(1) Looking at the menu to determine what to order;
(2) Placing the order;
(3) Paying for the order;
(4) Waiting for the order;
(5) Going to the self station.
After observing several customers thru these operations, I found that activities in the self station triggers the most manual tasks and requires the most artifacts. Some manual tasks are uncovering the drink, adding milk, unpacking the sugar, and unpacking the straw. Some artifacts are the milk bottle, packs of sugar, straws in their covers, cup slips, tin cans of condiments, stirs, and trash disposal. Therefore, I chose this area to target for technology improvements.
- Add milk
- Add sugar
- Add honey
- Add condiments from tin cans
- Throw away trash
- Get napkins
- Get straws
- Get stirs
- Get cup slips
- Get water
People performed single or multiple tasks listed above in one session. People also made multiple trips to the self station to perform additional tasks. The kinds of people observed engaging in this activity varies from men and women in their 20's to 60's. They were all in the bookstore so I assume they were interested in buying some books and happened to want a drink.
- 1 open container for stirs
- 1 open container for straws
- straws are wrapped in paper cover
- 4 tin cans containing condiments (cocoa,...etc)
- Napkins
- Brown cup slips
- 1 small bottle of honey
- 4 different types of sugar (reguar, raw, and 2 types of artificial sugar)
- Plastic cups
- 1 big closed bottle of cold water
- A small hole in the table for small trash
- A front opening with the word "Trash" written on it in the front of the self station
Question: How do you like the self station?
Response: "Its convenient. You get to put whatever amount of milk or sugar you want into the coffee."
Question: What are some of the things that you do not like about this self station?
Response: "Hmm.... I guess the location of it. Its kind of far from the cashier and people may have to look around for it. Oh, another thing is, I always wonder why the milk can be kept open like that. Doesn't it have to be kept in the fridge so it won't go bad?"
Question: How technology can help improve it?
Response: "Well, maybe there can be a machine to spit out the milk. And that machine is like a fridge as well. So that the milk can be kept there cold rather than open like this."
Another interview was conducted on a man in his 30's coming from the magazine section.
Question: How do you like the self station?
Response: "I like it. I like to choose different types of sweetener and blend it to my liking. I like to have extra napkins too. I can also add as much sugar as I want instead of the employees adding for me."
Question: What are some of the things that you do not like about this self station?
Response: "Uh... No complain."
Question: How technology can help improve it?
Response: "Uh... I would like a premeasured volume of creme so that it will be consistent instead of me pouring."
1:28pm - (2) Man in 60's took his order (2 drinks and a piece of cake). Then looked around for his friend, then sat down with his friend.
1:33pm - (3) Woman in 30's ordered and went to magazine section to wait. 1:34pm - (4) Man in 40's went to self station. Uncovered the drink, poured away some of the contents, added milk and added 2 packs of sugar. Took a bunch of packgs of sugar into his pocket. Also took napkins.
1:37pm - Man from (2) back to station and took some napkins.
1:38pm - (5) Woman in 50's uncover drink, looked at contents, added 2 packs of sugar, took a stir to stir content, took napkin, and recovered.
1:38pm: (6) Woman in 40's poured water into her own plastic bottle.
1:40pm: Woman from (3) back for her order. Did not goto self station.
1:43pm: (7) Man in 40's took a straw.
1:43pm: Staff cleaned up self station. Cleaned table of trash and changed trash bag underneath table.
1:48pm: (8) Woman in 40's threw away receipt, uncover drink, added 1 pack of sugar, and took a straw.
1:49pm: (9) Woman in 40's took napkin to wipe away condensation on the surface of the cold drink.
1:50pm: (10) Woman in 30's took 2 straws and napkins.
1:53pm: (11) Woman in 30's took a slip for hot drink, took a straw for cold drink.
2:00pm: (12) Man in 30's removed cover, took a pack of sugar and had some trouble opening it. Then added 4 packs of sugar and stir.
2:00pm: (13) Friend of man from (12). View blocked by (12).
2:03pm: Staff cleaned up self station. Cleaned table where left over sugar and straw covers were left on the table.
2:07pm: (14) Woman in 30's threw away some trash.
2:08pm: (15) Woman in 40's threw away some trash.
2:08pm: (16) Woman in 50's took a slip for hot drink.
2:10pm: (17) Man in 40's took a slip for hot drink and napkins.
2:15pm: (18) Man in 20's uncovered drink, added milk, and slip for cold drink.
2:16pm: (19) Man in 30's took napkins.
2:16pm: (20) Man in 30's took napkins.
2:20pm: (21) Woman in 50's took straw. But straw cover was left at the table since she missed throwing them to the trash.
2:24pm: (22) Woman in 40's uncovered drink, added sugar, stirred content. Then was trying to figure out what the contents of some tin cans are by looking at the surface of the tin can. But she didn't find the label (the label is actually at the bottom of the can) and so she smelled the contents trying to figure out what they are. Did not end up pouring any.
2:24pm: (23) Woman in 60's took a straw.
2. 1 person had trouble opening the sugar pack
3. The paper cover for straws are often left at the table since people missed throwing them to the small hole in the table.
4. Whether its a cold drink or hot drink, people get the slip to cover the drink. For hot drinks, its to prevent burn. For cold drinks, its to prevent slipping.
5. When pouring sugar, people often missed making the table very dirty.
6. As a result of 3 and 6, staff needs to clean self station about every 15 - 20 min.
7. The labels for the tin cans of condiments are located at the bottom. 1 person who was interested in adding condiments could not figure out what they are and therefore tried to identify them by smell.
8. 1 person was confused about whether she got the right order. This is due to no identification of each order such as name calling.
9. 1 person took a bunch of sugar packs into his own pocket.
The small trash hole in the table can be made bigger. This resolves #3 above.
The labels for the tin cans should be on the side rather than at the bottom. This resolves #7 above.
An improvement to the overall experience is to have some identification on each order, perhaps a number or the first name of the person. This would resolve the #8 above.
Another improvement can be to make the cups a little bigger so that the staff do not have to fill the contents all the way to the top. This would resolve #1 above.
A cover slip can be provided to the customer by default. This would save customers time from getting them themselves (#4).