CoffeeOdyssy: A Immersive and Educational Coffee Learning Experience
The purpose of this VR prototype is to provide an immersive and interactive educational experience for users to learn about coffee production. Additionally, it aims to foster a better understanding and appreciation for the hard work of farmers and individuals involved in the specialty coffee industry.
Team and Role:
Ian(Me) - User Research, Experience Design, Unity Development
Deliverable:
VR Prototype Based on Google Cardboard
Time Frame:
12 weeks (Mar-Jun, 2023)
Marks:
This project received a High Distinction(90 out of 100) from DECO3009: Design for Virtual Reality
Prototype Experience:
Here's the link to the experience video on Youtube
Design Process
DTMBR (Design → Think → Make → Break → Repeat)
Think:
Background Research (desktop research, competitor analysis)
User Research (target audience selection, personas)
Make:
Low-Fidelity Prototyping (3d storyboard, 360 sketches)
Break/Repeat:
Iteration (user testing, self reflection)
Develop:
Final Product (unity)
Video Walkthrough
Introduction
Design Brief - "Immersive Education"
Concept
The concept I proposed for this brief is to develop a virtual reality experience that simulates the process of coffee cultivation, harvesting, and processing on a coffee farm.
Goal
The goal of this concept is to provide an immersive and interactive educational experience for users to learn about coffee production. Additionally, it aims to foster a better understanding and appreciation for the hard work of farmers and individuals involved in the specialty coffee industry.
This concept fulfils the "immersive education" design brief by providing a highly engaging and interactive learning experience for coffee enthusiasts. Conventional methods of learning may not be as effective in conveying the intricacies of coffee processing, and not everyone has the opportunity to visit coffee farms for firsthand experience. By using virtual reality technology, users will feel as if they are actually present in a coffee farm, creating a highly realistic and immersive learning experience. This will enable users to learn about coffee production in a more accessible and engaging way, regardless of their location or available resources.
Current Issues in Coffee Education
- Accessibility: Many coffee enthusiasts are eager to learn more about the coffee processing process, but may not have access to a coffee processing facility or the resources to visit coffee farms in person.
- Resources: Many coffee lovers may not have access to formal coffee education or training programs. Specifically, while many coffee drinkers know how to brew their perfect cup of coffee, they lack knowledge of the previous steps in the process.
- Complexity: The coffee processing process can be complex, making it difficult to understand each step and its impact on the final product.
- Engagement: Traditional learning methods, such as reading or watching videos, may not be engaging enough for some individuals.
Desktop Research
1. The Potential of Virtual Reality in Education
Virtual reality has the potential to revolutionize education and transform traditional methods of learning. By providing immersive and interactive learning experiences, VR can help students better understand complex concepts and engage with study material. As a result, students can benefit from improved retention and recall of information, increased engagement and motivation, and the ability to personalize their learning experiences (Hu-Au & Lee, 2018).
2. Virtual Reality Enhances Coffee Experience with "Terroir" Simulation
Terroir refers to the unique environmental and cultural factors that impact a crop's flavours (Barham, 2003). It can be simulated in a virtual environment to enhance the premium coffee experience for consumers. By simulating terroir, including landscape, soil, and altitude, consumers can gain a greater appreciation for the environmental and cultural elements that contribute to a particular coffee's distinct flavour profile. This knowledge enables consumers to make more informed purchasing decisions, as they understand the factors that impact the taste and quality of their coffee (Barbosa Escobar, Petit, & Velasco, 2021).
Competitor Analysis
How might we improve the experience?
An experience provides a dynamic and engaging learning environment that allows users to interact with various objects involved in the coffee production, creating a game-like experience that enhances engagement and advances education.
User Research
Target Audience
Coffee lovers are invested in coffee production and often seek educational experiences to gain a deeper understanding of the coffee-making process. However, they face several issues such as limited access to coffee processing facilities and resources for coffee education, as well as the complexity of the coffee processing process and a lack of engagement in traditional learning methods. To address these issues and better serve coffee lovers in their pursuit of knowledge and appreciation of specialty coffee, I have chosen them as the primary audience. By utilising VR technology, this group will have access to an engaging and accessible experience that can provide a deeper understanding and appreciation of specialty coffee production.
Personas
Design Process
Concept Summary
My proposed application will take users to a virtual coffee farm built in a 3D environment. Here, they can learn about different coffee processing methods and interact with the various equipment involved in the process.
Brainstorming
I began my design process by brainstorming an ideal coffee purchasing experience for coffee enthusiasts, integrating VR coffee processing learning. I used a storyboard to illustrate a typical user scenario, enhancing my understanding of the problem.
Feedback Survey
To ensure that the VR experience aligns with the needs and preferences of potential users, I conducted a survey on immersive coffee processing learning. The questionnaire was distributed through Instagram, Slack, and Discord. Within two days, I received 20 responses. To ensure that the results accurately represented my target audience, I filtered out responses from individuals who do not regularly consume coffee by asking "How often do you drink coffee?" As a result, I obtained 18 valid responses. Here is some interesting feedback that will inform the development of the VR experience.
Based on survey feedback, I have decided to create a 10-20 minute VR experience. This experience will allow users to interact with various objects and explore a virtual environment (a virtual coffee estate), similar to playing a role-playing game. It provides a fun and engaging way to learn about coffee processing.
Moodboard
3D Storyboarding
With the basic layout of my virtual farm in mind, I began creating a 3D storyboard to visualise a possible experience with my concept. At this stage, I kept it simple to gather quick feedback from the target audience.
360 Sketches - 1st Version Prototype
After gathering feedback from the participants, I developed the first version of my lowfidelity prototype using 360 sketches. I utilised WebVR to share these sketches with the participants, making it easy for them to view the prototype on their laptop even if they did not have access to a VR headset.
Story Narrative
Welcome to the virtual coffee farm! As you put on your VR headset, you find yourself standing at the entrance of the farm, surrounded by picturesque mountains and endless rows of coffee plants. You have two options: explore the farm alone or embark on a guided coffee learning adventure. As you are eager to learn about the different processing methods, you choose the latter. As you walk through the coffee plantation, you hear the rustling of leaves and smell the aroma of fresh coffee. You come across coffee trees with cherries hanging from them and learn about the importance of picking only fully ripe cherries by hand. After picking the cherries, you can choose between three main processing methods: natural, washed, or honey. If you choose the natural method, you'll be transported to the natural facilities, where you'll see the cherries being dried with the pulp still intact. This traditional method often results in a sweet and fruity cup of coffee. For the washed method, you'll visit the wet processing facility, where you'll see how the outer layer of the cherry is removed before drying the beans. This modern method results in a clean and bright cup of coffee. Lastly, for the honey method, you'll learn about drying the cherries with varying levels of mucilage still attached to the beans, producing a range of flavors. Throughout your journey, you'll witness various stages involved in coffee production, including fermentation, drying, hulling, and sorting, and gain a deeper understanding of how each stage influences the final taste and quality of the coffee. After your journey, you'll receive a summary of what you learned and have the option to revisit any stage or explore the farm freely. This virtual reality tour provides you with a deeper appreciation of the complex and artistic nature involved in creating the perfect cup of coffee. As you take off your headset, you feel inspired to explore the world of coffee further and appreciate the dedication of coffee producers.
360 Sketches - 2nd Version Prototype
In my second version, I improved the visual cues in the environment, provided detailed scene explanations, increased sketch fidelity, and incorporated participant feedback to enhance the narrative of my background story as well.
I have also created a video walkthrough of my final low-fidelity prototype, which can be viewed through this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/16fKG-G4urjf6cS86z1rF45hx-UQtWk9W/view? usp=sharing
VR Consideration
Development
Preparation
Unity Setup
Unity Gameplay Setup
Known Issues
- There are some warnings in the console, but they have no significant impact on the overallexperience of the VR prototype.
- The current implementation restricts user movement to a predefined path, limiting their ability toexplore freely. There are a few instances where the Pathfinder leads the user to unintendedpositions, resulting in an undesirable experience.
- Clicking primary button to pause and restart movement sometimes doesn't work, but works after afew clicks.
- Interaction triggers currently have an extended range, which can compromise the visibility ofinformation. The trigger range needs to be adjusted to a closer distance to ensure optimal clarityduring interactions.
- The footstep sound effect starts slightly before the user initiates movement, resulting in a slightmismatch between the audio and the actual movement.
Future Work
To prioritise the improvement of the VR experience, there are several key steps to consider. Firstly,addressing any existing bugs and glitches is crucial to ensure a smooth and seamless userexperience. By thoroughly testing and debugging the application, users can enjoy a more immersiveand enjoyable experience.
Additionally, enabling unrestricted movement within the virtual environment is essential. This can beachieved by upgrading to an advanced headset with controllers, allowing users to freely explore thecoffee farm and interact with various elements. This adds a level of interactivity and agency, enhancingoverall engagement and immersion.
Moreover, incorporating interactive elements into the experience can further enhance userengagement. For example, enabling users to actively participate in tasks such as picking up coffeecherries or raking drying beds adds a hands-on element to the virtual experience, providing a morerealistic and engaging simulation of the coffee production process.
Lastly, considering the integration of an olfactory display, similar to the approachemployed by Café Paulista, could elevate the VR experience even further. Replicating the fragrancesassociated with the coffee plantation and different stages of coffee processing can create a multi-sensory encounter, allowing users to appreciate the nuanced flavours and aromas that arise from eachproduction phase.
By prioritising these improvements, the VR experience can be enhanced to provide users with a moreimmersive, interactive, and multi-sensory journey through the coffee farm and production process.
