Did you know the number of bubble tea stores in the U.S. grew over 200% in the last decade? That’s a lot of options! One day, I wanted to simply buy a boba drink, but I surge of new bubble tea spots in my neighborhood. With so many choices, it was overwhelming to . That’s when I got the idea to create a solution that simplifies the decision-making process and helps you discover your next favorite spot.
This project is a collaboration with local bubble tea shops, currently being developed to make finding bubble tea faster and easier than ever.
BobaMore
Introducing BobaMore
Making finding the bubble tea you want faster and easier than ever before...
Role
Product Designer
Timeline
June 2024 - October 2024
Skills
User-Research
User-Interface
Storytelling
Tools
Figma
Adobe - Illustrator
Design process
Here is my design process for this project
1. Persona
2. Research
3. Ideate & Draft
Building and combining proto-personas, in order to understand more about the users.
Conducting intensive research and gaining user insights though interviews and surveys.
Critical design thinking and finding the best solution.
4. Storyboard & Design
Made a storyboard to show draft scenarios, outlined design systems, and made final design.
Problem Statement
How Might We seamlessly match users with their ideal bubble tea choices faster and more easily through a personalized, locally-focused platform?
User Personas
Who will use this service
Tony: A Boba Enthusiast, Visiting Several Times a Week
Has a list of stores frequently visited, but willing to try new stores
Loves when store gives option to adjust sweetness and ice level.
Always ask if the store has a punch card or coupon
Actions
Get a drink that meets his expectation
Discover and enjoy a new bubble tea flavor
Get real time updates on trending boba drinks near him
Goals
Painpoints
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Wants more authentic recommendations
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Sometimes the drinks are too sweet or too much ice and there’s no adjusting option
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Wants to try new locations, but doesn't know where to start.
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Wants an easy, straightforward recommendation
Alice: A Casual Boba Enjoyer, Who Drinks Once a Month
Goes to a boba store that’s familiar
Usually chooses flavors that she drank before
Likes to go to the nearest locations
Looks for the best rated boba stores
Actions
There aren’t many accurate reviews and the menus are often incorrect on the web
Wants to know quickly if the stores allows customizing their drinks like ice/sugar levels
Wants to try new locations/flavors but don’t know where to start
Painpoints
Goals
To get a drink that meets her satisfaction
To quickly order and go
Find the best quality drink that’s worth the price
Doesn't want to waste excessive time looking for a boba drink
Key Insight 1
"A major pet peeve of mine is not being able to customize the ice or sugar levels once I’m inside the store."
- Casual Boba Enjoyer 1
Customers want to know if you can customize preferences or toppings
Key Insight 2
“Its hard to tell which restaurants are near me because its not in order of how close they are to my radius”
- Casual Boba Enjoyer 2
Customers wants to clearly know which locations are nearest to them.
Key Insight 3
"Nowadays, customers struggle to discover new places because the web is flooded with similar options"
- Bubble Tea Store Owner
Customers want to discover new locations but don't know how
Desk Research
Secondary Source
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Bubble tea is one of the fastest growing beverage market
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Bubble tea is most popular among ages 18 - 34
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Most stores are independently owned or small chain stores
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Everyone has different pallets and this affects their preference in their drinks
Competitive Analysis
Pros
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Option for customer reviews
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Up-to-date menu tracking and a large active user base
Cons
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Inaccurate/Bias reviews
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Highly-impactful Negative reviews
Yelp
TripAdvisor
Pros
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Good interactive features
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Reliable Reviews
Cons
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Too many features: can’t decide whether to start, things to do, restaurant, etc.
Google Reviews
Pros
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Very accessible and easy to use
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Provides necessary information: location, customer reviews, website, and menu.
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Navigation feature
Cons
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Very few suggestions
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Plain search-and-go application
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Inaccurate and bias reviews/rating
Insight Synthesis
Primary research with stakeholders
35 survey responses from regular boba enjoyers
5 user interviews with boba store employees and store owners
Over 50 answers from users in reddit forum “r/boba”
Survey Takeaway
75% of participants would stick to their usual boba locations rather than trying new places
86% of participants say they would most likely try new locations through word of mouth
55% of participants expressed concerns about unclear drink customization descriptions.
Information Architecture
Low Fidelity Prototype
Features And Iterations
Find the perfect bubble tea
drink for you
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Survey to gain data on what the ideal drink would be for the user
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Order Summary
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Ideal boba drink match and secondary matches
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Filter Stores by displaying stores with ice/sweetness level customization option
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Show ingredients/nutritions
Discover drinks in your area
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View trending bubble tea stores nearby
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Able to click on store location and see more details
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Display recommended drinks
Get a reward when you collect enough points
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View deals from various store locations
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Scan QR code to collect points
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Redeem a free drink from any bubble tea store when you fill up all the points
Reflections
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Always Ask for Feedback: Working on a solo project taught me the importance of seeking critiques from others to improve my design process.
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Gather More Data: I realized the need for additional research, particularly through more in-person interviews, to better inform my decisions.
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Simplify the Design: Implementing too many features can overwhelm users, so it's crucial to keep the service simple and straightforward.