Part II: COFFEE CARBON COLLECTIVE

Berlin-based AI-powered platform revolutionizing green coffee quality control, traceability and market positioning. Designed to replace traditional manual grading methods, this product integrates advanced technology into a streamlined machine interface and web application, catering to farmers, roasters, and traders globally.

The Assignment

The design challenge revolved around creating an intuitive UI/UX for a coffee grading machine and a web application in a market lacking direct references. Initial research revealed that not all farmers owned smartphones but had laptops, leading to the decision to prioritize a web-based platform for the MVP.

Key challenges included:

• Defining the need: Understanding coffee grading processes & coffee grader expectations in results.
• Translating manual coffee grading processes into a digital workflow.
• Adapting the interface to accommodate diverse grading standards across regions.
• Addressing the unique needs of users like farmers, traders, sellers and roasters, with varying goals.
• Developing an interface for a non-traditional screen size.

Methodology

PHASE I - Ideation

Research

To create an intuitive and adaptable solution for Agrivero.ai, we implemented a comprehensive research methodology.

1.1. Process Analysis Phase I

1.2. Field Study & Interviews

Conducting fieldwork across Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Brazil, interviewing farmers, graders, and roasters. Engaged with stakeholders at the “World of Coffee” event and ecosystem partners to identify pain points in grading, traceability, and reporting. In later phases, added more roasters from Germany and Turkey for further exploration and testing.

1.3. Buyer & User Persona Creation

Created detailed personas, such as farmers, graders, and traders, reflecting their workflows, priorities, and challenges. Highlighted the need for localized and customizable interfaces.

1. Specialty: coffee businesses producing, trading and roasting high quality specialty coffee. These businesses are focused on evaluating cup profile (taste) instead of physical appearance of bean
2. High commercial: coffee businesses producing, trading and roasting fair quality coffee and are focused on “clean cup” instead of an elaborate profile and they do care about physical defects. producers 5-50 samples a month, exporters / traders / importers - 450 samples a month per location,roasters 50-100 samples per month
3. Low commercial: coffee businesses producing, trading and roasting low quality coffee have enormous emount of samples and need to reduce bottlenecks in the labs. 1700 samples a day.

PHASE II

After onboarding new UX Designers & stakeholders, phase II began.

Design Timetable of Phase II

2. Research Phase II:

Testing Methodology

Analysis

3.1. Notes in Doc

• Notes & Screens: Documented insights, transferred to Post-its, and annotated screens during stakeholder meetings.

3.2. HMW Approach

• HMW Approach: Merged screen notes & Post-its to define key HMW questions.

3.3. Affinity Diagram

• Created Affinity Diagrams based on the interview notes.

3.4. Refinement

• Screen Discussions: Reviewed and annotated screens during meetings to explore possible changes.
• Refinement: Optimized navigation & structure based on direct feedback. And re-created screens for a second round of user testing.

3.4.1. Analysis Outcomes

• Standard Adaptation: Emphasized integrating regional variations and custom standards.
• Data Visualization: Identified a strong need for graphical reports to improve decision-making.
• Workflow Simplification: Users preferred workflows mimicking manual grading to reduce complexity. Tangible to Intangible design.

Design

4.1. Wireframes

• Created Wireframes based on all the research & analysis

4.2. Prototype

• Created Prototype that is to be tested on site on Coffee EXPO in Chicago

4.3. MHU Machine UI

• Machine UI is simply a simplified version of the webpage.