Kasama Pop-up Booth

Chocolates! How exciting!

Who is Kasama Chocolate?

Kasama Chocolate is our external partner, whom we are designing for in this project. They are a Vancouver-based business specializes in making bean-to-bar chocolate and has a passion for all aspects of the process, including sourcing the cacao beans, experimenting with different roasting methods, refining and conching. They appreciate the diversity and complexity of flavors that can be achieved with different bean varieties, places of origin, and post-harvest practices. Kasama values collaboration and community building and seeks to use local ingredients whenever possible.

Project summary

Kasama looking to expand their business. Working together, fellow designer Sherry Lu, and I took in consideration Kasama's business goals as well as challanges to find a solution that not only benefit the business but also bring joy to local consumers.

Goal:

• Form and strengthen relationships with local consumers by making the Kasama name and story more well-known among the chocolate fanatics community
• Introduce the Bean to Bar handmade chocolate to potential local consumers
• Make Kasama products more accessible for consumers who has trouble getting to the Granville store or buying online

Timeline: 7 weeks

Intended Client Kasama Chocolate

Software:

My role

• Service designers
• Design research

Process

Kickoff meeting with Kasama

Before the meeting, our group had done some market, competitive and customer research. During the kickoff meeting, I asked questions that helped me further undertand the business's daily operation, their passions, goals and struggles.

Identify challanges

Scailing up a small business comes with lots of constrains. So how might we

• Scale up Kasama without the cost of opening new store fronts?
• Spread awareness about the Bean to Bar process to a wider audience?

Design Objectives

• Compelling storytelling through taste, visuals and emotions
• Budget-friendly
• Promoting brand through fun and interactive experience
• Learning (about Kasama and Bean to Bar process) and celebrating (the products and the brand

Ideation

We both came up with an idea separately.

Then we combine overlapping interests and design aspects for a third ideation for user test.

User test

Testing candiate: Shriya Maru- classmate

Testing aspects

Feedback from first user test

• Would rather use a vending machine in a setting where they feel at ease and not awkward
• Although the cacao bean shape is aesthetically pleasing, it's not enough to compel them to use it
• Thinks the storyline is overly lengthy and are considering skipping or exiting the game
• The hesitation to use the machine in public spaces
• The expectation to have a fast purchase with the vending machine

Redesign after feedback

First ilteration of Kasama pop-up booth

Present idea to external partner and recieve feedback

We presented our first prototype to Kasama's co-founder Vincent.

Results

Final look

3D model of the Kasama pop-up booth

Cost estimation

Since the external partner wanted to know about the cost, I also looked into some cost estimations

Full project slides

If you want to learn more about our process, including researches,more design iterations, user tests and insights, you can look into our full project presentation below.