“Design your perfect drink or sandwich visually.”
Real-time 3D previews turn customization into a fun, tactile experience, like playing with your food, but better.
“Just talk like you would to a barista.”
It guides users through the ordering process with friendly, conversational prompts.
Great for creative minds and regulars who love to tweak their favorites. Ideal for first-time visitors, multitaskers, or those who just want a smoother experience.
What is Beanz?
Beanz is the best coffee shop at Rochester Institute of Technology. It takes online orders and orders via kiosks.
The Challenge
Café customers often faced:
Long queues during peak hours.
Confusion around customizing beverages.
This resulted in slow service and frustrated customers.
User Research
Observation studies of the café revealed bottlenecks at the cashier.
Customer interviews (8 participants): users wanted clarity in customization and an easy way to repeat favorite orders.
User Observations at Existing Kiosks:
Users needed help with customization.
Menus felt cluttered.
Many defaulted to asking staff instead of using the kiosk.
Competitive Review
Opportunity
“Design a kiosk that guides and delights first-time and frequent users alike.”
Audience Archetypes
Design Process
How Might We?
The overarching question is broken into three major opportunity areas and then broken down to think of possible design solutions.
User Flows
The user begins at an idle attract screen and taps to wake t he kiosk. From idle screen to order completion, the flow emphasizes quick onboarding, smart personalization, and easy customization. Users can either browse manually or engage with Beanie, the bot, for guided assistance, leading to a faster and more enjoyable ordering experience.
Moodboard
The Beanz mood board establishes a welcoming, energizing atmosphere aligned with the café experience.
The goal was to create a kiosk experience that feels less like a machine — and more like a personal café assistant.
The Solution
1
Idle State
“Always present, quietly inviting.”
The bot’s ring glows subtly, and its eyes blink gently, signaling it’s alive and ready to help.
2
Active State
“You’ve summoned it. Now let’s talk coffee.” Once activated, Beanie opens a friendly interaction window with clear prompts.
4
Listening State
“I’m all ears!”
Beanie is now actively listening. A subtle animation (breathing visual) reassures the user that their input is being heard.
3
Thinking State
“Give me a sec... crafting something perfect for you.”
After receiving input, Beanie transitions into a short “thinking” animation making the wait feel natural.
5
Response State
“Here’s what I found just for you.”
Based on the user’s preferences, Beanie presents curated suggestions
6
Customization Screen
"Build your ideal sandwich by dragging and dropping ingredients"
This playful, visual experience makes customizing your meal with fun.
Learnings
Prototype Testing: Using a vertical screen revealed layout & reachability issues
Touch Targets: Buttons had to be large, spaced, and ergonomically placed
State Management: Customization layers required thoughtful logic and transitions
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