COFEE CITY: An Operational Ecosystem for High-Volume Retail
Bridging the physical-digital gap to streamline the "coffee-to-customer" pipeline.
A real-time service design solution that bridges the physical-digital gap to streamline the 'coffee-to-customer' pipeline.
Coffee City is an operational ecosystem designed to optimize high-volume retail workflows by offloading status communication from staff to an autonomous visual interface. By providing real-time transparency into the production queue, the solution reduced barista interruptions by an estimated 35% while significantly increasing customer trust and retention during peak hours. The project highlights my ability to design for the complex physical-digital handoff, ensuring a seamless 360-degree brand experience.
THE PROBLEM
The Cost of Communication Friction
In high-volume retail, the primary bottleneck isn't production—it is information debt. During peak morning rushes, baristas are constantly interrupted by "status-check" inquiries from waiting customers. These micro-interruptions disrupt baristas' flow, increase cognitive load, and directly slow production.
Simultaneously, customers face "wait-time anxiety," where a lack of transparency leads to perceived longer waits and potential drop-offs. The challenge was to design a system that could autonomously manage these expectations, allowing the staff to focus entirely on their craft.
THE SOLUTION
A Real-Time Operational Bridge
Coffee City is a real-time service ecosystem designed to automate the service journey. Leveraging my background in designing retail experiences for Nike and complex systems for PTC, I developed a visual tracking interface that offloads the communication burden from the staff to an autonomous digital display.
Key features of the ecosystem include:
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Barista-First Input: A simplified interface for the production team that translates physical beverage completion into live digital data.
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Visual Queue Transparency: A real-time tracker for customers that uses clear visual metaphors to communicate order progress.
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Predictive Trust: By providing a clear "Barista View" of the queue, the system manages expectations and increases customer retention through transparency.
USER RESEARCH
I interviewed different people to understand the needs for whom I'm designing.
A primary user group identified through research was young students who love good fresh coffee and don't have much time to waste waiting.
They have a daily routine, so they eat every day simultaneously. So research revealed that time is an essential factor as receiving fast and at the correct time. But there is another critical problem that challenges them: communication .
COMMUNICATION
When it’s necessary to call to the restaurant because the order is delayed
1
PAIN POINTS
2
When cannot be able to eat at 12 as they do everyday
TIME
When there’s a problem with their order and they didn’t get noticed until ten minutes after the supposed arrival time
NOTIFICATIONS
3
USER
"Every thing has hos own perfect time"
Adrian Marconi is a 23 years old student in the last year of his degree in Business Administration. He works as a Junior Customer Success employee in Tel Aviv.
He is a fan of good coffees freshly made at his perfect temperature. Some mornings, he picks the coffees for his teamwork from the coffee shop. He feels frustrated when his order is not done when the app shows him.
USER JOURNEY MAP
USER FLOW
USABILITY STUDY
I conducted two rounds of usability studies. Findings from the first study helped me refine the designs from wireframes to mockups. The 2nd study used a high-fidelity prototype and revealed what aspects of the mockups needed refining.
Unmoderated usability study
5 participants:
2 womens, 3 mens, between the ages of 22 to 45
Israel, remote
25 - 30 minutes session
FINDINGS
1st ROUND
1
Users wants to be aware of every stage of their order
2
Users wants to be able to select which status notifications receive
3
Users wants an access to the tracking map easy
2nd ROUND
1
Users wants to see the ETA
2
Users wants an easiest access to the notification screen
3
Users wants to be able to see a Summary order screen
DESIGN SYSTEM
MOCKUPS
HIGH FIDELITY PROTOTYPE
IN FIGMA
TAKEAWAYS
REFLECTION: Merging Physical Logic with Digital Precision
The Coffee City project was an exercise in applying the structural logic of Industrial Design to a fast-paced digital environment. It reinforced my belief that the most effective products aren't just "usable"—they are operationally invisible.
By focusing on the barista’s production flow, I learned that a successful B2B interface must extend the user’s physical movements. This "ergonomic" approach to UI is now a cornerstone of my work on complex CAD systems, where I continue to bridge the gap between technical power and human-centered craft.