User Research: How do people like their coffee?

Research:

Specialty coffee sales are increasing by 20% per year and account for nearly 8% of the 18 billion dollar U.S. coffee market. Coffee statistics show that among coffee drinkers the average consumption in the United States is 3.1 cups of coffee per day.

http://www.e-importz.com/coffee-statistics.php





Journey Map: Between Waking Up and Drinking Coffee

Participant 1 wakes up and is desiring a food product that will provide them enough energy to accomplish their tasks in the day. Coffee is a beverage that contains caffeine and gives energy to consumers that are tired, especially after sleep or a long nap.

They need something to boost their energy levels for work and daily routines. They move to a kitchen or a nearby coffee shop; they either brew their own coffee or tell the barista at the front counter what kind of coffee they'd like to order. They inform the barista or mix for themselves the exact amount of sugar, milk, flavoring or cream they'd like to have in their coffee. They enjoy the smell of coffee beans that are either being grounded, or poured as grounds in a coffee brewer. They drink their coffee. typically out of a mug, styrofoam or paper cup. The coffee that is either iced or hot provides an enjoyable feeling of comfort, expecially depending on the day's temperature if it is either the winter when it is really cold outside and customers are desiring hot beverages or, if it is the summer when people are desiring cold beverages to keep them cool from the hot weather.


Participant 1
Participant 2
Participant 3
Participant 4
Participant 5

Interview with Participant 1 (home)

12/15/2018

How do you like your own coffee?

Caffeinated

steam milk

full bodied

strong coffee

lattes - 1 percent milk

Taste, smell and thought of being woken up?

Everything. The taste, smell, and the caffeine to get out of bed.

Would you say that environment is important for having coffee?

No, it doesn’t matter

What about the Coffee shop versus home experience?

Getting a coffee at home -

First thing at home; I don’t really want it at a coffee shop

When I do go to a coffee shop, it’s in the afternoon or when I’m in a rush

I would want the coffee fast; instantaneous

Someone else making the coffee is usually not strong enough

In the process, I choose several rounded scoops of coffee grounds

Sweetener or without?

Without sweetener

Hot or Iced?

Hot

Mug, thermos, plastic, cup?

Mug

How does it affect your daily routine?

It feels sluggish without coffee, like I’ll be missing something for most of the day.

Espresso versus regular coffee?

Espresso drinks

Interview with Participant 2 (café)

12/15/2018

How do you like your own coffee?

Keurig; but at a coffee shop, iced

I’m not a huge fan of Dunkin’ coffee though

Why specifically a Keurig?

It’s quicker than the traditional way and I found a bunch of K-Cup flavors I love.

Is there anything about the process of making the coffee with the Keurig that makes it better than, say, a regular coffee maker?

I can make it one cup at a time versus a whole pot, it’s also less messy cause it’s ready to go in the k-cup

Coffee shop versus home experience?

Home

Getting a coffee at home or café?

At coffee shops they can make more complex drinks of better quality with a wider variety in flavor, take lattes or macchiatos for example. It costs more to go to a coffee shop but it can be fun to go out with friends and catch up while drinking coffee. Staying at home is good too though because you can just relax in your pjs and watch Netflix. Also it’s cheaper! For me it depends on my mood, but I tend to like just staying at home better given that I’m an introvert at heart

Hot or Iced?

Hot

What about the experience of someone else making your coffee for you? what about it is different than you making it by yourself?

I hardly have anyone make me coffee. They’d usually make it wrong

Caffeine or Taste?

The addiction to the caffeine is more that I’ll get migraines and even throw up sometimes from them if I go too long without coffee. The taste of coffee is less of an addiction, but more that I just really love it

Mug, thermos, plastic, cup?

Mug

How many cups of coffee a day?

I used to drink around 5 or 6 until a couple months ago I started to cut down. Now I drink one or two a day

Espresso versus regular coffee?

Regular coffee

Paragraph Summary

Participant 1 (home) was interested in the portioning of her coffee whereas Participant 2 (cafe) was less worried about portioning and more interested in the caffeine. Participant 2(cafe) had her coffee iced whereas Participant 1 (home) had her coffee served hot. Participant 1 (home) enjoyed the comfort of the room's space and lighting. Participant 2 was less interested in the room and more interested about the social situation. Participant 1 (home) had the coffee with steamed milk and Participant 2(cafe) just had regular iced coffee.  Participant (2) (cafe) seemed less interested in the amount of portioning then Participant 1 (home) who had her coffee with rounded scoop of coffee grounds.

It would be interesting to think of how to improve a few subtle steps in the coffee making process since a lot of people I interviewed had a specific way of making it. For instance, in drive-thru, where there are lines of cars, cafés might need to consider having more than one window to deliver the beverage. Or, in cafes where baristas need to meet the specific needs of flavoring and portioning in each customer’s drink, cafes may want to expand on the customizations of each drink. Customers that don’t get the right order may blame the barista for the mistake of not hearing him or her correctly. This however isn’t always correct and coffee making machines for the future may be necessary. Cumberland farm offer these machines to customers and surprisingly have placed them past Dunkin’ in New England as more and more consumers care more about the accuracy of the product versus the actual restaurant experience

Portioning of Sweetener

Sugar
Splenda
Sweet N' Low
Blue Equal
Black (No Sweeteners)

Dairy

Whole Milk
Cream
Skim Milk
Black (No Dairy)

Flavoring

Sweetened
Flavoring
Unsweetened
Flavoring

Iced or Hot

Iced
Hot

Stirred or Not Stirred

Stirred
Not Stirred

Mug, Paper or Thermos

Mug
Paper
Thermos


Enjoyment of Taste
Versus
Enjoyment of Energy


Sources:

http://www.e-importz.com/coffee-statistics.php
https://www.statisticbrain.com/coffee-drinking-statistics/
https://www.hamiltonbeach.com/facts-about-coffee-consumption-infographic