Design Process Overview
Problem Setting:
We looked into what we deemed as “convivially awkward” scenarios, like encounters in public and semi-public places and we found an opportunity to stimulate conviviality with the usage of vending machines.
The buying experience with the vending machine is linear, which dramatically decreases interaction among users. On the other hand, during our observation of places and scenarios that we deemed highly convivial, we noticed that people subconsciously form circles or “gather around”.
The box archetype of a vending machine was redesigned into a round table. This allows user to gather around while taking turns in buying their drinks. In addition, it also provides a surface to set down food and beverages when conversations heat up!
Solutions to communicate functions of vending machines was extensively explored to ensure clarity and ease of use.
The final concept is consisting of three individual machine and common gestures and existing product archetypes are used to improve familiarity and make usage as intuitive as possible.
Double tap to dispense COFFEE or TEA!
This gesture is inspired from a blackjack player tapping the table to ask for more cards and from Cantonese table etiquette where they tap the table as a way to politely say thank you when their being served tea while their mouth is full.
MICROWAVE dome.
The gourmet dome archetype was chosen for its common associatition to good food. An infrared cooking technology that works similarly with microwave was chosen over designing a vending machine that spits out food because we wanted people to enjoy fresher food that we don’t believe a vending machinge can provide.
SODA AND JUICE...
Soda cups were chosen as the shape of the soda and juice vending table because it reminds people of its fun and light heartedness. On top of this, it also easily communicate it’s function.
Similar coffee table dispensing interaction is also used for the Soda table.
This work was published in this April 2010 issue
