coffee project report s mo goltz

C O F F E E P R O J E C T T H E T H I R D P L A C E

Mo Goltz - Observing Users - 2010

F I E L D R E S E A R C H R E P O R T N O T E B O O K

Project Definition Cafés Chosen

Near North Side

Starbucks

828 North State StreetChicago IL 60654

Argo Tea

819 n. Rush StreetChicago IL 60611

Lavazza (Expression)

140 E. Waltonchicago il 60611

Loop

Seattle’s Best Coffee (Borders)

150 n. state streetchicago il 60601

Bronzeville

Panera Bread

1101 S. Canal StreetChicago IL 60607

No matter what day of the week, or time of day, there are millions of people patronizing cafés throughout this country. Since the day the first Starbucks opened, Americans have never looked back. The prolifera-tion of cheap and free wi-fi has made these caffeine dispensing establishments even more alluring, and now it seems its impossible to travel even one block without seeing over a dozen cafés. These houses of java have become part of the modern urban and suburban landscape in a uniquely American way. That is to say that although we drink the same espresso as those in countries such as france or Italy, we have not developed cafe culture - at least in the traditional european sense. Cafés serve a different purpose and have a different attitude here then they do in other nations.

The question then becomes: What role do cafés currently play in urban America, and how could these locations be better designed to facilitate and support the needs of the customers in those shops. How can proprietors improve their café spaces, and better differentiate themselves from the competition in a way that Bars currently do. For instance there are many genres of bars that by design, focus on specific kinds of clientele and support activities that are sometimes mutually exclusive. For instance dive bars provide a very different experience than a sports bar or a blues bar. The evolution of genres and sub-genres of bars allows people to make informed decisions of what kind of place to attend in order to more accurately fulfill their specific needs. The same cannot be said for cafés. Though people relax, socialize, and work in cafés, there doesn’t seem to be places that are focused on any area of activity in particular. It is my goal by the end of this project to discover the ways in which people utilize the spaces within cafés and use this information to develop recommended areas that would provide innovative design opportunities to enhance café environments.

A ACTIVITIES

E ENVIRONMENTS

I INTERACTIONS

O OBJECTS

U USERS

Headphones MP3 playerCellphoneLaptopKindle

magazinebooknote pad/sketchbookpen / pencilwater bottlepurse / backpack

suitcasescarf/gloves/hatcupplatesilverware

Relaxationwork / homeworkSurfing the NetComputer sesocializingpeople watching

drinking / eatingreadinglistening to musictalking on the phonetalking to othersstretching

nappingmake-shift officetogether, but alonequick in+out (coffee only)

StudentFamily MembersFreelancerwriter /artistbusinesspersonsocialite

best friendsthe regularthe omnipresentthe voyeurthe hipsterthe laptop poser

the purist / café goerthe weary travelerthe napper

“its just coffee” dateinterviewcatching up over a cupstudy partnersbusiness meetingbest friends ever

Hot-Spots (always busy)for the business specialin & out pit-stophybrids

rendezvousjust hanging outfamily gathering1/2 way pointgetting out of the house

coffee onlycoffee + sweetscoffee / sweets / savoryrestaurant + coffeecafé in a bookstore

local establishmentscommercial chain spotfranchise

Structured Observation Seattle’s Best at Borders

FAMILY ROOMThis is literally a home-away-from-home. Complete with a plush carpet, fancy leather couches, and miniature lamps, this part of the café sets a relaxed and casual vibe. The materials the furniture is made of seem higher quality too.

The family room is in the back corner of the space, which is the farthest place away from the noisy food / drink preparation and ordering station.

THE BIG TABLEThis table does double duty, serving as a vi-sual barrier between the seating area and the preparation / ordering station is located. The size of this table is great for group work too, though often strangers sit at opposite ends, and don’t acknowledge each other.

VARIABLE SEATINGThough many cafés offer different kinds of seating, this location was the only one ob-served that had stools. They were constructed in the same style as the chair, but had longer legs. This positioned users above eye level of others and provided a unique sense of separa-tion from the rest of the crowd.

The leather couches provided a sense of relax-ation and luxury, and implicitly invites people to make themselves at home and comfortable.

ELECTRICAL OUTLETSThe outlets are placed at the base of structural posts, which are evenly distributed along the perimeter of the room. There are no plugs in the center of the café however, so laptop users tend to congregate at the smaller tables at the periphery. Those not utilizing technology tend to congregate in the center.

Photographs were not allowed on premises at any of the cafés due to privacy policies and official corporate procedures.

THE LONG TABLEThis is the largest space here in the café, and it seems to be designed for group work. Often people who arrive alone sit next to strangers simply because there isn’t any other space available. In this situation, multiple individuals give each other their own space, but otherwise act if no one else is there - similar behavior to that in an elevator. Shared space that is forced upon individuals is not taken lightly, and people are careful to work autonomously.

SITTING IN PARALLEL‘Together, but alone’ is s state common to a majority café goers. Even colleagues and friends create this semi-isolation. Those pictured to the top and left sit across from one another, but rarely talk or even make eye contact. Their gaze is fixated upon the work their are doing and these people only communicate during short breaks. They are spending time in the same place, but in-teraction is usually kept at a bear minimum. Productivity appears to take presence over socialization.

SURFING CHITTER-CHATTERThose groups that chose to talk often still had work to do, and often situated themselves in a physical formation that allowed for both types of activity. Here two women sit diagonally from one anther so they can maintain eye contact while talking and using their laptops. As seen (at the left) from a bird’s-eye-view, the orienta-tion of their workspace allows these to women to look through the space created between their computers.

INTIMATE MOMENTSCouples often sat directly next to each other in order to facilitate physical contact. When space was at a premium, some couples would even share a plush leather seat, though it was clearly designed to hold only one person at a time. With one exception, this proximity was unique to amorous pairs, and also allowed for shared reading experiences. A tutor and his pupil was the one instance where this type close formation was used platonically, and was used to create a shared perspective from which to utilized a large workspace together.

TENSE, ARE WE?The body language and facial expressions of the business people and students active in work varied drastically from those socializing or relaxing in the café. Headphones were often used as a tool to sonically and perceptually isolate one’s self from the crowd and ambient noise in the shared public space.

THE WORK CYCLEAs people worked more intensely, they often leaned into their work, moving their noses ever forward and toward the surface of the table. With headphones on, casual glances would become stares as those reading focused on the pages of their books or screens of their computers. After a prolonged period of time, the intensity would reach a zenith, and a break or relaxation period would take effect. Some people would take the opportunity to get up and stretch, while others would rest their eyes or take a deep breath.

LEANING AND RECLININGWeary travelers, hard working free lancers, and snoozy seniors, among others often would remain at the café in a drowsy state. Whether they were killing time out of neces-sity, to tired to move to another location I do not know. However, it was obvious that often caffeine alone was not enough to keep people awake and engaged in their activities. Leaning on their arms, arm rests, the table, or the handle of a suitcase was often used as a technique to keep alert and awake.

STORAGE SPACECity dwellers are often urban nomads, and dur-ing the day travel with much of their belongings at hand. When these people arrive at a café, the ritual of setting up their personal space begins. An integral part of this process is the unpacking of the objects that will be used dur-ing the visit to the café.

Lacking suitable storage or working space patrons simply surround themselves with piles of their stuff, and tables, chairs, the floor, and ledges become makeshift shelving or cabininetry. Their belongings are stored within reach, and often walls made up other stuff are constructed that double as barriers to create sense of privacy,

Panera Bread Company

HYBRID MULTIPURPOSE ZONEA mix of small, medium, and large tables accommodate eating, drinking, studying and working. There is one long table perfect for group work or meetings too. The largest area of Panera is a dynamic space that is versatile enough to accommodate a heterogeneous mix of patrons.

CAFÉ ONLY ZONEComfy and cozy areas are perfectly suited to accommodate patrons expectations and needs that want a café experience. Here space is more open, framed artwork lines the walls, and electrical outlets are more prevalent.

ENTER / EXIT TRANSITIONThis door opens directly outside and is only used in warm weather. It is separated from the rest of the interior by a demarcation on the floor. The only location where tile flooring can be found is here, as the rest of the restaurant - café hybrid is carpeted.

RESTAURANT ONLY ZONETraditional restaurant booth seating is lo-cated in the center and heart of Panera. The benches and long tables are sheltered by high barriers that denote the boundaries of the booths. These barriers shield the patrons from loud ambient noise and create a sense of calm, semi-isolation, and promote intimacy.

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Survey Results 1 Survey Results 2 (both groups) 2/15/10 12:58 PMEdit form - [ Café Survey ] - Google Docs

Page 1 of 5https://spreadsheets.google.com/gform?key=0AlS4P_cuEIKDdEtlRDdibXhUU1IzdGlZbDk1RWc1dnc&hl=en&gridId=0#chart

48 responses

Summary See complete responses

Are you a regular coffee drinker?Yes 26 54%

No 22 46%

What is your opinion about coffee?I like the taste 12 25%

I like the caffeine 3 6%

i like the taste and the boost of energy 20 42%

I dislike the taste 5 10%

I don't like how caffeine makes me feel 5 10%

Taste and caffeine are both negatives for me 3 6%

Is there shop you usually go to? Whats the name of it?Any place will do 15 33%

I do frequent a particular cafe (type the name in the "other" box) 18 40%

Other 21 47%

People may select more than one checkbox, so percentages may add up tomore than 100%.

What do you usually do at this coffee shop

SURVEY RESULTSThe large gray numbers at the bottom of the X-axis indicate (on a scale of 1-5) how important users felt that different aspects of the café experience was to them. This score was awarded to the largest group in the survey pool who agreed on a rating. Thus the majority consensus is the score represented here. The height of the dots on this chart indicate the percentage of the participants that formed that majority. Areas of large differences between coffee drinkers and non-coffee drinkers are marked in purple.

It would seem that coffee drinkers value the taste of coffee, noise, and layout of the room more, and access to wi-fi less, than non-coffee drinkers. Though the sample size of my survey was only 48 people, some conclusions can be drawn from this. Caffeine is a stimulant found in coffee and has been shown to increase blood flow in areas of the brain that control attention and focus. It is possible that those who are caffinated are more aware of and sensitive to their surroundings than those who are not stimulated. This is an educated hypothesis at this point and warrants further investigation.

2/15/10 12:58 PMEdit form - [ Café Survey ] - Google Docs


relaxing (by myself) 4 9%

socializing / meeting with others 10 22%

work or homework 19 41%

just surfing the net 1 2%

reading 2 4%

Other 10 22%

Why did you originally choose this location?better prices than other cafes 0 0%

closest cafe near me 15 35%

it’s my favorite cafe 4 9%

needed the free wifi 4 9%

just wanted to go out 5 12%

was just walking by and stopped in 3 7%

Other 12 28%

Please Rate how important each feature of the coffee shop is to you - Interior Decoration / Layoutof Room(s)

1 - Don't Care 3 7%

2 1 2%

3 - Neutral 10 22%

4 20 44%

5 - Very Important 11 24%

Please Rate how important each feature of the coffee shop is to you - Taste of Coffee



1 - Don't Care 2 4%

2 3 7%

3 - Neutral 5 11%

4 12 27%


Please Rate how important each feature of the coffee shop is to you - Value for money1 - Don't Care 1 2%

2 2 5%

3 - Neutral 16 36%

4 15 34%


Please Rate how important each feature of the coffee shop is to you - Ambiance / Atmosphere /Energy

1 - Don't Care 3 7%

2 3 7%

3 - Neutral 8 18%

4 16 36%


Please Rate how important each feature of the coffee shop is to you - Interior Decoration / Layoutof Room(s)



1 - Don't Care 4 9%

2 1 2%

3 - Neutral 12 27%

4 16 36%


Please Rate how important each feature of the coffee shop is to you - Noise Level1 - Don't Care 2 4%

2 3 7%

3 - Neutral 9 20%

4 22 49%


Please Rate how important each feature of the coffee shop is to you - the kinds of people that tendto come here also

1 - Don't Care 6 13%

2 6 13%

3 - Neutral 13 29%

4 15 33%


Please Rate how important each feature of the coffee shop is to you - Availablity / Amount ofElectrical Outlets



1 - Don't Care 9 20%

2 6 13%

3 - Neutral 5 11%

4 15 33%


Please Rate how important each feature of the coffee shop is to you - Free Wifi1 - Don't Care 6 14%

2 2 5%

3 - Neutral 7 16%

4 7 16%


Number of daily responses

Intercept Interview Insights Areas of OpportunityDesign the interiors of cafés to explicitly facilitate one of the two modes of activities (work or socializing), and / or the three sizes of social groupings (solo, one-on-one, and teams). For instance, what if a café was designed from the ground up to exclusively cater to group work? How would the space differ from traditional cafés to-day?

When a person moves to a new city or town, they usually find a café to patronize and revisit on a semi-regular basis. Engaging users as soon as possible and enticing them to visit a specific location would increase the chances of repeat business.

Though not as formal as a traditional restaurant, the café lacks a reservation system for table space. Though many would not need this service, there are plenty of occasions, such as a meeting, or date for instance, that people would benefit from a guaranteed spot.

It is very common to see people bring bookbags, purses, and even suitcases filled with their personal effects to cafés. They often empty the contents of their bags, and surround themselves with the objects they need to study or work. A shelving and / or locker system would free up space, increase security, and allow people to come and go, using the shop as a hub if they need to.

People in a café come for different reasons, and those socializing may be too noisy for those wanting to hunker down and work. Creating semi-secluded or noise insulated sections of the room would help the loud and the quiet co-exist peacefully.

Surprisingly, coffee isn’t always a big draw or primary concern for those who frequent cafés. Augmenting the experience with interior design, tools, or service to facilitate the work related tasks and projects that patrons are increasingly engaging in, as the café has become a makeshift office or study for many.

APPENDIX

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------INTERCEPT / INTERVIEW LOCATION 1

2/7/10 - 3pmStarbucks828 North State StreetChicago IL 60654---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------L. St. John

• why chose: Closest place• profession: teacher• harder to work @ home because there are other things to do - distractions

⁃ separate work / home physically• local vs corporate: same experience

Nick Lopez• boyfriend of L. St. John• Doesnʼt like coffee - goes with girlfriend• also a teacher• Ambiance

⁃ quiet⁃ chill⁃ tranquil⁃ everyone on the same page⁃ place doesnʼt mater, as long as the vibe is the one you want

• similar places to coffee shops⁃ pennera (with wifi)⁃ restaraunt + coffee house hybrid⁃ also Borders - its ok to chill and hang

karen mijam• usually go before work• rendezvous with other people when its convenient• coffee shops are more casual• go to coffee shops primarily to be social

Jan T.• usually get in / go

⁃ donʼt have time• donʼt like begin around the poser laptop crowd

⁃ there to be seen⁃ pretentious⁃ just killing time

• read the paper there• chose location based on where I live, and where I am at the time• like to go to local coffee shops, give back to the community

⁃ corporate places donʼtʼ give you frequent sipper benefits

• beverage is 2ndary to the experience

Amanda W.• this is my typical location - my school is across the street• 50/50 social + work• there are no local coffee shops downtown• but local places are more comfortable,

⁃ lower key - laid back⁃ not uniform; no cookie cutter storefronts

Dillan C.⁃ go wherever its convenient - near where you are at the time

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------INTERCEPT / INTERVIEW LOCATION 2

Argo Tea819 n. Rush StreetChicago IL 60611

3:43 pm---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Franscisco Herreara

• what do you like about the ambience⁃ music⁃ others are polite - like being surrounded by people

• rarely buy things - paying 3 dollars for tea is outrageous• like to read and write when at coffee shops• I seek quality coffee places out

⁃ location not importune to me, will travel for specific ambience• starbucks has all the sweetest spots• chicago isnʼt a town like new york where there are stops every block - there are

only so many convenient places you can go to on public transit - and starbucks has all those places on lockdown

• difference between local and corporate⁃ local: steady clientele but smaller⁃ know people that work there - develop relationships

• places like argo: lots of new faces• come here to meet students• coffee culture started as an alternative counterculture / alternative spot in the

early 90ʼs, around 1992.

Linda M.• Why chose this place: atmosphere

• feels like a neighborhood home• frequent internet use• why do you go there: mostly to do my own thing, but also to meet up with others• hard to think of another place that could fulfill the needs of doing work away

from office and home, AND be social…..⁃ i also like lounging around a t boarders

• most coffee places sell coffee at roughly the same prices, and I donʼt notice a differences in the taste of coffee from different locations….

Anista S. / Natalia B.• go to catch up with others, though study productivity goes down

⁃ i need quiet to study⁃ distracted with movement and music

• need a neutral location to study• alternative place to study: Library• quality coffee Lavazza• starbcucks coffee is bad• atmosphere matters - • Location: within easy walking distance

⁃ when familiarity is high, happiness is high• alt location: millennium park - place to sit.• 20 study / 80 work

David M.• go all over for coffee, but argo is my favorite - like tea better!• grate atmosphere

⁃ comfortable space⁃ amount of people

• location: near change - • main activity: reading / laptop• 50/50 work and social• starbucks tast not good…..

⁃ but when attached to a bookstore you have a captive audience• donʼt go to local coffee shops very often

Nathanial Daramal• canʼt work at home, too many distracts• a coffee shops give you food, drinks, a place to work• gets me out of the house• when others are studying around you, it is motivating me to keep working• Why here:

⁃ starbucks i always full• taste effects choice: low

⁃ intelligence has better coffee than starbucks, though⁃ atmosphere and the space is most imprint

⁃ space: openness, better feel

⁃ taste of coffee wonʼt make or break my decision on where to go⁃ 20% meet, 80% work

-

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------INTERCEPT / INTERVIEW LOCATION 3

Espression by Lavazza |140 e. waltonchicago il 60611--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Cuiril L.

• Iʼm a regular here• live a block away• free wifi here - donʼt have to pay like at those other places• # of people here is low

⁃ people donʼt stay her long, usually⁃ donʼt have to fight for space

• iʼm not a cofee drinker • come here on weekends, usually to socialize• starbucks tastes bad• wish there were more proper food here

Geno. t.• location: Proximity is important• I can access the doors quickly for a smoke every now and then• why not stay at apartment: no disctactions, no porn, no naps• energy level is higher at coffee shops

⁃ I feel like i get more done, though iʼm probably not as productive as when I work at other places

• local places⁃ cozy, not pozi, (just there to be seen)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------SITE VISIT - DRAWING + OBSERVATIONS

Seattles best150 n. state streetchicago il 60601

Panera Bread1101 S. Canal StreetChicago IL 60607--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------