Industry
Hospitality, B2B
Client
bru technologies
Role
Product Designer
bru mobile rewards
Changing the way coffee shop owners + lovers view rewards programs
Overview
In the world of coffee, both consumers and small coffee shop owners face challenges. Consumers crave convenience, personalized rewards, and the thrill of discovery, while coffee shop owners need efficient ways to attract and retain customers. Enter Bru, an B2C and B2B app designed to revolutionize the coffee experience for both coffee enthusiasts and business owners.
What did I do?
I designed the core user flows for Bru, a B2C and B2B app, aimed at improving the rewards experience for coffee enthusiasts and small coffee shop owners. The focus was on creating a streamlined and intuitive process for both consumers and businesses, emphasizing ease of use and personalization.
Imagine being able to discover the best local coffee shops, earn personalized rewards through fun challenges, and effortlessly manage your favorite café’s loyalty program—all from one simple app.
Who'd I work with?
PM
Coordinated project timelines and deliverables.
Engineers
Implemented the app’s functionalities and integrations.
Business owners in the cafe spaces
Provided insights into the needs and pain points of small coffee shops.
The process
initial uxr metrics
To understand their challenges with existing rewards programs, surveyed coffee consumers to gather insights on what they value in a rewards app.
Conducted user research with 50 coffee shop owners and 200 coffee consumers. We discovered that 70% of coffee shop owners found existing rewards programs too complex to set up, and 65% of consumers preferred personalized rewards over generic ones.
Identifying the strengths and weaknesses with existing rewards
Starbucks excels at creating a seamless and engaging rewards experience by offering personalized incentives and a user-friendly app interface
We mirrored this approach in Bru by scaling it to suit independent cafes, providing them with an AI-driven platform that personalizes rewards and simplifies program management, making high-quality customer engagement accessible to smaller businesses.
the problem with Pos rewards systems
Current rewards programs are often generic and fail to engage customers effectively.
Small business owners find it difficult to set up and manage these programs without technical expertise.
Solutions
HMW create an intuitive and engaging rewards platform that helps coffee enthusiasts discover new cafés and incentivizes small coffee shop owners to retain and attract customers through personalized, AI-driven rewards and social media integrations?
AI powered rewards customization
Developed an AI chatbot to help coffee shop owners create personalized rewards programs based on their specific needs and peak hours. Integrated with Square to monitor sales and popular inventory items, providing actionable insights.
Gamification and social media integration
Introduced gamified "Side Quests" for consumers to earn extra points, increasing engagement. Enabled social media giveaways with seamless integration into the Bru app, making it easy for customers to redeem their rewards.
No design system
Given the smaller scale of the project, a full design system was unnecessary. The focus was on delivering a functional and aesthetically pleasing product quickly.
Design choices
Chose earth tone shades of green and neutral black to create a warm, inviting interface that aligns with the coffee shop ambiance.
The B2B Model
In Bru's B2B model, coffee shop owners are guided through an intuitive flow to create a customized rewards program tailored to their unique needs. The process is designed to be simple and user-friendly, utilizing tabs, input fields, and progress steppers to ensure a seamless experience.
chat with AI & LLM
AI powered onboarding
Business owners start by chatting with an AI assistant powered by a Large Language Model (LLM) specifically trained on coffee shop operations and marketing strategies. The AI asks targeted questions about the business, such as typical customer demographics and peak hours.
Inputting key info
Owners can select multiple demographics (e.g., students, professionals, retirees) that best represent their customer base. Owners input their typical peak hours, allowing the AI to optimize the rewards program for maximum engagement during these times.
designing the rewards program
Tabs
The onboarding process is broken into manageable sections using tabs, each focusing on a different aspect of the rewards program (e.g., reward types, point system, promotional events).
Input fields
Input fields are used to gather specific details, such as the types of rewards (e.g., discounts, free items) and the points required to earn them.
Progress steppers
Progress steppers visually guide the business owners through each stage of the setup, providing a clear sense of completion and what steps remain. This method ensures that the process is not overwhelming, as owners can see their progress and easily navigate back to previous steps if needed.
The why
Value Prop
For consumers
Discover new cafés, enjoy personalized rewards, and participate in engaging challenges.
For business owners
Easily set up and manage a tailored rewards program, gain valuable business insights, and leverage social media for promotions.
why us over them?
Bru provides a unique combination of AI-driven customization and gamified engagement, making it more attractive than generic rewards solutions like Square Rewards.
A design iteration I made
Initial iteration
Designed the café finder feature with basic search functionality.
Improvement
Added filters for ambiance, Wi-Fi availability, and specialty drinks based on user feedback, enhancing the discovery process.
Feedback and revisions
User feedback
Early testers appreciated the café finder but wanted more detailed filters and better integration with existing ordering systems.
Revisions
Implemented advanced filtering options and integrated third-party ordering systems like Stripe and Toast to streamline the user experience.
Wrapping up
I designed Bru to provide an intuitive, AI-driven rewards platform that simplifies program setup for coffee shop owners and enhances customer engagement through personalized, gamified rewards. This approach is beneficial as it empowers small businesses to attract and retain customers effectively, creating a compelling alternative to generic rewards solutions. Bru helps coffee enthusiasts discover new cafés, enjoy personalized rewards, and engage in fun challenges, while enabling coffee shop owners to effortlessly create and manage tailored rewards programs, gain valuable business insights, and leverage social media for promotions.
