Focus Cafe
Product Designer
Timeline: Aug. - Sept. 2024
I’ve probably spent hundreds of dollars on matcha lattes to be productive and do work at a coffee shop, haha 😅 This is my solution, an app that simulates the coffee shop experience and keeps you focused!
PROBLEM
How can I save money but still replicate the productivity I feel at a coffee shop?
"I can't focus when I'm so close to my comfy bed!" - C. Chan
"I work from home so I get sick of my office a lot." - C. Sasiwong
"I like going to coffee shops with friends to keep myself accountable." - A. Hua
"I can't focus when I'm so close to my comfy bed!" - C. Chan "I work from home so I get sick of my office a lot." - C. Sasiwong "I like going to coffee shops with friends to keep myself accountable." - A. Hua
"My housemates get loud, can't focus." - A. Lee
"Being around other focused people makes me more focused." - J. Zhao
"My wi-fi isn't as strong as my local coffee shop." - K. Vuu
"My housemates get loud, can't focus." - A. Lee "Being around other focused people makes me more focused." - J. Zhao "My wi-fi isn't as strong as my local coffee shop." - K. Vuu
"There's too many distractions at home." - C. Lam
"I don't have time to see friends often with my work schedule, it's nice to work together at a coffee shop." - R. Chung
"I'm inspired by everyone else's productivity." - P. Pham
"There's too many distractions at home." - C. Lam "I don't have time to see friends often with my work schedule, it's nice to work together at a coffee shop." - R. Chung "I'm inspired by everyone else's productivity." - P. Pham
I interviewed 9 users ages 20-25 to learn more about their experience.
77.8% of participants do work at a coffee shop more than once a week during the school year.
Their average price of a drink is $7.
Based on the participant’s estimates, they spend around $244.44 per year on average to be productive.
Wireframe Sketches
Funny enough, I had sketched up my vision of this app at a coffee shop. I wanted to simulate the perspective we see right in front of us while we’re working. Typically having a laptop, notebook, and drink set up on our table while listening to music.
I was particularly inspired by urban coffee shops I had visited in New York City because of the cozy atmosphere but non-stop view of people living their daily lives outside the window.
LO-FI vs HI-FI
Let’s visit Focus Cafe!
Get your very own sweet treat!
6 classic and fun drinks to choose from!
Simulating the experience of entering your local coffee shop and buying a drink to accompany your work, complete productivity sessions to earn coins and unlock new drinks.
Set up your workspace!
Now that you’ve got your drink, it’s time to pull out your materials.
Following Pomodoro techniques, users can set a focus, short break, and long break timer.
Write down your tasks for the session, choose your music and get started!
Ready, get set, go!
Tasks set, timer ready, music on, drink sipped.
Get your focus session going!
Check off tasks you go. Add new ones if needed! By the end of a completed session, you’ll earn coins based on your productivity levels.
Earn coins and travel the world!
As you complete more sessions and earn more coins, you’ll have the option to unlock new cafe destinations and drinks inspired by cities around the globe!
South Korea’s cafe culture heavily inspired my love for discovering new drinks and foods to try!
Reflection + Next Steps ->
This was an incredibly fun passion project to work on! I created all the visual elements within Figma and it was my first time adding so much detail. This is an app that I would use myself and I learned a lot about my design styles through this project.
In the next iteration, I want to design a feature that allows users to study at Focus Cafe with friends. Users mentioned the sentiment of feeling more focused around others and I think adding a “multi-player” element would be fun. I also want to create a desktop or tablet version for those who want a more immersive experience at Focus Cafe.