research WEEK OF JANUARY 29 – FEBRUARY 2, 2018: STARBUCKS

Starbucks interior imagery from secondary sources. Starbucks interior and exterior imagery primary research— Chapman University, Orange, CA

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Visual Research WEEK OF JANUARY 29 – FEBRUARY 2, 2018: THE INDEPENDENTS

KEAN COFFEE, NEWPORT BEACH, CA • Kean Coffee is a coffee roaster with 2 locations; The roasting and locations are run by the Dietrich family • The family has a generational history of roasting coffee and sourcing coffee bean farms in South America • Orange County California coffee lovers are aware of the family’s dedication to the coffee industry and integrity • The family previously owned Dietrich’s Coffee which was sold to Starbucks through a less then amicable situation. Mr. Dietrich was forced out of his company by partners and then the stores were sold to Starbucks • The family decided they no longer aspired to be a large chain instead focusing on roasting and 2 locations

• The customers are people who enjoy independent coffee shops; some are overheard to hate Starbucks because of the sale of Dietrich’s; customers can be a bit militant about their commitment to independent • Kean is named for the founder’s son • Price point is competitive with other like businesses • Differentiators: Smoothies, teas and coffee, roast whole beans at locations, local bakeries supply pastries

Bank Square Coffeehouse: Beacon, NY • Opened Fall 2009 • Quality coffee from Tarrytown, NY • Serves coffee, tea, beer, snacks, & goodies • Mic-nights, other live music events • Two-rooms • Outdoor area • Pet-friendly • Souvenirs/Merchandise sold • Nice downtown location • Few files from Mount Beacon • Few miles from Dia: Beacon (large contemporary art museum) Small World Coffee, Princeton, NJ

Sweet Hut Bakery and Cafe, Atlanta, GA PAGE 6

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN 711 | CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH PROJECT

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Observation Research INDEPENDENT COFFEE SHOPS: WEEK OF JAN 29- FEB. 2, 2018 SMALL WORLD COFFEE • Menu has items that are not explained (NOLA: no one would know what a NOLA is unless they asked) • Only small and large sized drinks • Prices are above Starbucks’s prices.... A small coffee is $4.50 and large is $5.50 • It is CASH ONLY!! (How is this even still possible?) • No bathroom for guests • Limited seatings (6-8 people)

SWEET HUT BAKERY AND CAFE • Menu is not well designed. Too many texts on it. It is always hanging on the wall, and it is hard to see everything while consumer standing in front of the cashier • Consumers do not clean tables when they leave • After order, consumers need to wait their staffs call their order number to get drinks. During rush hours, sometimes it is hard to hear names since it is really noise • The one in Kennesaw, the order line will block the front gate during rush hours • The self-serve bar area is messy and dirty

OCTANE COFFEE BAR • Outside environment is quiet and nice. Next to High Museum of Art • Indoor space is limited. Only bar seating • More table and seats are outside • Staffs are friendly • Menu is handwritten. Hanging on the wall • Only serve cold sandwich and salad • I ordered a caramel macchiato. It took they about 5 min. to make it. No other consumer was there. After they made it, they forgot to call me, just put the coffee on the cashier table • Their sandwich is not delicious. Bread was hard Potential Problems • Indoor space is too small. During rush hour, there will be full of people, and it is dangers to holding hot drink in crowded space • In bad weather, people will not able to sit outside. Even in windy day or during summer, not comfortable • Choices of food is limited. Do not have microwave to heat cold sandwich • Servers work inefficiently • Menu is not clear • Door is heavy to open while holding a drink

BANK SQUARE COFFEEHOUSE • Full house, limited seating • Limited street parking • Various seating arrangements/types • Limited seating for alone individuals • Eclectic, furniture • Majority soft seating, large sofas/loveseats • More side tables than working tabletops • Old/Vintage items, some poor condition • Rips/broken furniture • Progressive/Liberal atmosphere • $10 credit card min. • Mother and three small children wandering • Another small family gathering, no children • At least 2 couples • 2 Laptop users, headphones -- facing exterior storefront • 3 small friend groups -- one person with own guitar • Majority millennials, young professionals, locals • NYC commuters, one block from train station • Patient, friendly staff • Overwhelming amount of handwritten eclectic options on large chalkboard • Small, dirty prep table

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Observation Research INDEPENDENT COFFEE SHOPS: WEEK OF JAN 29- FEB 2, 2018 KEAN COFFEE • The street of the location is know for very fast drivers and the area is congested • The parking lot is under construction • Walk in door • The decor is Moroccan — rich colors, silk lanterns, antique wood and metal furniture converted to a self-service bar, gold and burgundy draped curtains, gold distressed walls. Color scheme is red, gold, olive green and brown. The decor could feel dated but harkens back to the philosophy of the owner—purposely not on trend and exotic. Floors are cement. • There is no clear line; people standing around that “might” be in line • There are 2 registers but not 2 distinct lines; 1 line that breaks into 2 at the register • People ask each other “are you in line” • There is a pastry case to the left of the left register. Customers ordering from the right register can not see the pastries in the case • Register server is extremely friendly. Does not rush the customer. • The menu board is their complete menu of hot, cold, iced, juices, smoothies, tea and a children’s menu called “Monkey Bar” • To the far left of the left register is a table with bags of coffee beans for sale. These are about 6 feet from the left register out of eye-sight. Additionally, the customer does not walk buy the bags when ordering. • There is a high table with 4 stools blocking the whole bean coffee bags • When no line, the coffee bean sales table is easier to see • One of their services is the selling of fresh roasted coffee ground on site to your coffee making preferences • Some people seem to be coming in and going directly to the whole beans— they’ve come for beans and then get a coffee • There is a roaster and master roaster on site to the left of the left register • After you order there is not a designated space to wait for your coffee. A table is very close to the pick up order counter and the self-service bar is directly behind this area. Extremely awkward where to wait for your coffee. • Between the roaster, grinding and smoothie machine the

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bar area is very loud and hard to hear your name called to pick up your drink Behind the counter there is the master roaster, 2 taking orders, 2-3 making orders The tables are filled with customers inside and out There are several high tables for 2 with a single high bench seat on one side and high stools on the other. The bench is comfortable, the stools are not There is a couch that only one person consistently sits on although the couch could fit 3 people There is no WIFI—this is a philosophy I am told by a customer There are 3 local newspaper stand areas They sell tea, travel mugs and coffee makers. These are hidden again behind the high table near the bags of whole bean. It is awkward to look at the additional product for sale because they are very close to the solitary customer on the sofa—you’d be in his “space” to shop If your order is “for here” you will receive a white china latte cup, white plates and metal utensils “To go” orders are a paper branded cup and bag Their pastries are from local, well known bakeries. For example, they sell a well know Asian bakeries strawberry croissants The dirty glassware is meant to be put into tubs near the self service bar but the tubs are missing. Customers seem confused where to put the dirty plates and cups. They leave it on the bottom shelf When it is slow, one of the servers straightens up and dusts the shelves of products There is a roof support beam in the middle of the shop that interrupts flow. They built the coffee self service bar around the beam Imagery on walls are their awards and local news recognition All signage is not consistent in style or execution. There is a shelf attached to the front counter that holds product as the customer walks from the order area to the pick up area. Customers would have already ordered prior to seeing the shelf of goods for sale.. The table tops are vintage coffee sacks that have been covered in resin Small tables are wood with wood chairs and leather cushions

• Many people have lap tops despite no WIFI • The front door is a double door, there is one single side door • No bathroom in the restaurant; ask for a key on a large word paddle. The bathroom is a far walk around the back of the shopping center. It is not convenient and holding the key is unsanitary. Shopping plaza across the street also has a common plaza bathroom with a key • Overheard —customer said he rarely comes here anymore because the services has reduced and chaotic. He goes to the “new” independent coffee shop 1 block away. The new coffee shop is sleek, modern, all white design. “Kean feels like Starbucks now.” • Customers range from mid-20 to over 60. Few children— school day • Newport Beach is an affluent neighborhood with disposable income • There is a water dispenser on a floor stand

Potential Problems • No clean line area designated • Added product and coffee bean sales are not noticeable • The pastry display can only be viewed from the left register • Pastry items are not on the menu boards • The wall attached high bench seat wastes space when paired with small high tables • The high stools are not comfortable • Newspaper area is messy as people read papers and throw them back on the pile • The center roof support pole interrupts the flow of people • The street is very busy, impacted and drivers speed Potential Opportunities: • Line should be forced to move by the pastry case and product sales area • Implementing a single line that splits at the register • Add WIFI • Add a bathroom in store with no key • If can not add a bathroom then have a code on the door instead of a key system • Keep newspapers away from the self serve area • Devise a brand look that keeps the independent spirit while adding professionalism and consistency Potential Concerns • Too much streamlining of Kean could alienate their current customers who enjoy the independent vibe of the locations

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Observation Research STARBUCKS COFFEE SHOPS: WEEK OF JAN 29- FEB 2, 2018 ORANGE, CALIFORNIA • Walk in door • Hold door • Hard to get through with people coming out holding their coffee • There is another door further away that has an automatic slider • Side note: If I get there 10 minutes later, the line will be out the door as students start arriving for 8:30 classes • Line - not too long at this time • Line is organized with ropes and displays but feels like Disneyland • Added shelves of products to look at while wait • The food area is part of the line so its hard to select food because people are waiting behind you if you stop • Order • A lot of information to give depending on your drink selection (this is my fault - long drink order) • Server repeats after each request “is there anything else”. Makes me feel rushed. Or that I should be finished. • Pay with my phone. • I put it under the sensor that is below the register on the counter top. Not at arms height. • The phone App. does not refresh your balance until you are about to order making you have to add money while people behind you wait • Go to next area to wait for coffee • Very awkward where to stand - either too close to the drink counter, in the way of the door or standing in front of the sugar/cream/napkin bar • The self-serve bar area is messy, dirty and people edging for what they need • The counter for pick up is sometimes messy with spills. • People crowd around the counter for pick up area, they touch other people’s drinks by the lid where you drink, they move drinks so that they are no longer in order of how they were put down or order of called out, they breath over and cough while they wait, they crowd around so that you can’t get your drink, see if your drink is there. • Get your drink, push through the crowd to get the drink • Yell thank you to the barista • Move by the people who are still waiting to get to the door • Can’t get door open well because holding drinks - push with shoulder

PRINCETON, NJ • Typical Starbucks menu (a little bias because I am so comfortable with their stores and offerings) • Endless seating and even a fireplace • Odd layout where you have to go to the back of the store to order (going around the people waiting in the front for their drinks)

Potential Problems • Door opening when holding coffee • Waiting line for coffee is positioned by food—food selection has to be rushed • Server although friendly, there scripted verbiage to end the order seems insensitive to the line you just waited in • Sensor to order on phone is always in a different place and different height • Phone App. should update your balance immediately, consistently and constantly to avoid issues at the front of the line. • Area to wait for order is uncomfortable • Self-serve bar is messy and crowded • Pick up area is unsanitary and irritating

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INDUSTRIAL DESIGN 711 | METHODS OF CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH GROUP

Secondary Research CITATIONS

https://cupsworks.com

Findings Online resource that specifically helps independent coffee shops stay in business. (Kaiser) “Our goal is to help specialty coffee shop owners compete in a tough market, and we envision a day when independent businesses everywhere have access to resources like ours to help them fight back against the large chains who seek to push them out.” (CupWorks) These online resources can help independent shops by coffee cups to staffing baristas. Being a member is free to sign up but once you start purchasing services or products there are fees involved. A collective App. (Kaiser)

Do, Tiffany. More People Are Visiting Independent Coffee Shops. (October 17, 2017). Food Republic. Retrieved from http://www. foodrepublic.com/2017/10/17/independentcoffee-shops/

“In a recent study, Foursquare found that independent coffee shops are seeing more foot traffic. Using data gathered from its Apps, Foursquare Swarm and Foursquare City Guide, the mobile “search and discovery” company found that visits to independent coffee shops rose 5%, while big chains like Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts saw less than 1% growth. Overall visits to coffee joints rose 1.7% in 2017.” (Do)

Taylor, Kate. Starbucks’ biggest competition isn’t Dunkin’ Donuts — it’s your neighborhood hipster coffee shop. (2017). Business Insider. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/starbucks-competition-independent-coffee-shops-2017-3

“We’re still not seeing any one competitor or even a smaller number of group of competitors being an influence on our business at any time. But what we have acknowledged ... is the collective group of independent coffee shops out there, they are doing a lot of what Starbucks has been so good at for so long.” “It’s that third-place environment, it’s a comfortable place to be, it’s an up-leveled coffee experience. They’re not taking share [from] us but what we know is if we don’t have our service levels right and customers aren’t engaged in the right way, they now have options.” “The concern that independent coffee shops will win over Starbucks’ customers is amplified by the chain’s growing ubiquity” – Scott Maw, Starbucks CFO (Taylor)

“The report also shows that October is the busiest month for coffee shops, thanks to the infamous pumpkin spice latte. December comes in second with holiday flavors such as peppermint, eggnog and chestnut.” (Do)

“Widespread popularity can kill a trendy brand’s image. As Starbucks opens more locations, maintaining its coffee-snob-approved reputation becomes more difficult, especially in relation to independent chains.” (Taylor) “The company’s solution has been to invest in Roasteries and the Reserve brand, which provide a more upscale Starbucks experience. Starbucks plans to open 20 to 30 Roasteries, which are tourist-friendly mega-locations roasting coffee in-house and serving expensive drinks like the $10 Nitro Cold Brew Float. Additionally, the company will open 1,000 Reserve stores, serving small-batch coffee and food made in-house, and it will add Reserve Bars at 20% of all locations, enabling them to serve more exotic blends made in a wider variety of methods.” “Concern that Starbucks could lose its edge to independent coffee shops is currently one of the driving concerns at the company.” (Taylor)

Krasny, Jill. How Indie Coffee Brands Are Taking on Starbucks’ Be-Everywhere Strategy. (September 22, 2014). Inc. Retrieved from https://www.inc.com/jill-krasny/starbucks-wont-kill-indie-coffeeshops.html

“More recently the company announced plans to deploy coffee trucks on college campuses and go high-brow with a rare bean tasting room.” “Not that these upstarts are taking on Starbucks, exactly. On a price basis alone, they can’t; Starbucks is a $60 billion a year business and accounted for most of the country’s coffee sales in 2013 alone. They can compete on experience and data, however, and if they’re savvy, expansion.”(Krasny) “In the last five years, consumers have become more keenly interested in better quality food and beverages, reports Darren Tristano, executive vice president at the food industry research firm Technomic. And it’s a trend that’s “pretty hard to ignore,” says Matt Lounsbury, vice president of the indie coffee brand Stumptown Coffee.” “If Starbucks is going to become like McDonald’s, [these indie shops] are going to have to retrench. Yes, there’s a similarity between these chains, but they try to have a different feel or personality. That may be their only hope.” – Quentin Flemming, an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business, (Krasny)

Giang, V. (2017, January 09). The Economics of Your Local Coffee Shop. Fundera. Retrieved February 06, 2018, from https:// www.fundera.com/blog/the-economics-ofyour-local-coffee-shop

Peter Giuliano, a 25-year veteran of the coffee industry, told Yahoo Business that he has seen a rise in independent specialty coffee shops and describes the phenomenon as feeling like “a trend.” “We think there is a slow, steady rise that parallels the growth of the specialty coffee movement,” Giuliano told Yahoo. “We credit the start of the specialty coffee revolution to Peet’s Coffee opening in San Francisco in the 1960s. That inspired another wave with Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf and Starbucks in Seattle opening in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Now the people who grew up drinking good coffee are opening their own coffee shops.” • “According to Donald Moy, owner of NYC’s 12 Corners Coffee, big chain coffee shops can’t afford to offer good customer service and that’s where small businesses have the advantage. 12 Corners Coffee is known for brewing drinks as ordered and bringing them directly to customers’ tables. It’s also not uncommon for employees to trust customers to pay at the end of their visit if they’re there for numerous hours plugging away on laptops.” • “Quality in the coffee and convenience are the main reasons why customers accept the uptick in coffee prices. To ensure that quality is maintained, Moy spends a lot of time training his staff.” • “Sometimes you go to a coffee shop and three days out of five, it’s not going to taste the same or look the same,” said Moy. While it’s tough to produce the same quality every time, this is crucial in the coffee business, especially in a time when people are becoming more knowledgeable about specialty coffee.” • “Many people frequent coffee shops as a place to do work. The environment is also known to be a good place to do reflective thinking. Some people prefer to have meetings in convenient cafes. Corporate workers use the coffee shop visit as a break from their stressful day.” • “Overspending is one of the biggest mistakes small business owners make, said Moy. For his own supplies, he does careful inventory and uses local suppliers since they’re close by and also small business owners. Moy likes knowing where he’s getting his goods from.” • “Moy stays on top of his coffee game with the following strategies: offering loyalty cards to show your appreciation, selling baked goods to increase revenue, and finding an investor who knows everything you don’t about the industry.”

Lopez, A. (2014, October 21). How Regional Coffee Chains Are Competing With National Heavy Hitters Like Starbucks. Forbes. Retrieved February 6, 2018, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/adrianalopez/2013/10/21/how-regional-coffeechains-arecompetingwith-national-heavy-hitters-likestarbucks/#2948fd925964

• “Several heavy hitters have already established their ranking in the coffee shop hierarchy and are depending on new ideas and concepts to keep them competing advantageously in the saturated market, by offering more food options, loyalty programs, and new drink recipes to keep their patrons coming back.” • Coffee is following in the footsteps of the current craft beer and craft cocktail trends in the food and beverage industry, by focusing on the art and science behind coffee making from bean to cup.

Design Thinking. Wikipedia. Retrieved on February 7, 2018. https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Design_thinking

• Design thinking refers to creative strategies designers use during the process of designing. Design thinking in business uses the designer’s sensibility and methods to match people’s needs with what is technologically feasible and what a viable business strategy can convert into customer value and market opportunity. • Design thinking is a method for practical, creative resolution of problems. It is a form of solution-based thinking with the intent of producing a constructive future result. • Seven stages: define, research, ideate, prototype, choose, implement, and learn. • The design thinking method shares a common set of traits, mainly: creativity, ambidextrous thinking, teamwork, user-centeredness (empathy), curiosity and optimism • Design methods are techniques, rules, or ways of doing things that someone uses within a design discipline. Methods for design thinking include interviewing, creating user profiles, looking at other existing solutions, creating prototypes, mind mapping, asking questions like the five whys, drawing issue trees (or issue maps[25]), and situational analysis

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INDUSTRIAL DESIGN 711 | METHODS OF CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH GROUP

Secondary Research (continued) CITATIONS

Gaudio, R. P. (2003). Coffeetalk: StarbucksTM and the Commercialization of Casual Conversation. Language in Society, 32(5), 659-691. Retrieved February 6, 2018, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/4169298

Brown, Nick. (March 27, 2017). 2017 US Coffee Drinking Trends Include More Gourmet, More Youth. Daily Coffee News. Retrieved on February 7, 2018, https://dailycoffeenews.com/2017/03/27/2017-us-coffee-drinking-trendsinclude-more-gourmet-more-youth/

Findings • “The focus of analysis is the middle-class sociolinguistic practice of “coffeetalk” - a term borrowed from U.S. popular culture to signal the naturalized conflation of conversation with the commercialized consumption of coffee, space, and other commodities “ • “A systematic investigation of the material and social dimensions of seemingly ordinary conversational practices demonstrates that these are inextricably implicated in the political, economic, and cultural-ideological processes of global capitalism, as symbolized by the increasingly ubiquitous Starbucks Coffee Company. (Conversation, social interaction, political economy, space, coffeehouses)” • “The portrayal of Starbucks as a “Third Place” and “an extension of the front porch” represents a shift in the company’s marketing strategy that occurred in the mid-1990s. Until that time, Starbucks stores were designed to recall Italian coffee bars, where customers take their coffee standing up and leave as soon as they are finished drinking” • “In his response to criticisms about Starbucks’ competitive business tactics, Schultz’s claim about enhancing consumer choice in the “coffee category” draws on a neoliberal ideology that, like Habermas’s theory of the public sphere, constructs society as a collection of private individuals who are equally empowered to choose and direct the course of their own actions” • “’Equality’ is a sacred (and elusive) political value and “casualness” refers to an intentional mode of social action that is materialized and commodified in speech, dress, eating, drinking, interior design and other practice.” • “Recent (and not so recent) social movements, however, have inspired many people to question the fairness and desirability of a political-economic system that finds its supreme expression in the socially sanitized shopping mall, where cultural diversity is reduced to aesthetic commodity and political debate is actively suppressed.” The dominant trend in 2017 is toward increased consumption among coffee drinkers of all ages Daily consumption of ‘gourmet’ coffee beverages generally saw much higher rates of increase in 2017: • Ages 13-18: 29 percent • Ages 18-24: 39 percent, up 3 percent from last year • Ages 25-39: 50 percent, up 9 percent from last year • Ages 40-59: 39 percent, up 15 percent from last year • Ages 60+: 34 percent, up 10 percent from last year

Frequency: This refers to consumers who reported having consumed a coffee beverage within the past day: • Ages 13-18: 37 percent, up 6 percent from last year • Ages 18-24: 50 percent, up 2 percent from last year • Ages 25-39: 63 percent, up 3 percent from last year • Ages 40-59: 64 percent, up 11 percent from last year • Ages 60+: 68 percent, up 4 percent from last year O’Farrell, Renee. Who Is Starbucks’ Target Audience? Small Business. Retrieved on February 7, 2018. http://smallbusiness.chron. com/starbucks-target-audience-10553.html

Starbucks’ primary target market is men and women aged 25 to 40. They account for almost half (49 percent) of its total business. Starbucks’ appeal to this consumer age group through hip, contemporary design that is consistent in its advertising and decor, and working to keep its products current as status symbols. Customers tend to be urbanites with relatively high income, professional careers and a focus on social welfare. This target audience grows at a rate of 3 percent annually. Specialty coffee drinks account for around 75 percent of Starbucks’ sales, but an increasing amount of its business is centered on selling whole bean coffees and merchandise. Starbucks has made its coffees available for direct order online

McKinney, Paul. Independent Retailer: Definition & Overview. Study. Retrieved on February 7, 2018. https://study. com/academy/lesson/independent-retailer-definitionlesson-quiz.html

An independent retailer is someone who is completely responsible for his or her own business. The retailer owns or has bought an independent store and has built the business from the ground up by assessing all needs of the store, which can include staffing, marketing, merchandising, sales, etc.

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Framing: Inquiry, Focus, Opportunity Statement, Umbrella and Sub Questions AREA OF INQUIRY: Coffee Shops FOCUS AREA: The differences between independent coffee shops and large corporate owned coffee shops, like Starbucks, with a specific emphasis on efficiency and local cultures. PROBLEM STATEMENT: With the rise of the corporate owned coffee shops and customer’s desires for streamlined processes, how can independent coffee shops be successful while maintaining their local status among current customers. OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT: There is an opportunity to help independent coffee shops continue to resonate with local customers while modernizing processes enabling them to financially compete with large corporate owned coffee shops, like Starbucks. UMBRELLA QUESTION: How might we use design thinking to help independent coffee shops processes while celebrating local culture within communities.

TEAM REFLECTIONS, FINDINGS, AND INSIGHTS Our team began with observational research. Each of us visited a Starbucks and then visited an independent coffee shop within our communities.

VENN DIAGRAM

Design Thinking

We all found that Starbucks was extremely consistent in experience and taste. They are obviously a well-oiled machine. Our visits to independent coffee shops were unique to our communities but consistent in their negative amount of issues and positive amount of cultural charm.

Observe processes + practices

Secondary research confirmed we were on the right path when we found that Starbucks is more concerned with independent coffee shop competition then they are chains.

Define Coffee Culture

STRATEGY

We also confirmed through secondary research and observational research that independent coffee shop customers have a breaking point where they feel their independent shop has become corporate and they move on.

Independent Coffee Shop

This difficult balance between professional and colloquial became the focus of our study.

Awareness + Connections + Context

Culture of Local Communities

SUB-QUESTIONS 1. How will “design thinking” be defined and what methods could be used for this study? 2. What characteristics define an independent coffee shop? 3. Which functions of a coffee shop business should be studied? CITATIONS:

4. How will local culture of communities be defined?

Independent coffee shops are perking up. (2017). Fast Company. Retrieved from https://www.fastcompany.com/40481122/ independent-coffee-shops-are-perking-up-says-foursquare-data

TARGET AUDIENCE: Our target audience to benefit through this research will be independent coffee shop owners. Our target audience that we will be observing and interviewing are independent coffee shop customers and employees.

Taylor, Kate. Starbucks’ biggest competition isn’t Dunkin’ Donuts — it’s your neighborhood hipster coffee shop. 2017 Business Insider. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/starbucks-competition-independent-coffeeshops-2017-3 PAGE 12

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN 711 | METHODS OF CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH GROUP

Research Matrix UMBRELLA QUESTION: How might we use design thinking to help independent coffee shop’s processes while celebrating local culture within communities.

What do we need to know?

Why do we need to know it?

What kind of data will answer this question?

Where can we find the data?

What research methods should we use?

Who can we contact for access?

When do we need to get a hold of this data?

What will we learn from this data?

What might we be missing?

1. How will “design thinking” be defined and what methods could be used for this study?

A definitive definition of “design thinking” and which method(s) to consider for use in finding solutions

To narrow the methods to be used and confirm understanding of design thinking

Qualitative

Secondary research

Methodological literature review of current definitions of design thinking

Access online research

Prior to conducting field research

Options within design thinking that could be used for future solutions to our problem statement

This question will need to be addressed throughout the research process

1a. What design strategies could be used to help local coffee shops succeed in a Starbucks world?

We need to know if there existing successful strategies that independent coffee shops have used to compete with larger chains.

This information would help us to create new strategies

Quantitative

Secondary research

Statistical literature reviews of coffee shop business strategies

Access online research

Prior to conducting field research

We will learn successful strategies that already exist therefore leaving these out of our studies

If we can find reliable quantitative research

2. What characteristics define an independent coffee shop?

What is the accepted industry definition of an independent coffee shop

To select which type of coffee shops to include in our research

Qualitative

Secondary research

Literature review of independent coffee shop website and publications.

Online research

Prior to conducting field research

We will learn the most accepted definition of independent coffee shop, be able to set perimeters to our study

The attitudes of customers as they dispute the definition of independent; bias of information found

2a. What are independent coffee shops’s advantages comparing to large corporate owned coffee shops?

We need to know if the independent coffee shop has any intrinsic advantages to its independent status.

This information could be a good starting point for further research.

Qualitative

Secondary research

Literature review of coffee shop business articles online

Online research

At the beginning of field research

We will learn additional opportunities to capitalize in later stages

We might be missing interviewing coffee shop customers owners for their opinions

2b. Does a coffee shop’s location influence their ability to be considered independent?

We need to know if location influences a coffee shops reputation of independence.

This information could be a good starting point for further research and will help us narrow our study.

Qualitative

Primary research

Interviews of coffee shop customers.

Coffee shop owner

At the beginning of field research

We will learn the attitudes of coffee shop customers and industry as pertaining to location

We might be missing that location has nothing to do with independence but everything to do with perception which will be hard to measure

3. Which functions of a coffee shop business should be studied?

We need to know what aspect of coffee shop business we will study

We need to set a perimeter of the study

Qualitative

Secondary research

Literature review of coffee shop business trends

Online research

Prior to conducting field research

Ability to set perimeters for the study

Will this end up being an artificially set perimeter.

4. How will the local culture of communities be defined?

We need to know how we are going to define “local culture”

Defining local culture will help in the future to measure the success of suggested solutions

Qualitative

Primary research

Interviews and survey’s of local coffee drinkers; online survey through social media platforms

Coffee shop owners

Prior to conducting field research.

We will learn how audience perceives a coffee shop that exemplifies the culture of a community

Interview questions must be carefully planned and tracked of such a subjective subject

4a. Could demographic and psychographic information of independent coffee shop customers help to define culture?

We need to know if there is a consistent culture to frequent independent coffee shop customers.

This information could help us define universal cultural expectations at independent coffee shops.

Qualitative

Interviews and survey’s of local coffee drinkers; online survey through social media platforms

Online social media platform surveys

Prior to conducting field research

We will learn if there are cultural characteristics that are universal to independent coffee shop customers that we can use to define culture from our umbrella statement

Will we be able to receive enough feedback to make this determination

Primary research

Social media platform administrators

Coffee shop owners Online search

PAGE 13

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN 711 | CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH PROJECT

GROUP

Timeline January 29–March 12, 2018

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Visual research —Starbucks and Independent

Framing of Research

Initial Primary Research

Conduct Long Form Interviews

Online Survey Closes

Research Synthesis and Design-Strategy Development

Presentation

Research Matrix Developed

Preliminary In-person Surveys and Interviews

Continue Online Surveys

Analysis Data

Compile and Organize Data

Develop Key Learnings

MARCH 5

MARCH 12

Observational research —Starbucks and Independent

Research Protocol and Methodology Developed

Online Survey Opens

Secondary Research Begins Define Problem

Forms, Questionnaires and Surveys Developed

Develop Research Questions

Secondary Research Continues

Develop Models and Affinity Maps

Begin Working Walls

Begin Research Plan

JAN 29

FEB 5

FEB 12

FEB 19

FEB 26

PAGE 14

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN 711 | CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH PROJECT

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PART 2: Research Protocol

PAGE 15

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN 711 | CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH PROJECT

GROUP

Research Protocol METHODOLOGY Contextual qualitative primary research through on-site observations, interview questionnaires and online surveys RESEARCH TRIANGULATION DATA:

INTERVIEW QUESTIONNAIRES: John, Siqi, Sam • SITES: Exemplify the definition of independent coffee shop that will

• Paper

be used for the study.

• Online

• Octance, Atlanta, GA, BankHouse, Tarrytown, NY, Small World Cof-

• Audio INVESTIGATOR: • Siqi- US Southern state • John - US East coast • Kathleen - National/West Coast

fee, Princetone, NJ • GATEKEEPERS: Owner of coffee shops will need to be contacted

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN 711 | CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH PROJECT

Gender: m / f (circle one)

GROUP

• QUANTITY: 6 at each location for a total of 18. 3 men and 3 women. Saturation levels will be monitored. • DATA COLLECTION: Paper questionnaires, note taking

Questionnaire: coffee consumers - independently owned coffee shop part 1/2 Questions:

Answer: write answers in coordinating boxes

How often do you come to this coffee shop? Do you go to another coffee shop more than here? If so, where? What makes you go to your most visited coffee shop?

• Sam - US East Coast

ONLINE SURVEY: Kathleen

What would make you come to this location more? Where is your favorite coffee drink? Can you get it here? Is there somewhere that makes it better? If so, where? What is your favorite part of coming to this coffee shop?

METHODOLOGY: • On-site observations • Short in-person interviews • Online surveys • Long format in-person interviews

• SITES: Online sites that will have followers who are within our participant target audience • Coffee Roasters Forum, I Love Coffee , Barista Hustle • Personal social media page

What is your least favorite part of coming to this coffee shop? How often do you go out for coffee on a weekly basis? What about this coffee shop could be improved? Do you get coffee on weekends and weekdays? Do you work close by this location? Or, is it on your commute to work? Do you come here because it is not a starbucks? How often to you find yourself at a starbucks? Do you visit only starbucks coffees in other cities?

• San Clemente local Facebook page • GATEKEEPERS: Administrator of online site • QUANTITY: Survey request wil be posted. Goal is 10. Saturation levels will be monitored. • DATA COLLECTION: Online data collection through Google Survey LONG FORM INTERVIEWS: Kathleen • SITES: Through the owner of Bear Coast Coffee interviews were set up with 4 “reglulars” • Bear Coast Coffee • Visit participants offices • GATEKEEPERS: Owner of Bear Coast Coffee and individual participants willingness • QUANTITY: Goal is 4-6 • DATA COLLECTION: Recorded audio and transcripts

PAGE 16

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN 711 | CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH PROJECT

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Consent Form RESEARCHER CONSENT FORM

(PRINT PARTICIPANT’S NAME)

has been asked to participate in a research study about independent coffee shops. The

participant was selected because they frequented an independent coffee shop or Starbucks within the designated research area or replied to a request for participants one of the online coffee groups: Coffee Roasters Forum, I Love Coffee and Barista Hustle. Please read the consent form, sign and date to participate in the study. A copy of this consent form will be provided to you. Title of Study Independent Coffee Shops Researcher Name(s) and Institution(s) The study will be conducted by John Colon, Siqi Hu, Kathleen Kaiser, and Sam Teyhen—Master’s in Fine Art students at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).

Withdrawal Statement At any time should the participant wish to decline or redraw their participation from the study, they can do so without any prejudice or consequence. Risk Statement There are no anticipated risks to this study that could cause discomfort or adverse effects.

Study description and Purpose The purpose of this study is to gather information about independent coffee shop processes and culture as compared to corporate owned coffee shops.

Benefits Statement The benefit to participants could be the increase in an enjoyable experience at independent coffee shops.

Research method type and data collected Participants will be interviewed in person. Audio recordings and written notes will be used during interviews. A survey portion of the study will be conducted online. A link to the survey will be provided to participants. All audio is for note taking only.

Confidentiality/Anonymity Statement All information will remain confidential and be used for the sole purpose of this study. All participants will remain anonymous. Results of the survey will be made available to participants on request.

Study Requirements In person, 30-minute, interviews will take place at predetermined coffee shops. Questionnaire surveys will be conducted online by participants on a desktop computer. It is required that participants have access to a desktop computer with internet access to complete the online surveys.

Compensation There is no compensation associated with this study.

How data will be collected, stored, and used Data will be collected through recorded in-person interviews and online questionnaire surveys. Notes may be taken at interviews. The audio data will be stored on password protected cloud storage accounts. The online surveys will be stored on password protected Google Surveys.

Your signature indicates that you will participate in the research study, that you are over 18 years of age and that you have read and understood the consent form.

Contact Details Please direct any questions or concerns to Kathleen Kaiser at kkaise21@student.scad.edu

Signature _______________________________________________________________________ Date __________________ Witness _________________________________________________________________________ Date __________________ PAGE 17

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN 711 | CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH PROJECT

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Screener ASSUMED REQUIRED CUSTOMER PARTICIPANT’S CHARACTERISTICS WILL BE;

SCREEN FORM

Based on research of coffee shop customers our participants focus will be: • Equally men and women

• 25 to 40 years old • Enjoy coffee • Visit a coffee shop 1 or more times a week spending a minimum of $3.00.

Gender (please circle):

last 7 days? (Circle all that apply)

Female

Starbucks 7-11

What is your age?

Dunkin’ Donuts

Under 18

• Educated

McDonalds

18-24

• The participant should be familiar with Starbucks

None of the above

25-40 Over 40 3.

Fast food Independent coffee shop

$25,000-49,999

Convenience Store

$50,000-99,999

Chain restaurant

Above $100,000 What is the highest grade or level of school completed or the highest degree received? High School Some Undergraduate Undergraduate Degree Masters and above 5.

Which best describes the industry you work in? Food service Creative/Marketing/advertising Agriculture Healthcare Financial Services Retail

Which of these types of restaurants have you visited in the last 7 days? (Circle all that apply)

What is your annual income: Less than $25,000

Which of these restaurants have you visited in the

Male

None of the above 9.

How often do you purchase a coffee drink each week? 0-1 drinks 2-3 drinks 4-5 drinks 6-7 or more drinks

10. How often do you spend time in a coffee shop each week? 0-1 days 2-3 days 4-5 days 6-7 days

Law/Judicial/Government Other_________________________ 6.

How many miles do you live from this location? 1-5 mile 6-10 miles More than 10 miles PAGE 18

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN 711 | CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH PROJECT

GROUP

Discussion Guide (Used for preliminary research short interviews) INTRODUCTIONS • FOCUS AREA: The differences between independent coffee shops

EXERCISES • CULTURAL PROBES: “provocative instruments given to participants

and large corporate owned coffee shops, like Starbucks, with a spe-

to inspire new forms of self-understanding and communication about

cific emphasis on efficiency and local cultures.

their lives, environments, thoughts, and interactions” (Martin, Haning-

• Screeners and Consent Form GETTING TO KNOW YOUR PARTICIPANT

ton, 2012, p. 54). • DIARY STUDIES: “guiding artifacts that allow people to conveniently

• Typical, casual questions to warm up Q&A process

and expressively convey personal details about their daily life and

• Aim to build up a rapport

events to design teams” (Martin, Hanington, 2012, p. 66).

• Listen to interesting facts to guide later questions • Ask participant to describe a typical weekday and weekend day MORE FOCUSED QUESTIONS • PROBLEM STATEMENT: With the rise of the corporate owned coffee shops and customer’s desires for streamlined processes, how can independent coffee shops be successful while maintaining their local status among current customers? • OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT: There is an opportunity to help independent coffee shops continue to resonate with local customers while modernizing processes enabling them to financially compete with large corporate owned coffee shops, like Starbucks. DETAILED QUESTIONS

• DIRECTED STORYTELLING: “allows designers to easily gather rich stories of lived experiences from participants, using thoughtful prompts and guiding and framing questions in conversation” (Martin, Hanington, 2012, p. 68). • EXPLORATORY RESEARCH: “user and product studies, intended to forge an empathic knowledge base” (Martin, Hanington, 2012, p. 84). • Help participants think more deeply about their own decisions and preferences. • Keep an open mindset and observe both the decisions that participants make and the processes that got them to their decision WRAP UP • Give participant a chance to ask any questions

• Dig into context (location, setting, etc.)

• Thank them for their time and explain what happens next

• How the business is going

• Leave contact details with them in case they have questions

• Consumer vs. employee behaviors • Independent vs. chain behaviors

SOURCE

• Perceived problems vs. solutions

Martin, B., & Hanington, B. M. (2012). Universal methods of design: 100

• Opinions/use of coffee and other products sold (including food and

ways to research complex problems, develop innovative ideas, and de-

drinks)

sign effective solutions. Beverly, MA: Rockport.

• Affordability, customer experience, beverage quality, travelling, size, loyalty, consistency, environment, inventory system

PAGE 19

INDUSTRIALDESIGN DESIGN711 711| |CONTEXTUAL CONTEXTUALRESEARCH RESEARCHPROJECT PROJECT INDUSTRIAL

Gender: m / f (circle one)

GROUP GROUP

02 02

Questionnaire: coffee consumers - independently owned coffee shop part 1/2 Questions:

Answer: write answers in coordinating boxes

How often do you come to this coffee shop? Do you go to another coffee shop more than here? If so, where? What makes you go to your most visited coffee shop? What would make you come to this location more? Where is your favorite coffee drink? Can you get it here? Is there somewhere that makes it better? If so, where? What is your favorite part of coming to this coffee shop? What is your least favorite part of coming to this coffee shop? How often do you go out for coffee on a weekly basis? What about this coffee shop could be improved? Do you get coffee on weekends and weekdays? Do you work close by this location? Or, is it on your commute to work? Do you come here because it is not a starbucks? How often to you find yourself at a starbucks? Do you visit only starbucks coffees in other cities? PAGE 20

INDUSTRIALDESIGN DESIGN711 711| |CONTEXTUAL CONTEXTUALRESEARCH RESEARCHPROJECT PROJECT INDUSTRIAL

GROUP GROUP

02 02

Questionnaire: coffee consumers - independently owned coffee shop part 2/2 Questions:

Answer: write answers in coordinating boxes

What is your profession? What is your typical average salary? What is your highest level of education? How many degrees do you have? How long have you been drinking coffee? Where do you live? What makes you choose coming to this coffee shop over a Starbucks? If you have any other comments, thoughts or input - please feel free to write below:

PAGE 21

Gender: m / f (circle one)

INDUSTRIALDESIGN DESIGN711 711| |CONTEXTUAL CONTEXTUALRESEARCH RESEARCHPROJECT PROJECT INDUSTRIAL

GROUP GROUP

02 02

Questionnaire: coffee consumers - starbucks part 1/2 Questions:

Answer: write answers in coordinating boxes

How often do you come to this starbucks? Do you go to another coffee shop more than here? If so, where? Where do you find yourself getting coffee the most? What would make you come to this location more? Where is your favorite coffee drink? Can you get it here? Is there somewhere that makes it better? If so, where? What is your favorite part of coming to this starbucks? What is your least favorite part of coming to this starbucks? How often do you go out for coffee on a weekly basis? What about this starbucks could be improved? Do you get coffee on weekends and weekdays? Do you work close by this location? Or, is it on your commute to work? Do you come here because it is a starbucks? How often to you find yourself at a starbucks? Do you visit only starbucks coffees in other cities? PAGE 22

INDUSTRIALDESIGN DESIGN711 711| |CONTEXTUAL CONTEXTUALRESEARCH RESEARCHPROJECT PROJECT INDUSTRIAL

GROUP GROUP

02 02

Questionnaire: coffee consumers - starbucks part 2/2 Questions:

Answer: write answers in coordinating boxes

What is your profession? What is your typical average salary? What is your highest level of education? How many degrees do you have? How long have you been drinking coffee? Where do you live? What makes you choose coming to Starbucks over an independently owned coffee shop? If you have any other comments, thoughts or input - please feel free to write below:

PAGE 23

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN RESEARCH PROJECT | CONTEXTUAL INDUSTRIAL DESIGN 711 |711 CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH PROJECT

GROUP GROUP

Survey: coffee consumer Please circle what best describes/fits you:

32-35

How old are you?

25-28

28-30

30-32

Where do you live?

downtown

historic

Which of these describes you?

blue -collar worker

white -collar worker

How often do you drink coffee?

1x / day

2-3x / day

>3x / day

Where do you usually get your coffee?

starbucks

local coffee shop

How much would you say you spend a month on coffee?

$>20

$20-50

$50-100

<$100

What is most important to you when deciding where to purchase your coffee?

cost

taste

accessibility

environment

Where do you get coffee the most?

independently owned

urban pioneer (up-and-coming)

35-38

destination

ethnic

suburban

rural

lesirure (golf/retirement)

other

a couple times a week

make at home

38-40

rarely

from work

starbucks

PAGE 24

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN 711 | CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH PROJECT

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Primary Research: Online Survey GOOGLE FORMS ONLINE SURVEY LINK At right are screen shots of the online survey. Please see link below to read entire survey in context https://goo.gl/forms/1R5uOi2U6V1hCvH73

What is most important to you when deciding to purchase coffee outside * the home? 1

Tell us2what you3like about4 your favorite independent coffee shop? * 5

Consistent Taste

Price

What would make you visit this coffee shop more often each week? *

Question * 1 Streamlined experience

5 Unique experience

What is your favorite characteristic or experience at this coffee shop? *

Question * 1 E?cient environment

What is your least favorite part of the experience at this coffee shop? * Friendly environment

How important is it to you that a coffee shop have an App. for payment? * Do you =nd this coffee shop relects the community it is located within? * 1 Not important

4 Very important

5 Yes

Does the coffee shop support the community in some way? If yes, please * describe how.

PAGE 25

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN 711 | CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH PROJECT

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PART 3: Preliminary Research

PAGE 26

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN 711 | CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH PROJECT

GROUP

Primary Research: in-person questionnaires Researcher: Sam

MURAL ONLINE WORK BOARD

We had planned to leave out of our research marketing or design professional but our research shows many creatives hang at independent coffee shops

A - Activites

People are very casual and slow paced when coming into SW and also the workers are very relaxed. 2 employees only

E - Environments The anti-Starbucks opinion is stronger then an anti-independent

Atmosphere not as important as we thought it would be. Are we asking the right questions?

Very clean all over. The store is extremely open in the middle.

I - Interactions People weren't interacting with anyone unless ordering Every customer was alone

O - Objects U - Users

Independent coffee shop —people and taste�

Customers were on their phones or reading a book One customer was on his laptop One customer had his dog with him (tied up outside)

The people all seem to be older (in relation to Starbucks customers) A couple of customers had accents There were 2 students in here (couldn't use them in the study)

Starbucks— convenience and taste. A - Activites

Very fast paced 2 employees were cleaning 2 employees were working POS 2 employees were baristas

E - Environments dirty in some areas - but, they had employees cleaning up all over so, the mess was taken care of crowded around pick-up waiting area and the line for ordering was backed-up towards people who were sitting in seats

I - Interactions Many meet ups and groupings of 2-3 people

O - Objects Only a few people on mobile devices/laptops More of discussions and talks between groups compared to Small World

U - Users

So many were students at Princeton University It made it actually more difficult to find people who fell within the screener requirements

PAGE 27

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN 711 | CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH PROJECT

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Primary Research: in-person questionnaires Researcher: John Background: Results were translated into Google Forms for easier visualization. Each participant signed a consent form. Matt, Ethan, and Sarah filled out questionnaire (Tenafly Coffee Company). Meagan, Amber, and Gabriel were interviewed (Starbucks).

Overall Results: Tenafly Coffee Company -- Tenafly, NJ

Overall Results: Screener Gender split evenly overall, not between business type

Gabriel

Sarah Gabriel

Sarah

Majority of participants age 18-24

Sarah Gabriel

Sarah

Majority of participants make 25,000-49,000. What does the correlate with most?

Sarah

Gabriel

Participants: Gabriel & Sarah

A - Activites

MURAL ONLINE WORK BOARD

Overall Results: Employees

Overall Results: Starbucks -- Hackensack, NJ

Only a couple individuals sitting, reading, on phone

Majority are only purchase 0-1 coffees/week. What about drinking coffee at home differences?

E - Environments Pretty quiet, calm, low independent music on

A - Activites

I - Interactions

Individuals busy working, 1 reading

Friendly staff, subconscious/psychological interactions between customers

E - Environments

O - Objects

Quiet customers, loud staff, small space

Interesting decor, expensive merchandise, variety of products

Majority work in retail. Retail and coffee shops often mix. Correlation?

I - Interactions

U - Users

More people on line than sitting, more to-go than stay

Each customer even spaced throughout store, own table, each with coffee, no food

O - Objects Writing, electronics, newspaper, more coffee than food

Independent sees more reoccurring customers -- location?

Chain sees more professionals -- age?

Gabriel an ex-dunkin drinker -- "fan" of starbucks -- feud

environment vs. accessibility

9am to noon busy in both -- time not a factor?

neighborhood competition?

U - Users all on tables, no other seating available

Coffee shops more spontaneous than routine -- change of scene?

Individual Results: Screener Ethan

Sarah

Discussion Guide: Refined Top Line: Ethan Bottom Line: Matt Amber

Introductions • Focus Area: The differences between independent coffee shops and large corporate owned coffee shops, like Starbucks, with a specific emphasis on efficiency and local cultures. • Screeners and Consent Form

Gabriel Both know of coffee shop because of workplace location -"one should always know nearest cafe" -Matt

Coffee drinking has always been around, depends on ethnic background/heritage location/culture

Top Line: Meagan Bottom Line: Amber

Ethan only wants to support coffee shops that are non-gentrifying -independent or chain

Both get coffee all week -- outside of work

Matt

Meagan

Ethan prefers authentic traits of local rather than chain

environment vs. taste

can't find answers from education/salaries

less fear of unknown means added (intangible) comfort

Matrix Questions: Answered Does a coffee shop’s location influence their ability to be considered independent?

neighboring business types influence competition

independent coffee shop partner with independent book shop

starbucks locations more meticulously planned

starbucks partner with barnes & noble

starbucks located on hospital campus -keyword: campus

independent coffee shops more dependent on availability of property

starbucks more of grab and go -- "atleast local shops have their own unique environment creating new experiences" -Amber

work vs. home

Differences in chain shops stand out more than independent -correlate with location

"starbucks just isn't as interesting anymore because they really haven't changed" -Amber

Getting to know your participant • Typical, casual questions to warm up Q&A process • Aim to build up a rapport • Listen to interesting facts to guide later questions • Ask participant to describe a typical weekday and weekend day More focused questions • Problem Statement: With the rise of the corporate owned coffee shops and customer’s desires for streamlined processes, how can independent coffee shops be successful while maintaining their local status among current customers? • Opportunity Statement: There is an opportunity to help independent coffee shops continue to resonate with local customers while modernizing processes enabling them to financially compete with large corporate owned coffee shops, like Starbucks. • Starbucks vs. Dunkin Donuts • Chain bookstore vs. independent bookstore • Student vs. Professional

• Creative constraints • Location vs. overall context (interior design) • Accommodations Exercises • Cultural Probes: “provocative instruments given to participants to inspire new forms of self-understanding and communication about their lives, environments, thoughts, and interactions” (Martin, Hanington, 2012, p. 54). • Exploratory Research: “user and product studies, intended to forge an empathic knowledge base” (Martin, Hanington, 2012, p. 84). • Help participants think more deeply about their own decisions and preferences. • Keep an open mindset and observe both the decisions that participants make and the processes that got them to their decision Wrap up • Give participant a chance to ask any questions • Thank them for their time and explain what happens next • Leave contact details with them in case they have questions Source Martin, B., & Hanington, B. M. (2012). Universal methods of design: 100 ways to research complex problems, develop innovative ideas, and design effective solutions. Beverly, MA: Rockport.

Matrix Questions: New How will the local culture of communities be defined?

Starbucks and Independent coffee shops seldom placed in same neighborhood

starbucks vs. dunkin

barnes & noble vs. independent book shop

business types/partners

neighboring cities

food - ethnic background

Could demographic and psychographic information of independent coffee shop customers help to define culture?

artsy - art movement contemporary art -

ethic background exotic food choice

resistance to change level of innovation adopter

campers

student vs. professional

genetics?

Does length of time spent at a coffee shop correlate with its business type (independent or chain)?

Which is more accommodating?

utility for different human needs (meals, bathroom)

How could an independent coffee shop use its context to develop a business plan?

Is site/location the biggest contextual factor?

adaptive reuse: bank square - old bank converted into coffee shop -- conceptual

What constraints do coffee shops face when developing creative solutions (or a business plan)?

What laws do businesses have to obey?

Alcohol prohibition, certain food prohibitions?

PAGE 28

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN 711 | CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH PROJECT

Primary Research: In Person Interview

Starbucks, Atlanta, Midtown

GROUP

High Café, Atlanta, Midtown

Huge Café, Atlanta, Midtown

MURAL ONLINE WORK BOARD

A – Activities

A lot of people are waiting in line. A few people are sitting, eating, and talking. (around 12p.m)

A few people are waiting in line. Many people are sitting, eating, and talking. (around 12p.m)

Only several customers there, eating, working

E – Environments

Crowded, noisy, messy, full of people

Crowded, noisy, full of people

I – Interactions

Friendly staffs, few customers are nice, many reject my interview

Friendly staffs, customers are nice, they are happy to share their experiences

O – Objects

Same decoration as other Starbucks

Modern design, bright, big space

U – Users

Many people are in line to purchase, the other even spaced throughout store, few sit outside

Customers have their own tables, with drinks and food, some are sitting in the back side of the coffee shop

Customers have their own tables, with drinks and food

For independent coffee shops, location is an issue. If it locates in main street, business area, or residential areas, they will have more customers

E – Environments Interesting decoration, feel cold

I – Interactions Friendly staffs, customers are nice, they are happy to share their experiences

Customers who prefer independent coffee shops really care about the quality/taste of the products. Some of them do not care about the price

Customers like warm, comfortable and friendly atomsphere

Local coffee shops should somehow work with the local community, like provide job positions, organize activities, ect Pay money to local community to support them

Wi-Fi is the biggest issue that customers care Phone payment APP does not matter

PAGE 29

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN 711 | CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH PROJECT

GROUP



RESEARCH KEY

Primary Research: online and in-person surveys

Direct quote from participant Researcher observation

Researcher: Kathleen

General Coffee Shop

Independent Coffee Shop

Starbucks

Team Observations



What are customers looking for at independent coffee shops? - A consistent experience and taste - Speed in service - A comfortable environment - Basic technology is expected - Location to home or work or both is a consideration - Service is acceptable at both Starbucks and independent - Food is an opportunity for independents - Price is not a factor

There was a correlation between age and finances to coffee purchases a week.

Low men response.

Tag words Taste/consistency 18 Speed/time 18 Experience/comfort 16 Community 12 Convenience/location 8 Service 6 Technology/efficiency 4 Food 3 Price 2

General Coffee Shop Behaviors Consistent taste

Price

Is there anything else you'd like to share with us about your coffee buying experiences and preferences? - its about comfort in what you are going to get and also convenience a lot - I like supporting local business so if I have the time, I will go to a local coffee shop over a starbucks - When I have time I go to independent coffee shops. When in a hurry, I drive thru Starbucks

Streamlined experience

Unique experience

Efficient environment

Friendly environment

Not important

Very important

Not important

Very important

MURAL ONLINE WORK BOARD

Further Questions: - Why do you visit the particular mentioned independent coffee shop? - Further explain your decision making process to why to go to Starbucks and why you go to independent? - Does the consumer think of location when considering a coffee shop as an independent? - Is a commitment to community involvement a decision making factor? - What physical elements and experiences make a coffee shop feel part of the community? Reflect that community's culture? - Does representing the local culture influence your decision to frequent an independent coffee shop? or designate it "independent"? - Do you ever frequent an independent coffee shop based on your mood and the locations environment? Modern, warm, cool, folksy, etc. - When does an independent lose its independent status for you as a customer? - Why purchase less food at an independent? - Do demographics or pyschographics influence ideas of culture and its importance? We will need to correlate demo/pyschographics to cultural discussions

Follow up question- Why do you not purchase food?

Follow up question-Why do you visit this coffee shop?

Independent coffee shop No Does the coffee shop support the community in some way? If yes, please describe how.

What is your least favorite part of the experience at this coffee shop?

What is your favorite characteristic or experience at this coffee shop?

-Community pin up space and their merchandise says the town on it - No. - Yes. They support local artists and have open mic nights - Participates in local events - I live in a small town in NM and this coffee shop sponsers many local events. - Dont know - Local artists sell work - Not sure - Not sure

- Nothing bad - Some independent coffee shops are small and crowded. - The service at gypsy den is slow if I order food - Small space to wait for coffee to go - It takes so long. - None - Nothing - The line - Payment options

- The spiced iced coffees - Relaxing environment - The vibe - Ambiance, art, people, location - Supporting local business - none - I visit with friends -Kind baristas, unique experience, delicious coffee - Cozy

What would make you visit this coffee shop more often each week?

Tell us what you like about your favorite independent coffee shop?

How could this coffee shop improve its environment?

- Costs could be lower. one small drink is $5.50 and I need it everyday. - Distance - If I had more time/ money - Time - If it was faster. The drive through takes F O R E V E R. Also, a Starbucks is on the way to work, while this shop is on the other side of town. - Tasty - More free time - Closer to my house - Order ahead

- Feels like home - Environment - The vibe and the coffee. - I go to these places to sit and enjoy my coffee as opposed to my grab and go starbucks - See people I know - Wide variety of snacks! - Taste - It’s owned by locals - Organic options, locally roasted, craft experience - Flavor

- Maybe more seating - Enlarge their shop's inner space. - Better customer service - Expand - Faster! - Decorate more - It’s good - Not sure - Update

Independent coffee shop's stay time varies. Starbucks is quick or long.

Yes

Definitely

How could this coffee shop improve its efficiency? - Stop being cash only - Make coffee quickly - I feel the servers need better communication with each other and the cooks - Better food - Another drive through lane. - Hire more ppl - It’s good - Not sure -Better hours and payment options

Follow up question—is it important to you that the shop culturally reflect the community or have its own individual style?

The abundance of Starbucks locations influences distance.

Majority purchase food

Starbucks

What is your favorite part of the Starbucks experience?

What could be better about the Starbucks experience?

-The amount of people in there at all times -They make coffee very quickly -Convenience -Fast, consistent -Quick -Location -Taste -Speed of service -Fast -Quick and easy -Fast consistent taste friendly -Ordering ahead

- Their lineups always seem odd for order and waiting areas - Environment - Better coffee beans - Don’t know - N/a - Be faster -More efficient - Could be cleaner - Consistent - Better coffee - Nothing - Better tasting coffee Should ask a follow up question if commitment to the community is important to the customer

Does the Starbucks you frequent participate in the local community? If yes, please explain.

- None - No - I don’t think so - Don’t know - Not sure. - No - Offer local drinks in certain time - Yes donations of coffee - Not sure - Not sure - They have a bulliten board with community stuff - Not sure

Do you have an opinion of Starbucks you would like to share?

- I go there more for quickness and comfort in their drinks and what they will have to offer me when I am in other towns/countries - I like Starbucks' green tea latte. - I love starbucks because of its convenience - They are everywhere. Like their green iced tea - I like lattes from Starbucks, but regular brewed coffee doesn’t taste great! - no - Starbucks is consistent - Coffee is not good and organic options are limited - Coffee is too acidic

PAGE 30

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN 711 | METHODS OF CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH GROUP

Primary Research: Question 5: Does length of time spent at a coffee shop correlate with its business type (independent or chain)? • Which is more accommodating? • Utility for different human needs (meals, bathroom)

New questions from primary research mind map exploration Question 6:

Question 7:

How could an independent coffee shop use its context to develop a business plan? • Is site/location the biggest contextual factor? • Adaptive reuse: bank square — old bank converted into coffee shop — conceptual

What constraints do coffee shops face when developing creative solutions? • What laws do business have to obey?

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INDUSTRIAL DESIGN 711 | CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH PROJECT

GROUP

PART 4: Field Research and Interviews

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INDUSTRIAL DESIGN 711 | CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH PROJECT

GROUP

Discussion Guide (Used for long form recorded interviews) INTRODUCTIONS • INTRODUCTIONS: - Hellos and sign Consent Forms - Remind participants about audio and saying their names be-

WARM UP QUESTIONS FROM SURVEYS • Demographics: age, gender, education level • Top 3 importance attributes to coffee shop experience:

CULTURAL QUESTIONS • Define an independent coffee shop—ownership, vibe, service, style?

(independent corporate)

• Describe look and feel

- Taste/consistency

• Tribes

- Speed/time

• Community involvement

shops and large corporate owned coffee shops, like Starbucks,

- Experience/comfort/environment

• Tipping point-discuss Blue Bottle Coffee

with a specific emphasis on efficiency and local cultures.

- Community/culture

fore speaking for a while • FOCUS AREA: The differences between independent coffee

• PROBLEM STATEMENT: With the rise of the corporate owned

- Convenience/location

EXERCISES

coffee shops and customer’s desires for streamlined processes,

- Service

how can independent coffee shops be successful while maintain-

- Technology/efficiency

- Environment

ing their local status among current customers?

- Food

- Customers

• OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT: There is an opportunity to help inde-

- Price

pendent coffee shops continue to resonate with local customers while modernizing processes enabling them to financially compete with large corporate owned coffee shops, like Starbucks.

• CULTURAL PROBES: Show photos of different coffee shop

• DIRECTED STORYTELLING: - Story about great unexpected experience

BEHAVIORAL QUESTIONS

- Story about a turn off experience

• Coffee shop visit frequency: how many times a week? • Length of visit and why?

WRAP UP

• Order-drink, food, mix it up?

• Anything else to share?

• Where do you like to sit? why?

• Any questions?

• Different places different moods? day? Activity?

• Thank them for their time and explain what happens next • Leave contact details with them in case they have questions

ENVIRONMENT QUESTIONS • How does the environment or decoration effect your preference of a coffee shop • Location—suburban, urban, mall • Distance • Technology and efficiency

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INDUSTRIAL DESIGN 711 | CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH PROJECT

GROUP

Cultural Probes: Environment and customer images

This image read for all participants of being the correct balance of warm and attractive.

This image was read as cluttered but homey and representative of a community.

This image was viewed with disinterest. It read as too corporate and “tradeshow”.

Read as cold and science like. Went to far into making coffee seem elite.

This image was regarded as warm and a good amount of customers— not too busy and customers are engaged in their work and with each other.

This image was regarded as warm and participants like the different activities, urban area out the window and general homey feel. A place they want to spend time.

There were mixed thoughts to this image. Some participants felt that this group would make them feel out of place while other participants noted that the customers were engaged with each other and no laptops/cell phones. Stephen elaborated that it reminded him that he is now in a book club met by hanging out in a coffee shop.

This image gave all participants a negative feeling. The customers are not engaged with each other, they look like they are in an office environment.

PAGE 34

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN 711 | CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH PROJECT

GROUP

Primary Research: In-person Interviews Researcher: Kathleen





Step 1

Walk through double doors. Most do not enter through side door.

Small limited menu to the side

Step 2

Most hesitate before coming to counter

Menu is missing behind the counter

Staff welcomes customers—tou rists to locals to regulars

Odd pole when customer walks in. Doesn't seem to bother people

Step 3

Not a lot of room for waiting

Order drink and/or food

Pay

Eat in or to go

Wait for drinks

Offer glassware

Staff will redirect customer to restaurant with more food options

Staff tells customers what food they like

Staff calls out drinks—not very friendly the way they handle this

Drink area is very sm� � all shelf�

Step 4

If have dog, staff will come around counter to give a treat

Pick up drinks

Staff speaks with customers as they wait.

Staff thanks people as they leave—someti mes



Step 5

Go to self serve bar

Groups sit outside with more room

Find a seat-inside or out

Leave through main door or side door equally.

Stamps cups between customers

Staff eats between customers

KEY Participants � 1. Regan, 22, Associate Degree, purchases coffee once a day, 10 min. on weekday, over hour on weekends, marketing

2. Michelle, 25, high school diploma, purchases coffee at least once a day, 10 min. on weekday, over hour on weekends, PR



 User Journey

4. Kiera, 17, high school, purchases coffee once a day, hangs out-does homework (ended interview early because of age and experience)

3. Stephen, 41, some college, contractor, 15 minutes plus, up to a couple of hours, purchases coffee 1-3 times a day

Combo of bar seating and tables.

Taste

Location

Consistency

Speed

Community

Convenience

Efficiency

Price

Experience/Comfort

Service

Food

Technology

MURAL ONLINE WORK BOARD REFLECTION STATEMENT: This week we began by refining our

discussion guide based on its usage



during the short preliminary interviews.

 Direct quotes from participants categoried by topic (more to come)

We realized that visual aids would help participants communicate their feelings

Taste

Community

Service

Experience/Comfort

Location

Convenience

Food

Efficiency

Consistency

Technology

Price

1. (Speaking about a competitor who is an independent but streamlined and slick) I think they manage their staff, the manager thinks very corporate so they can make it very orderly and that's how [crosstalk 00:34:39]. That's their style of management.

3. Yeah, the same experience, because it's the McDonald's philosophy, right? I want 10,000 stores, and I want to be able to walk into any one of them and get the same hamburger at any one of those locations and that sort of across-the-board consistencies, that's kind of their whole marker. And this is why I like that corporation controls everything down to where you buy stuff, when you buy, what it looks like, because they want-

2. I just like the fact that I park, walk in there, say hi to everybody that I know. Yeah, it's personal.(negative-techn ology would take away the human experience)

3. Price? No. A drip coffee at Ellie's Table is $2, or $2.25 for that. Everywhere else is more expensive. It might be the cheapest cups of coffee you can get, but it's never really been a factor. I mean, I walk by there all the time, but I don't enjoy the place.

3. We spend more money out on things, there's no signs or really winning argument that says, "Buying a cup of coffee here makes any sense." Like, "Once you've bought two of them, you've bought a pound of coffee." Even buying a cup of coffee from here, and you filter water from your tap, and if you practice a little bit you could almost make this cup of coffee.

of environment, community and cus-

Speed

tomers. We felt that the in-depth inter1. Definitely taste. The experience and comfort. Service covers customer service, right? Yeah, so service.

1. I don't love Starbucks just because the sugar.

2. Family owned, smaller, more communal.

1. Small town, something a little bit quaint in the neighborhood. I would probably walk there, or it's a short drive.

2. And it just seems so generic. If I want to get a hamburger I'm gonna go to a local joint that's really good. I'm not gonna go to In-N-Out or McDonald's. It's just the product. It seems more authentic to go to a independent.

2. Taste should be assumed I think.

2. Just catching up with friends and seeing people who stop by, and the regulars, and seeing your friends that you kind of expect to be there and catch up. Or we'll all meet up there. It's so communal, it's such a small town, that you'll see someone you'll run into and you'll be there for a long time.

2. I just don't like Starbucks. I don't know why. I think I've grown accustomed to just going to actual coffee shops. And I like, I just like supporting family owned businesses.

2. Yeah, it's kind of like you want to stay there and not leave.

1. Couches.

1. (Assumed good taste) I mean if it's a craft cup of coffee, it's a little bit more expensive to be good, tolerable, enjoyable, but it doesn't have to be life changing.

4. Starbucks, but I wouldn't stay I just went there to get coffee, I would get tea or something. (indicating, as other participants did, that they do not like the taste of Starbucks)

2. Yeah, there is something comforting about going into somewhere and seeing a familiar face, talking to them, seeing how they're doing. Just starting off your morning that way.

2. (Image 6) That's the environment I would love. Like that's a little warm, a little cool.

1. Blue Bottle Coffee is hard. I don't know if that's Blue Bottle. (Image 2) I just want to pick it up and leave

1 &2. (community involvement) Yeah, absolutely because we're giving back to them so they should give back to us.

1. we always go back to the independent coffee culture and the community when you're in there it's really nice to have someone that has more of an organic conversation with you. Whereas a lot of, I think customer service is great, What Starbucks loses for me is the organic conversation because they're just trying, it's a grab and go mentality.

1. It's definitely how often you and you know the, you know where the outlets are, and you know how good the Internet is. (Image 8)

1.If it's that crowded, and it's like that I probably won't join. (Image 8)

4. I think if I were at the mall and there was a big crowd, there's different, the people just aren't ... I don't know how to say it ... it's just different, I feel, just what they're there for. It ruins ... if you're here for a certain reason, whether it's here to work on something or to be here for the experience. I just think that's cool that this place is.

4. Usually we will sit outside just cause of views and when I meet friends to not study or anything, just to hang out and talk we'll sit outside, just whatever is available, it's nice just to be able to look directly into ocean

1. (demographics) I think a lot of people that I've met at Bear Coast I just meet organically through us going there and we end up being like minded because we're both attracted to that place.

4. Three most important would be the community, location, and the taste of the coffee.

1. It's definitely how often you and you know the, you know where the outlets are, and you know how good the Internet is. (Image 8)

1. (image 2) The science behind the coffee that, I think Blue Bottle rests a lot on that. It's almost like they miss the coffee culture as in coziness.

3. In mall or airport I would get a coffee but I would then take it to another location to people watch, be around people or the beach.

3. (image 2) I like the feel of what I see on the outside. So that part of the community, just being in the middle of the community. Vew of the community is kind of an interesting one.

4. You know all the customers, I would walk in and see people sitting that I know. It's cool, you can see this consistent group of people.

4. I think I'm more like this one for me, just because I've grown up around here (Note participant does not feel part of a coffee culture but more of a community culture)

2.There was just something, I don't know, it's missing something. It's a little bare. It's not quite, I can't really explain. (Image 3)

2. � � � I liked Zebra House though because it was super peaceful and relaxing

2. I think, when I think of a coffee shop, I think of a comfortable, cozy, friendly place. With all those aspects,

4. Yeah, for the girls who don't have a family in Africa, there's a whole community of, like my boss will go down there. We support, we'll do fundraisers here for it, it's super cool, just like ...Not a deal breaker though

4. I think when they're super focused on how their coffee tastes, and they have a certain interaction with customers like they want to be part of the community. Where Starbucks is like a chain and they're so focused on, I feel, like, yeah, they're obviously focused on coffee, but I think, just like the chain, sends a different message.

1. I wish it was a little bit smaller. (image 1) I think it feels like, it has a trade show feel.

4. They had a big community table where everyone could go and meet — I met so many people cause of the community table, it just brought people together, people you don't know just start talking to each other.

4. This one appeals to me because people aren't focused on their phones. They are like interacting at a community table, I think super cool. I think this is cool, but it's just like everyone is focused on their computer, which I mean people do .. .(image 3)

4. That looks super cool, like the live music. It's cool how there is chairs and everyone is just like socializing. (image 3) Starbucks, it's not as original, obviously since it is a whole chain. Image 1) Bear Coast, obviously, I think it's super cool. The hexagon things, they're, like people come because they see Instagram (image 4)

4. I think it is super cool how this is super clean. It's just appealing to the eye. (Image 2) This doesn't look as welcoming, I think. Is this Zebra? (changes mind once recognizes the cafe as a local hangout)

3. I go to the coffee shop more for the sense of community. I think the service, the environment, the community aspect of it has a higher mark for me than even taste.

3. I like different coffee shops and I like the community feel rather than the aspect of just the comfort of the place.

4. Modern. It has an Indie look to it. (image 4)

3. The three most would be the comfort and environment. Sometimes location and service I guess I would say. The people for me is what kind of makes it. I mean the coffee ... I'm not a hugely particular coffee drinker. I like coffee but could have all different ones. But as far as the places, its more the people, the experience.

3. I've just felt like less of reflect the community than the community reflected in the coffee shop. As more of the coffee shop trying to reflect, be a mirror of the community, I would like the, in terms of trying to, it just naturally reflects the community. The community is kind of reflected in that coffee shop.

3. Well, I think for me, I look at things like Bear Coast. I like the charm of it. It has a little feel to it because it's kinda that, almost a mid-century feel to it. It has a character that you kind of see right away. When you do more of a Starbucks kind of thing, it's that they tend to have a box feel and the retail gets pushed a little bit. (Image 4)

3. I think it goes the overall warmth of the place. Ellie's Table, I don't know if you've been up there. It's this cute little place. The new one they built in San Juan, they did a wonderful job restoring the building but it's like being in a cafeteria. There's no character, no charm to it, and that's the whole point of going to that coffee shop.

3. As far as the psychographic, we're more constant about going to the coffee shop and having the coffee and theme. I think we need to connect with people more and more as we go more on our way. We can do everything from our phone in our living rooms. You have more need to force our way out, and getting a cup of coffee is one of those [inaudible 00:24:29], like even if I just run through, I made social contact. And then that is expressed in demographic because of the community in your neighborhood, which is why I like going to coffee shops.

3. I think sometimes I'm okay with sitting at a bar, reading my book, but when I walk in a place, there's more of a group gathering. Even like this place where you have a group of people amid this, it's not even here. This makes me a little bit foreign. I see the headphones, and in my mind I say, "This is a place where I can be as autonomous as possible, but again, I go to a coffee shop because I like that kind of background noise, the conversation, the community happening around me. (image 8)

3. With white on white, with white formica tables and you walk in. There are hospitals that have more warmth.

3. It's really good, (charity involvement)I love when they do, but it's not a factor. ... I guess it's one of those weird things where it's, I feel small businesses like that kind of naturally provide some of that community involvement just by being active in what they're doing every day. I mean, find a good product, good product, good service, be fair and provide that community outlet, and it's amazing how they naturally kind of flow.



2. Experience, comfort, environment, community culture, and service. It's like something warm that's not cluttered.

3. And the one down in San Mateo, there's not really any other, you're down the street from Palo Alto, it's kind of a little like going into little independent places, but in San Mateo there wasn't. There's only two. And one only had four tables. It was kind of one of those ... Because of that Starbucks kind of communities kind of forced its way in there so that there's kind of a, despite the slickness of the corporate, there's still kind of community happening in there. Just by sheer force of nature, of need to kind of have a place to meet. So then in some ways the population, or the community [inaudible 00:32:25] per capita of Starbucks can influence it-

2. (Purchase of Blue Bottle by Nestle) See I like Blue Bottle. Everyone who works there is super nice, and I can kind of feel it slipping away...But I can totally see how it's gonna slowly, I think it's gonna redefine corporate coffees and coffee shops for sure.

3. The box ones tend to be very succinct in their, "This is how we do it, this is where this is, this is what the style is." So I like a place that has a little mixture to it. Even if they own a few stores, I mean, I like the idea of there being an individual aspect to each location, if nothing else. Character, it gives it a little more character.

2. As long as it's still good. Because I think some family owned misses the professionalism. [crosstalk 00:12:47] Super small. But I like supporting family businesses. That's something that was kind of always instilled in me.

3. 3. I lived in Seattle for a number of years, kind of at the beginning of the Starbucks thing, and it was like even then it was different because even as a big box store, and they've got away from it, they maintained for years almost every Starbucks had a fireplace. They had couches and chairs and now it's almost completely gone. That experience of going in there and kind of sit and relax and kind of allow the community to happen within its four walls, has kind of ebbed away.

2. Starbucks is more convenient.

1. Yeah, I mean I always end up at the local coffee shop because my office is five minutes away from my house. If I'm at the mall and need a caffeine kick it's probably gonna be Starbucks or somewhere that's in the mall just because I needed the caffeine and it's there. But it's less of a hang out. Michelle and I and [inaudible 00:15:44] in the morning we'll definitely see someone. It's now to see familiar faces before you go to work and have the quick conversation. That's not what I'm looking for in a mall environment, I just really need the coffee. [crosstalk 00:15:57]

1. (location) I think it changes the culture.

2. I don't order food.

1. In those independents, you don't know what to expect Or just something might be off. Since they don't focus as a restaurant, it's not their primary focus

2. Service. It's huge for me.

3. Yeah, convenience as far as location will factor into my walks or whatever. I tend to know enough of the coffee shops around that I have an idea if I'm gonna do an activity where I can kind of pop in and hang out, even if it's a box one and it's like I just kind of know the area where it might be available for me to go to.

2. If there was a Bear Coast at the outlets mall I would not go. It's just weird.

2. The pop up shops that they do have been successful,

2. The gluten free muffins are amazing. I'll probably go there like once every six months and get one. (NOTE: Food is very good but does not pull them toit)

4. Before school, I will come and get oatmeal or granola.

3. you streamline the tables too much or you've whitewashed the whole place. Suddenly it's like we're just a place to get a quick cup of coffee and get out. You almost don't want to hang out. It's kind of ... [inaudible 00:27:32]. I don't think it's less that a box store can't have a sense of community, it's just the tendency as the box store tends to become so streamlined you could almost be at a place where community can't foster.

2. If was delivered to me I'd be kind of sad. You're going for the experience.

2. (speaking of a competitor—makin g the coffee experience to fragile) It's like the coffee snob.

1. Starbucks, it's just not ...Yeah, if I'm getting my morning coffee, unless I'm going to L.A. or something and I need it.

4. As in like where it is located, like down by the beach, like I just love coming here and just hanging out.

1. we could also link activity with Bear Coast, like walking on a beach to Bear Coast.

4. a lot more options than, say, other places because they have pastries and baked foods, like burritos, sandwiches

3. Every once in a while. I mean I do love a good pastry, but I try not to do that every time I go to a coffee shop because like I said, I go to the coffee shops a lot.

3. They've essentially designed out that stop and cross path community section, and they've cleaned it up and made it more McDonalds. Actually it's more like we've streamlined it so much you almost streamline the community out of the coffee shop. As a vehicle for consistency, for people to get their coffee, and a daily routine, but as far as breeding that sense of community, I feel they kind of worked it out in a weird way

1. If I were to order ahead of time it would take away from me saying hi to Jonathan.

2. Tipping point to stop going to favorite coffee shop: Rude service.

2. I've gone to places as a regular and if I have one bad experience I just get sour about it. So I hold them to that standard and if I get one person that's rude to me I'd be definitely questioning do I want to go back to see that one person who isn't just ever nice to me and I'm a regular.

3. JC Coffee House They consistently have terrible service, and yet I find myself going there just because it's like, "Well maybe today, like ..." (likes environment so keeps trying)

3. Speed,Not really at all, no.

on cultural questions which would be harder to verbalize without aids. The interviews were to be over 30 minutes so appointments needed to be set and audio recordings would be

4. more focused on the community, I think it's cool that you can't order online because that way you have to come and interact and if someone doesn't want that then they can go to Starbucks. I think it's cool how the people working on bar get to talk to the people, it's just different.

3. Berkeley shop. It's a weird but that place ... They make a really, really good breakfast burritos, so it's like a weird coffee experience to me is a little bit like, I don't need anything fancy if they're going to make a show of doing my pour-over.

views were going to focus more deeply

used for note taking. The audios would be transcribed as well as listened to afterward. The interviews were fun and surprising. We started out looking for clues to defining a communities’ culture



manifested through independent coffee The Take Away: - Taste is important and expected therefore hardly discussed. An independent coffee shop by definition would provide good coffee. - Community and relationships is HUGE. It is about human interactions with the staff and customers. - Community involvement is great but not a deal breaker. Community involvement is defined more by being part of the community vibe then giving to local charities - Service is a deal breaker. The concensus was that no coffee is that good to put up with bad service. - Environment is to be warm,, clean, and comfortable to spend time in. The environment should reflect its location/community. - Location is important to the definition of an independent coffee shop— a mall, a mini-mall, are not considered locations for an independent coffee shop by definition. In addition, too many locations would reduce the unique experience and therefore be less authentically independent - A too "homey" enviroment is preferred to sterile - Convenience, technology, efficiency, and consistency in experience have not shown to be important. Independent coffee shop customers are looking for unique, quthentic experiences that may be less convenient. - MY INTUITION is telling me that the customer is all about psychographics instead of demographics—meaning I am not gettinga sense of age, education level, or income level.

The Starbucks Perception Q. If every thing stayed the same at your favorite independent coffee shop except they were purchased by Starbucks would it change your perception? Additionally, what if they had multiple locations? A. 4. It would change my perception. Yeah, the focus is like what your priorities are would be changed, whereas right now it is community and coffee, as a Starbucks it would be more money."What are you thinking?" This is so against your morals, like what I thought at least.

shops. We discovered that our participants are part of a strong “independent coffee shop culture” themselves. The interviews provided a wealth of information and insight. We had to find a way to organize all the quotes. We looked back at our online questionnaire

 

tag words for structure. Quotes were separated by tag word allowing for a

Audio Links

 Cultural Probes: Images were shown to participants to aid in discussion of environment and customers

strong visual of participant’s behaviors and feelings. We added photos of the participants

https://soundcloud.com/user809672422/indpndntcoffee-a udio_regan_michelle/s-Njsx0

https://soundcloud.com/user809672422/indpndntcoffee-a udio_stephen/s-QBWL1

https://soundcloud.com/user809672422/indpndntcoffee-a udio_kiera/s-39QPj

to humanize them. We also included our cultural probes and links to the full audios.

















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INDUSTRIAL DESIGN 711 | CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH PROJECT

GROUP

PART 5: Data Analysis and Development of Key Learnings

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INDUSTRIAL DESIGN 711 | CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH PROJECT

GROUP

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN 711 | CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH PROJECT

GROUP

Participantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ParticipantsDemographics Demographics GenderGender

Age

36% 64%

36%

64%

5% 18%

>18

Male

18-24

Female

25-40

<40

54%

Salary Salary

15% 25%

25%

44%

$25,000-$50,000 $25,000-$50,000 10% $50,001-$99,999 $50,001-$99,999 <$100,000 <$100,000

20% 31%

20%

>$25,000 >$25,000 16%

10% Some Undergraduate Some Undergraduate

31%

Undergraduate Undergraduate Graduate Graduate 54%

High School High School

54%

Profession Profession

15% 16%

5% 10%

23% 18%

23%

Education Education

31%

10%

8% 13%

Design

Finance

Science

Retail

Healthcare Healthcare 13% 13%

13% 5%

Student

Other

**Findings above are based off of combined statistics from all group members of this case study (39 total participants from different regions throughout the United States including California, New Jersey & Georgia

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INDUSTRIAL DESIGN 711 | CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH PROJECT

GROUP

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN 711 | CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH PROJECT

GROUP

Personnas and Empathy Maps & Empathy Map THINK PERSONA 1

PERSONA 2

PERSONA 3

PERSONA 4

•work •plans/schedule

SEE •people coming and going/workers •computer screens •cellphone screens •merchandise for sale •community boards

HEAR

SAY •coffee machines •music in background •music in headphones •other conversations

Raquel, 45 Charlotte, NC •Advertising Exec. •$125,000/salary •online classes for MFA •loves independent coffee shops •sorority sister •married with 2 kids •coffee addict (gets it 3-4 times a week)

Emma, 23 Los Angeles, CA

Mark, 26 Chicago, IL

Amy, 28 New York, NY

•BFA in Graphic Design •$51,000 annual salary •single •can work remote •loves to read •active runner •secret Harry Potter nerd •loves starbucks claims to go 3-5 times a week

•BBA in Buisness Admin. •$68,000 annual salary •works remotely as HR •2 dogs/2 cats •loves outdoor activities •married •volunteers at local YMCA •gets coffe 1-2 a week

•BS in Finance •MA in Economics •$105,000 annual salary •works on wall street •aspiring surfer •yoga lover •single •type A personality •gets coffee everday

•focused •calm •collected •productive

FEEL

PAINS •distractions from noises & movements of other people •waiting in lines when it is rush hour

•order beverages/food •talk on the phone •talk to others

•drink beverages •consume food •meet other people •work on their computers •talk on their phones •study/read

GAINS •interactions with other people •coffee they love •casual/fun environment and atmosphere to work or meet people in

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INDUSTRIAL DESIGN 711 | CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH PROJECT

GROUP

Stakeholder Maps Stake holder map Local Community, Leaders and Businesses. Coffee Shop Vendors and Suppliers Coffee Shop Cashier, Barista and Server

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Customers

Coffee Shop Owner or Manager

t RESULTS: Independent coffee shops should select locations that

MUST:

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Local community residents Co-workers

Employees

This is a title...

OPPORTUNITY: Develop relationships with local and well known pastry bakers to provide food to the cafe.

This is a title...

Coffee shop owner Menbership Holders

Interest of Stakehodler

Coffee Shop Customer

Coffee shop owner This is a title...

Stakeholder Map: Who Needs What?

Influence of Stakeholder

OPPORTUNITY: People who like Starbucks do not have negative feelings toward independent coffee shops while people

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OPPORTUNITY: Focus on being unique over

Interest of Stakehodler

Coffee Shop Customer

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN 711 | CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH PROJECT

Local community residents Co-workers

Employees

GROUP

02 -

Influence of Stakeholder

Affinity Diagram: Opportunities, Decisions, Results Discovered

   

ff stamps cups etween stomers

Staff mmunicates each other customers near by.

DECISION: Design your independent coffee shop keep the interiors visually warm.

OPPORTUNITY: Spend cafe budgets on creating community not streamlining business practices.

RESULTS: Independent coffee shops should select locations that are urban, have character that reflects surroundings and activity for customers to feel be a part of.

OPPORTUNITY: People who like Starbucks do not have negative feelings toward independent coffee shops while people who like independent coffee shops have a negative attitude toward Starbucks

MUST: If you are not going to focus on taste and service—don't open an independent coffee shop.

OPPORTUNITY: Focus on being unique over streamlined; friendly over speed; service over price.

Affinity diagram Communit y

Staff eats between customers

Staff mmunicates each other customers near by.

ff stamps cups etween stomers

OPPORTUNITY: Develop relationships with local and well known pastry bakers to provide food to the cafe.

Staff should discontinue eating at the customer counter.

Staff enjoy each other adding to the community atmosphere but ensure customers continue to feel part of the communal coffee shop.

1. (location) I think it changes the culture.

1. Definitely taste. The experience and comfort. Service covers customer service, right? Yeah, so service.

1. I don't love Starbucks just because the sugar.

2. Tipping point to stop going to favorite coffee shop: Rude service.

2. I don't order food.

1. In those independents, you don't know what to expect Or just something might be off. Since they don't focus as a restaurant, it's not their primary focus

2. If there was a Bear Coast at the outlets mall I would not go. It's just weird.

2. The pop up shops that they do have been successful,

2. Taste should be assumed I think.

2. Service. It's huge for me.

2. The gluten free muffins are amazing. I'll probably go there like once every six months and get one. (NOTE: Food is very good but does not pull them toit)

4. Before school, I will come and get oatmeal or granola.

1. Blue Bottle Coffee is hard. I don't know if that's Blue Bottle. (Image 2) I just want to pick it up and leave

4. As in like where it is located, like down by the beach, like I just love coming here and just hanging out.

1. we could also link activity with Bear Coast, like walking on a beach to Bear Coast.

1. (Assumed good taste) I mean if it's a craft cup of coffee, it's a little bit more expensive to be good, tolerable, enjoyable, but it doesn't have to be life changing.

4. Starbucks, but I wouldn't stay I just went there to get coffee, I would get tea or something. (indicating, as other participants did, that they do not like the taste of Starbucks)

3. JC Coffee House They consistently have terrible service, and yet I find myself going there just because it's like, "Well maybe today, like ..." (likes environment so keeps trying)

2. (speaking of a competitor—maki ng the coffee experience to fragile) It's like the coffee snob.